Water Heater Repairs
Klaus and Sons provides Bradford-White Water Heaters for daily installs. We also provide maintenance,installation and repairs on all brands of water heaters including Rheem, Bradford White, AO Smith, American Water Heaters, Ruud, State Industries, Kenmore, Whirlpool, GE, Richmond, Polaris, Apollo, Bosch, Noritz, Paloma and Takagi.
We recommend that before you call us, write down your model and serial number from the rating plate on your tank.
We can help determine if the tank is still under warranty.The warranty may cover the tank, in some cases it may cover the tank and parts and in some cases it may cover tanks, parts and labor. We can help you determine this if you have your model and serial number handy when you call for service. Basic 6 Year manufacturer's warranty covers tank leakage for 6 years, parts for 6 years and labor for 1 year.
EMERGENCY SHUT OFF PROCEDURES
Gas (or Propane) Water Heaters:
If you have a gas water heater and you are experiencing difficulty, we recommend that you shut off the gas supply.There should be a dedicated gas shut off valve on the gas line leading to the tank. Turn off power at your breaker box for electric models.
DRAINING A WATER HEATER
- Turn off the gas or electricity
- Close the cold water valve
- Attach a hose to the drain valve, to route water into a floor drain or outdoors
- Open the drain valve and open one hot water faucet somewhere in the house to let in air
- When all water has drained, turn the cold water valve on and off until the water from the drain looks clear
- Close the drain valve and the hot water faucet, open the cold water valve and restore power
There are four measures of how a hot water tank operates:
- Efficiency rating
- Recovery rate assuming the temperature is raised by 90° F
- 1st Hour recovery rate
- Estimated operating cost
Efficiency Rating:
Efficiency rating is a measure of the percentage of heat transfer from the energy source to your water. Standard electric tanks range from 88-95% efficiency while standard gas tanks range from 55-65% efficiency.
Electric tanks allow for higher energy transfer because electric tanks heat your water through heating elements which are submerged in the water, while gas fired tanks are heated from below through a gas burner.
Despite higher efficiency ratings, typically electric tanks are more expensive to operate as the cost of electricity needed to heat your water is higher than the cost of gas needed to heat your water. So, while heat transfer is more efficient in electric tanks, this does not mean that your overall energy usage is less in an electric tank. Because of this, many utility companies and governments often encourage residents to use gas heating if choosing between gas and electric. Regardless, the higher the efficiency rating of your tank, the less energy is wasted in heating the water.
Recovery Rate:
Recovery rate is the amount of hot water your tank can produce in the space of one hour assuming a 90° F increase in water temperature. Electric tanks typically produced approximately 20-22 gallons of hot water in an hour while gas tanks 30-40 gallons in an hour. So, on average, gas tanks produce more hot water at a faster rate.
First Hour Rating:
First hour rating is simply the amount of hot water your tank can produce in one hour of continuous usage and is a function of the gallon capacity and the recovery rate. 50 gallon gas tanks will typically have a first hour rating in the range of 70-80 gallons; 50 gallon electric tanks will typically have a first hour rating around 60 gallons.
You can save energy and money by installing a new, more energy-efficient gas or electric tank type or tankless water heater in your home or business. The energy needed to heat your water can account for a significant part of your monthly utility bill.
You can improve the efficiency and control the cost of water heater operating costs. Water heating operating costs are affected by the type of water heater installed in your residence or business, its efficiency, its temperature setting and the number of gallons of hot water consumed. Gas water heater costs account for about 16% of the average bill, while electric water heater costs account for about 28% of the average bill. Higher water heater temperature settings will increase operating costs. Gas Water Heaters produce hot water faster than electric models, so you'll have more hot water available for times of peak usage. Water Heater Efficiency is the amount of energy output as compared to energy input. For example, an 80% efficiency rating indicates that 80% of the utility costs goes directly into heating the water, while 20% is wasted.
The higher efficiency rating will lower your utility bills. It's important to calculate cost savings in terms of return on investment -- investing in an energy-efficient water heater offers better returns.
The majority of homes have a 40 or 50 gallon water heater tank with the 50 gallon being the most common. Larger tanks are usually found very large homes with soaking tub or jacuzzi. Smaller water heater tanks are used for special applications such as an under sink water heater (sometimes called a lowboy) and very small 2, 4, 6, 20, 25, 20 and 30 gallon electric Water heaters which are used as supplements to your water heater system or used as application-specific tanks. Tanks of this size can be useful for a single sink or in same cases are used as an additional heater for a recirculation system. Tanks of this size, however, are typically only available in electric powered and not gas powered.
Energy Efficiency
The most efficient traditional gas tank style water heater currently operate at 62% efficiency. Efficiency is a measure of heat transfer from the energy source to your hot water. Tankless units typically operate at over 80% energy efficiency. Tankless units further save energy because water is not constantly heated, cooled and reheated within a storage tank. And while efficiency for traditional tanks can decline over time as sediment builds up in the unit, tankless hot water heaters maintain their efficiency over time.
Annual energy costs for heating water in the typical home range from $150-400 per year but this varies widely.
Estimated Operating Costs:
Estimated operating costs are typically provided by the manufacturer but are highly subject to energy prices. Assuming average usage and $0.086/kilowatt hour in electricity costs, your electric tank will cost around $400 to operate per year. Assuming $0.50/therm gas cost and average usage, your gas tank will cost you around $120-130 to operate per year.
Tankless Water Heaters Offer:
Since a tankless unit heats on demand, hot water will not run out. This is especially useful for large families or for homes with larger hot water demands - for example homes with a soaking tub or spa system are often good candidates for a tankless system.
If you are considering upsizing your tank from 40 or 50 gallons to 66 or 80 gallons, we strongly recommend you also consider a tankless hot water heater.
Tankless water heaters are not able to give you instant hot water when you turn on the faucet, but they do give you an endless stream of hot water once it reaches the point of use.While traditional hot water tanks are compared based on gallon capacity, recovery rate and first hour rating, tankless hot water heaters are compared based on flow rate. As long as the home uses hot water at a flow rate below the tankless heater's maximum flow rate, there is no "recovery"; first hour usage is for practical purposes unlimited. Flow rates for residential tankless hot water heaters are measured in gallons per minute based on a given heat rise (typically 25 or 50 degrees) and range from 4 gallons per minute to 8 gallons per minute. A unit that heats 4 gallons per minute can handle a shower plus one appliance operating at the same time. A unit with over 7 gallons per minute can typically handle two showers and a large appliance. Important to note: Tankless units do not provide “instant hot water” as hot water still takes time to flow from the unit to the tap or shower.The footprint of tankless units is much smaller freeing up additional space in the home or garage.
Average Inland Empire Hot Water Fixture Usage
- Automatic clothes washer 17-25 gallons per load
- Automatic dishwasher 8-15 gallons per load
- Hand dishwashing 5-30 gallons per load
- Bath 30 gallons-a standard bathtub holds about 35 gallons, soaking tubs hold between 45-80 gallons
- Shower (low flow) 2.5 gallons per minute
- Shaving 1-10 gallons
Average Percentage Of Inland Empire Home Hot Water Usage
- Shower 37%
- Clothes Washer 26%
- Dishwasher 14%
- Bath 12%
- Sinks 11%
Common Terminology For All Hot Water Heaters Listed Below:
- Dip tube - Water enters the water heater through the dip tube at the top of the tank and travels to the tank bottom where it's then heated.
- Shut-off valve -The shut-off valve stops water flow into the water heater. It's a separate component from the heater located outside and above the unit.
- Thermostat - This is a thermometer- and temperature-control device. Some electric water heaters have a separate thermostat for each element.
- Heating mechanism - Electric water heaters have heating elements inside the tank to heat the water. Gas water heaters use a burner and chimney system instead.
- Drain valve - Located near the bottom of the exterior housing, the drain valve makes it easy to empty the tank to replace the elements, remove sediment or move the tank to another location.
- Pressure relief valve - This safety device keeps the pressure inside the water heater within safe limits.
- Sacrificial anode rod - Made of magnesium or aluminum with a steel core, the sacrificial anode rod is suspended in the water heater tank to help retard corrosion.
Whenever someone turns on a hot water faucet heated water is drawn from the top of the tank and is replaced by cold water that is carried to the bottom through the dip tube. When the water temperature drops, a thermostat activates the heat source (a burner in a gas model -- two heating elements is an electric.) A gas heater has a flue running up the center and out the top to vent deadly gasses. An electric heater needs no venting. In both, an anti-corrosion anode attracts corrosion that would otherwise attack the tank's walls.
A water heater's thermostat controls the temperature of the water inside the tank. Normally, you can set the temperature anywhere between 120 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit (49 to 82 degrees Celsius). The water temperature setting recommended by most manufacturers is between 125 degrees Fahrenheit (49 to 60 degrees Celsius). This is hot enough to be efficient for household use, but not so hot that it can pose a scalding risk Fahrenheit. Each 10 degree reduction in the water temperature setting cuts the heater's energy consumption by 3-5 percent.
Continued annual maintenance will greatly extend the life of your gas water heater continued utility bill savings. Lack of maintenance will cause larger repair costs due to the tolerances required for proper operation of modern water heating equipment
Common Service and Repair Requests:
- Replace Water Heater
- Repair Recirculating Pump
- Replace Gas Valve
- Install Tankless Water Heater
- Replace Pressure Relief Valve
- Leaking Hot Water Heater Tank
- No Hot Water
- Light Water Heater Pilot Light
- Not Enough Hot Water
- Install Hot Water Recirculating Pump
- Gas Smell in House
- Install Tankless Water Heater
- Inspect Water Heater
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