Here at Vanmech Heating & Plumbing, we hear a lot of questions from Vancouver homeowners regarding their pipes, drains, and more. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding water leaks and hot water woes. If you haven’t already asked these questions, there’s a good chance you will later, so why not learn about them now?

How harmful are water leaks?

A single leak in your water system is a definite danger to your home. A continuous flow of water can amount to serious corrosion in your pipes and other infrastructural components like floors and walls. To make matters worse, leaks will grow in size over time, which means that the longer they go unnoticed, the more dangerous they become. Did we mention you’ll also pay a higher water bill for the constant loss of water?

How can I check for leaks?

To check for leaks, simply locate your home’s water meter, and check the water level at two distant time periods between which you don’t use ay water. To do an effective test, you should wait for at least six hours between checks. If there are no leaks in your home, the water levels should stay the same. If the levels are different, then that could be a sign of trouble. We recommend calling a professional if that’s the case.

My hot water isn’t very hot or won’t stay hot for long. What’s behind this?

There are some common reasons as to why this might be happening. In each case, the solution will require you to enlist the help of a licensed professional.

  1. Broken Dip Tube: Water heaters function by cold water entering towards the bottom of the tank, being heated up through the heating mechanism, then exiting at the top of the tank. The dip tube is where the cold water first enters, but when this tube is broken, the
    cold water can hover near the top and middle of the tank as opposed to the bottom, which is where the heater is. As a result, the water is inefficiently heated before being drawn from the tank, making it less hot and lowering your reserves of hot water.
  2. Buildup of Sediment: The water that enters your water heater usually carries small quantities of sediment which the tank filters out. Over time, these sediments can pile up at the bottom of the tank, close to the heater. With all the debris in the tank, the heater becomes less effective at heating the water. This effect can be prevented by draining out your tank once a year.
  3. Malfunctioning System Parts: In the case of older tanks, it’s possible that mechanical parts of your tank have simply gone faulty. In particular, you might possess a broken thermal switch, thermostat, or heating device. In each case, you should enlist the help of a licensed professional to receive a proper diagnosis and advice on how to fix the problem.