How To Figure Out Why Your Water Heater is Making Noise

10/14/2020 (Permalink)

If your water heater is making cracking, popping or rumbling noises, it's likely that you have some sediment built up

Common Causes of Noises In Water Heater

If the water heater in your home in Nolensville, TN, is making noises, it may be for very fixable reasons. Here are some common causes of the strange noises and how to fix them.

1. Sediment Buildup
If your water heater is making cracking, popping or rumbling noises, it's likely that you have some sediment built up. This is from minerals in hard water that either cake onto parts of the heater or build up in the water itself. If you're hearing cracking and popping, that's most likely from water forcing its way through the deposits on the heater's tubes, which means they either need to be cleaned or replaced. If your heater is making rumbling noises, it's most likely due to sediment in the water or on the bottom of the tank. This makes a lot of noise as the water is heated up, and usually requires a water heater flush with a deliming or descaling solution to get rid of it.

2. Moving Pipes
If you hear banging or knocking from inside your walls when you turn on the water heater, it's usually a signal that your pipes are moving around as water flows through them. This isn't so much a problem for your heater as it can be for your walls and the pipes themselves. They can damage the wall, or, in some cases, they can even break, which means you'll need to call a water damage remediation company. If you hear this happening, try padding the spots where the pipes are striking the wall.

3. Tight Valves
A high-pitched screeching sound is usually indicative that a valve isn't open all the way. This may be right near your heater, or it might be a faucet it leads to. Try to track down the source of the noise and then check your valves in that area to make sure they are loose enough.
While noises coming from your hot water heater can be unnerving, they are often easily fixed. Follow these tips to find the issue, and you'll have your heater running smoothly in no time.