What’s So Different About Pittsburgh Water Heater Repair?
A Few Words on Water Heater Basics 101
It’s just so hard to fathom, but it wasn’t all that long ago that water heaters such that they are now didn’t exist. People took hot baths, but the water they used had to first be heated manually. That means that it was done in a large kettle over a fire.
With the advent of electricity in homes, though, it wasn’t long before the first residential and commercial water heaters appeared on the scene. Now, if you really want to see something scary, search out and have a look at some pics of these early 1900s water heaters. They appear from all outward appearances to be just as efficient at electrocuting people as they were at heating water.
But people used them anyway, and once you see one, it’s not hard to imagine that some folks didn’t survive. So the first water heaters developed and put on the market we’re done so with plenty of room for improvement.
So the fact is that the large standing glossy white water heater that you have in your home or business has little resemblance to these early models.
Despite all these improvements, though, as of yet, nobody has been able to come up with a model that is capable of giving a lifetime of trouble-free service. So they can and do, if given enough time, break down, and this is where plumbers in Pittsburgh PA, with names and phone numbers like Kwiatowski Plumbing at 412-681-9525, enter the picture. But before you call them, it helps if you learn to recognize if you even have a problem with your water heater.
Pittsburgh Plumbers Are All Too Familiar With Hard Water
If you live or operate a business in the greater Pittsburgh area, then it’s well worth knowing, if you don’t already, that the water coming out of your faucets is hard. In fact, it’s unusually hard when compared to other areas of the country, and that means that it has high mineral content.
Perhaps you have looked at the white crust that bills up in a glass coffee pot and wondered what it is.
Pure calcium is actually classified as a metal and is exceptionally reactive, so it’s not pure calcium you see there. Instead, it’s what is referred to as calcite deposits which are calcium combined with other molecules. So, just as calcite deposits build up in your coffee pot, so too do they build up in your water heater and its components.
This is one of the main things that makes Pittsburgh water heater repair different than water heater repair in other areas around the country. Then one more reason worth mentioning is that Pittsburgh is an older city and the older buildings in Pittsburgh also have older plumbing unless they have had their old pipes replaced with new ones.
What does old Plumbing have to do with Pittsburgh water heater repair? It has a lot to do with it because it’s only in recent decades buildings were plumbed with cast iron pipes that over time become blocked with rust nodules that inhibit water flow. Loose rust debris flowing through pipes also settles in water heaters.
Quick Fixes For Two Common Problems With Water Heaters
Would you believe that the two most common problems with water heaters can be remedied in minutes without the help of Pittsburgh plumbers?
You turn on your hot water tap, and only cold water comes out, so it’s plain to see that there’s something wrong.
The folks at Kwiatowski Plumbing would tell you that they see this problem quite often, and if it’s one of the following issues, you don’t need to call them to come and get the hot water flowing again.
This is because if it’s an electric water heater, it may only be that the breaker has been flipped and all you need to do is turn it back on at the power box.
Then if it’s a gas water heater, there is a good chance that the problem is that your pilot flame is gone out.
Electrical breaker switches wear out over time, and as they do, they become overly sensitive and this, in turn, leads to them being tripped more frequently.
Then if your water heater is located in your garage and the metal cover on the bottom has been removed, all it takes is a gust of wind during inclement weather to blow out the pilot light.
To relight it, simply turn the dial on the water heater to the pilot setting and then press it and hold it there. Then the next step is to use a long cigarette lighter or a long stick with the tip having been dipped in a flammable solvent like alcohol that once lit and poked inside to relight the pilot.
You know this has been accomplished if when you let go of the pilot button, the small blue flame remains lit. Next, turn the dial to the desired temperature setting, and you’re good to go.
How Much Does Water Heater Repair in Pittsburgh Typically Cost?
This takes care of simple problems that you can take care of yourself. So then what about the water heater problems that you can’t take care of yourself?
The answer there is that there are plenty of plumbers in Pittsburgh PA that can do it for you, and the folks at Kwiatowski Plumbing have a few words of advice. They will tell you that the cost is determined by the extent of the repairs, with most being minor repairs.
They also will advise you to make sure that whoever you hire does your water heater repair work to make sure that they’re licensed, bonded, and carry liability insurance. Hiring someone without them means that if something goes wrong, you have little recourse.
So then, what can go wrong? After all, it’s just a water heater, and the worst that has happened so far is that it stopped delivering hot water to your faucets.
Well, the most severe thing that can result from a gas leak is an explosion that levels your home. Sound extreme? Well, it’s not because it occasionally does happen. Then two more common problem left behind by unlicensed plumbers is water leaks.
A small water leak caught early on is usually not a big problem. But left undetected, even a small water leak can do substantial damage to a building.