The water heater has become one of the most important appliances in the modern home. People use hot water for cleaning clothes, washing dishes, preparing food and even cleaning themselves. For the most part, the water heater is a very reliable device that needs little maintenance. The standard water heater is a storage tank system that uses natural gas or electrical resistance to heat the water. Gas based water heaters actually heat the tank and that heat is transferred to the water. Electric water heaters heat the water by using an electrode immersed in the tank. In tanks that are forty gallons or larger there will be two elements for heating.
There are several reasons for Water Heater Repair Service in Manassas VA. The most common is a leaking tank or a failed electric heater. Tanks can develop a leak for numerous reasons. These leaks can occur around the inlet or outlet pipes or around the base of a gas based heater. The most common cause of leaks are corrosion to the tank or fittings. Modern tanks can avoid this to some degree with the installation of a liner. Tanks are manufactured with a liner made from glass or concrete. Most plumbers agree that concrete liners are better because they protect the inside if the tank and the fittings.
Not all Water Heater Repair Service in Manassas VA is done on a tank based water heater. Alternatives to the old tank method include whole house inline water heaters or point of use tankless heaters. These types of water heaters don’t keep heated water for an on demand supply. Instead, they heat water as it is required. They do this by heating water in a small, flash boiler and they do this very quickly. Supplying hot water in this way eliminates some of the problems that storage tanks have such as corrosion and wasted energy. One benefit to point of use tankless water heaters is the ability to use more than one in the home. You can install a tankless system wherever you need instant access to heated water.
