Ask Jon Eakes

Last Updated: Saturday, March 24th, 2012, Created: Sunday, October 7th, 2001

Are there signs that my hot water tank is about to go?

Earnie from Vancouver wants to know how can you predict the failure of your hot water tank before it fails.

That is not an easy one Earnie. There are many signs that will indicate that you need to do some maintenance work on the tank, whether it is an electric or gas tank.

If it doesn't seem to furnish as much hot water as it used to, it could be filling up with sediment as you can see in the photo. Drain some water out of the tank until it runs clear and that may get it working correctly again.

There are some cases where lack of hot water is caused by a failed dip tube. Look up the keyword Hot Water Tank and locate the entry about "degenerating dip tubes" for details on this problem.

You can also turn off the water, turn off the power or gas, drain out a few litres of water out of the tank and then unscrew the Anode rod (check the photo). This rod will slowly disappear if you have water that could possibly corrode the tank itself, it is a sacrificial rod that attracts the corroding materials to itself to protect the tank. If this rod has been reduced from its original 3/4 of an inch diameter to less than 1/2 of an inch, it needs to be replaced. If it is totally gone, your tank is probably in the process of corroding.

But the critical question: when will the tank start to leak? No good answer because it is all dependent upon the water conditions, the water temperature and the amount of water that you run through the tank.

A tank is supposed to last for about 10 years, but many are known to be in great shape 25 and 30 years later. That can give us a false sense of security. All of this may not be critical if the tank is located in an unfinished part of the basement with a good basement drain near-by. But if the tank is located in a finished part of the house, especially if there is a finished ceiling below the tank, you may need more protection.

You can get catch basins made to put under water tanks. They even have provision for connecting a drain hose that could go to the drain, diverting any damaging water then the tank does start to leak.

You can also get flood alarms that will sound off if they get wet. A battery operated alarm may not be that useful as most people would forget to change the battery. You can actually get hard wired flood detectors as part of your whole house alarm system, which means that the central alarm office may actually call you at the office to let you know that you have a plumbing leak in your house.

The safest route would be to replace your hot water tank when its warranty runs out even though the tank should be good for much longer than that. It might be a good idea to write that date right on the side of the tank when it is installed.

Keywords: Alarms, Anode Rod, Ceiling, Flood, Hose, Hot Water Tank, Leaking, Maintenance, Plumbing, Problems, Protection, Security, Tanks, Temperature, Warranty, Water, Water Tank

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