One of the more important appliances in people’s homes is the water heating system. At one time, everyone had a simple selection; water was heated in a tank and piped throughout the home. As water heaters evolved, manufacturers created both electric and gas based variants to supply both all-electric homes and those with access to a gas supply. Still, the technology remained similar; water is piped into a storage tank and heated before being distributed throughout the home. Now, homeowners can choose from a variety of water heaters as well as tankless systems that supply hot water on demand.
Water heaters are not complex devices; however, they often need the skills of a certified plumber for Water Heater Installations And Repair Services. Installation can often be difficult because large water heaters are hard to manipulate into the spaces where home designers place them. You can find water heaters in basements, attics and even tiny closets built specifically for them. No matter where they are placed, it often seems difficult to access them.
Among the difficulties with Water Heater Installations And Repair Services are the plumbing connections. Many household water supplies are copper based with soldered fittings. This means a torch or other method is required to remove the solder before the tank can be removed. In the case of servicing, this may not be too important, but if the tank requires moving for any reason, it could become a problem.
Repairs on the tank often mean fixing the heating mechanisms. With electric water heaters, this requires removing the water from the tank and replacing one or more heating elements. It may also require replacing the controlling thermostat. For gas based appliances, the work may be more complex. Gas water heaters use either natural gas or propane for fuel. This gas is burned under the tank and heats the metal of the storage tank; the heat is then transferred to the water. Repairing the heating mechanisms on gas based water heaters often include cleaning the burner and testing the fuel supply. In many cases, the problem actually resides in the ignition system or the fuel control itself. To determine which will usually require a visit from an expert contractor such as Macatawa Plumbing Inc.