I've been noticing that my water heater isn't heating up the water like it used to. I've only been in my place for about 5 years, and the A.O. Smith Pro Max unit doesn't appear to be very old. However, I noticed some rusty liquid dripping from the bottom panel. I can't attach any photos, but it definitely doesn't look good. With the recent layoff, I'm worried about the cost of a replacement. Are there any troubleshooting steps I can take, like draining the tank, before considering a replacement? Any help would be much appreciated!
3 Answers
It sounds like one of the heating elements might be bad, which you can check with a multimeter. It could also be an issue with the anode rod. But if you’ve got water leaking, it's a serious sign your tank may be beyond saving and needs to be replaced fairly soon, especially if it hasn't been flushed regularly.
I'm really sorry to say this, but if you see rusty water dripping from the tank, it's likely done for. Unless there’s a leak from above that's dripping down, the tank is probably going to get worse over time, so you should think about replacing it.
Check the label for the date it was made. You may have a bad heating element you can replace. I'd recommend changing that and flushing the tank to get out any sediment before you make any decisions about a whole replacement.