Do you cringe every time you walk past your water heater? Even if it’s not directly affecting your life, that water heater can still be a source of stress. After all, when something makes noise, it’s natural to assume that something is broken. It’s a valid assumption in most cases. Noisy water heaters are almost always the sign of something going wrong. Luckily for you, the problem is almost always minor and can be fixed easily. Here are a few reasons why your water heater is making noise and how you can fix it.
why is my water heater making noise?
The sound may come from the pipes connecting the heater to the water line, the gas pressure relief valve, or the blower motor on some models. If you hear a continuous high-pitched sound from your water heater, it may be a bad blower motor. Also, check for loose pipe fittings and corrosion in the spider.
Normal Water Heater Sounds
- Water heater sounds are normal. Water heaters have been doing their job for years, and will continue to do so for years to come. As long as the water heater is working properly and you’re not running the tank dry, there shouldn’t be any reason for the noise. If you hear a strange sound coming from your water heater, it’s most likely a normal noise from the unit itself.
- The sound could be coming from inside your house or outside your house. Sounds coming from inside your home are typically caused by plumbing issues in your home or other items that aren’t right in your home causing problems with water flow in your home. Sounds coming from outside can be caused by birds chirping, lawn mowers buzzing and other noises caused by nature or animals outside of your home.
- The noise could be coming from the air ducts separating you and the hot water tank in just about every house built since 1980 (including houses built before 1980). If you notice that there is a strange sound coming out of vents at both ends of the room (the ones separating you and the hot water tank), then it’s likely that something is wrong with those vents or something is wrong with that part of your house which isn’t making contact with hot water tank but still allowing airflow into those vents. This may seem like an unlikely problem; however, over time these parts can wear out and allow air to pass into the ducts. The result is a loud noise from your hot water heater.
- The noise could be coming from the water heater itself. If you notice a strange sound coming from your hot water tank, it may be time to have it inspected by a professional.
- The noise could be coming from the cold water line that feeds your hot water tank. This sounds like an unlikely problem, but if you notice that cold water is leaking out of both ends of the line, then it’s likely that something has been damaged in that area and causing damage to your hot water tank or causing other issues in your home at the same time.
Loose Or Broken Parts
- If you hear the sound of a water heater making noise, there’s a good chance that it is loose. This can be caused by worn-out or damaged insulation on the water heater itself. While this is not necessarily a significant problem, it can lead to other problems down the road.
- Another common reason for noisy water heaters is that they are leaking. If you’ve noticed your water heater making noise, there’s a good chance that it’s leaking somewhere inside of it. If this happens, you might have to replace your entire unit entirely.
- Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to prevent it, your water heater will still leak eventually. When this happens, the next step is to look at the cause of the leak to see if there are any easy fixes for it before you need to call in an expert for help with your repair job.
- If you’ve tried every other repair that you can think of, and your water heater still makes noise, there’s a good chance that it is damaged in some way. This is when it might be time to call a professional to take care of your problem for you.
- If you’ve never heard the sound of your water heater making noise before and the sound has become too much for you to handle, then it probably needs to be replaced. This is a fairly common problem, especially if your water heater has been in use for a long period of time.
- If you’ve never heard the sound of your water heater making noise before and you have no idea where it could be coming from, then there’s a good chance that it’s broken inside. This is another common problem that needs to be addressed quickly so that your house doesn’t continue to make noise.
The Water Pressure Is Too High
1. Your water heater is overfilling
One of the biggest causes of water heaters making noise is that they are being overfilled. Overfilling a water heater can lead to a buildup of mineral deposits and corrosion. Overfilling also makes the unit work harder and may affect the efficiency of its heating element. It’s important to note that it’s not just the pressure going into your tank that can cause this issue; it’s also the pressure in your home. The outside pressure on your house will be much higher than on your water heater with its own tank, so if you have a relatively new home or if you live in an area where there are many homes, you may want to look into installing a high-pressure water pump at your house.
2. Your tank is cracked or leaking
Cracks in a tank are usually caused by corrosion, but they can also be caused by poor installation or damage from an earthquake during construction. If this is the case with yours, then there’s no need to worry: It can be easily repaired and won’t affect its performance at all. If it were broken before, then replacing it will allow it to continue working properly for years to come. To repair this issue, simply fill up the crack with epoxy resin and let it cure for one day before plugging back in and turning on the power again.
3. Your flapper valve is stuck open or closed
A water heater’s flapper valve is a small metal piece that sits in the tank and regulates the flow of water through the heater. If it sticks open or closed, then it can cause noise as well as make your tank work harder than it should. The easiest way to fix this problem is to simply remove the old flapper and clean out any debris that may have gotten stuck in there. Then, re-install it and turn on your heater to see if any noise occurs when you do this. If not, then you can just replace the valve itself if you’re comfortable doing so.
Conclusion
There are a number of reasons why your water heater is making noise, but they’re all easily fixed. You just need to know what to look for, and you can easily stop the noise. If you are experiencing water heater noise, then it’s time to have it checked out by a licensed professional to ensure the safety of your family.