Your water heater is an essential part of your home. Although some people enjoy taking cold showers, the majority do not. Your water heater will allow you to enjoy a long hot shower, or even a soak in the bath, you may be able to cope with boiling a kettle to wash the dishes but it will simply not cut it for keeping yourself clean.
If your water heater has gone wrong then the first port of call should be to a qualified plumber who will be able to come to your home and see what the fault is and whether it is repairable. It is essential to choose a reputable local firm, such as plumbperfectva.com. Not only they will know what they are doing, they will also provide a guarantee and, usually, some free advice.
There are several advantages to having a water heater repair completed instead of opting to replace the heater:
- Budget
The most obvious advantage is that it should be cheaper to repair your water heater than replace it. However, parts can be expensive for water heaters and it is essential to get a quote and a guarantee that the parts being replaced will solve the issue. If you have a plumber that you have used for years and trust then you will be happy with their approach to the issue. However, if this is not the case then it is advisable to get several quotes; this will ensure all the plumbers find the same fault and that the price of the repair is reasonable.
- Disruption
Fixing a water heater involves taking the cover off and probably removing, as well as replacing some parts. There will be some disruption and your water supply may be off for a short period. However, if you decide that you need to change your water heater then you will be in for a lot more disruption. It is unlikely that the pipe work from the original water heater will be in exactly the right location for the new water heater, their size, shape and design could be very different. This means adjusting the pipes and keeping the water supply off for a much longer period of time; a far more disruptive approach.
- Pipework
As mentioned the pipe work around the water heater may need to be changed. This can be complicated further if the type of water heater is changing. Many older homes have water tanks where new systems have continuous water heaters or even combi systems that feed the hot water and the heating. If you are switching between the types of heater you may well need to have some of your other plumbing recreated to ensure your hot water and heating system will work properly.
- Guarantee
A new hot water heater comes with a guarantee, but this does not mean it will not have problems. However, a newly repaired hot water heater will also have a guarantee and may, actually be the safer option. Your current hot water heater is a known factor and is likely to continue after the repair. In many ways it is better to keep your current hot water heater and be confident that you are better off with the boiler you know as opposed to the unknown.