Water Heater Services in Lynnwood, Washington

The Model # of your water heater is located on the label, sometimes referred to as the name plate or rating plate.

Most manufactures have a look up tool on their website to determine the manufacture warranty. Usually you will only need the serial number of the water heater.

A water heater’s physical size is measured by height and width. The height is from the surface the tank sits on to the top of the tank. The width is the diameter of the tank, the measurement across the tank from one side to the other.

Water heaters are generally measured in gallons and how much energy is used to heat the water heater. For gas or propane, the energy is measured in BTU’s. For electric water heaters it is measured in kilowatts (kw). Water heater manufactures will note the capacity of the tank on their label, sometimes referred to as the name plate or rating plate.

Manufactures will note the details of your water heater on their label, also known as the name plate or rating plate. You can always go to the manufacture’s website to look up the model number to determine the exact water heater you have.

Usually the type of gas or propane water heater you have can be determined by looking at the vent:

• A metal vent that terminates thru the roof is a Standard Vent Water Heater
• A metal vent that terminates directly out the side wall is a Direct Vent Water Heater
• Plastic vents are generally a Power Vent Water Heater

The water shut off to most water heaters is on the cold inlet supplying water to the tank. A typical residential water heater will have the cold inlet going into the top of the tank on the right side. Follow that pipe to the valve to turn to the off position. It is best to also turn off the gas and/or power to the water heater as well. In an emergency, you can also call your local utility or fire department to come and shut your water off. You should also be aware that shutting off the supply to the water heater will not prevent residual water from leaking, or cross over from a re-circulating system or use of single handle faucets. You can call our office 24/7 for emergency service.

Your water heater pilot won’t light? Most water heaters have instructions on the side of the tank to light the pilot for the burner assembly. Due to the slight variations between make and model of different water heaters, the best thing to do is to follow those specific step-by-step instructions. Here are a couple additional tips on lighting a pilot on a water heater:

• Gas or propane can be dangerous. Use extreme caution. If you do not feel comfortable, call in a professional to do it or show you how.
• Never attempt to light the main burner assembly! Lighting instructions are for the pilot assembly only.
• You should Never need to open a sealed combustion chamber to light the pilot.
• If your water heater plugs into an outlet you have an automatic pilot assembly and should never be lit manually. It needs further diagnostics by a service technician if the pilot or main burner won’t automatically light. Do Not attempt to manually light a pilot burner assembly of this sort.
• After manually following the instructions to light the pilot burner assembly, you need to hold the pilot burner valve open for 30 full seconds for the pilot to stay on. If the pilot does not stay on call in a professional for further service on your water heater.

If your water heater pilot light won’t stay lit after following the instructions, call a professional.

A water heater life expectancy depends on several factors: The Quality of installation, application, tank material, frequency of use, water quality, and care and maintenance. Generally water heaters last 8 to 12 years with the average being around 10 years.

It is strongly recommended that water heaters located in finished spaces be replaced at the low end of the life expectancy before it leaks and causes damage. In General, water heaters that are a planned replacement rather than an emergency replacement end up saving money.

Waiting for hot water to get to your faucet, shower, or any fixture can be solved many ways. The most traditional way to get hot water quicker is a recirculation pump with its own dedicated recirculation line. If a recirculation line doesn’t exist there are inexpensive ways to stop wasting water and reduce the wait time for hot water using a special pump with your existing hot and cold pipes, and water heater.

Many plumbers will jump right to the Tankless Water Heater for endless hot water, which is a good option. However, there are other options which may be suitable such as: adding a tank, increasing the size of your tank, and adding a tank booster to an existing water heater. Each option has it’s good points and draw backs and should be discussed with your plumber to understand your options before moving forward.