Category: Water Heaters Only

Water Heater Replacement Plumbing Codes

Posted on | by Water Heaters Only, Inc.

We here at Water Heaters Only, Inc. always make sure we tell our customers that we do all of our jobs “up to code”, but we realize many people don’t always know what that means. The code we are referring to is the California Plumbing Code. If you have ever had to do any major renovation or repair on your home, you likely had to get a permit from the city and that meant you had to follow certain guidelines, or codes, for the work to be done. All incorporated cities have a building inspection and/or code compliance department. If they don’t, then that job will typically fall to the county. Either way, there are codes for just about every type of repair and renovation and that includes water heater plumbing codes.

According to the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, the codes “attempt to minimize public risk by specifying technical standards of design, materials, workmanship and maintenance for plumbing systems.” Basically, these codes ensure that all repairs, replacements and installations are safe and effective, whether it’s installing a new bathroom or a water heater. Water Heaters Only makes sure that every one of our technicians are aware of all codes and any recent updates and we make sure to follow these codes as we have been doing now for over 50 years. For a full rundown of the required codes for water heater installations, visit our blog here.

Despite our knowledge of the plumbing codes, we realize that many people aren’t aware of them and so we thought it would be useful to go over some of the plumbing codes in the hopes of educating the public about how and why we go about performing our repairs and installations. However, before we go any further, it should be noted that each city and county can choose to implement these codes in different ways meaning that what is required in one city may not be required in another. It can get a little confusing, which is why it is so important to use a company that is up-to-date on all the latest codes.

CHAPTER 6: WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION

 

PRESSURE REGULATORS

While most of our California Plumbing Code (CPC) blogs will be about information in Chapter 5: Water Heaters (obviously), in this post we will be discussing water pressure and that is covered in Chapter 6, section 608. Just for starters, water pressure is measured in PSI, or pounds per square inch. Whenever we go out to any

a water valve on a water pipe

job whether it is for a repair or an installation, we always check the PSI. This is useful because it can help determine the cause of a problem such as a leak or a water heater failure. According to CPC Section 608.2, whenever water pressure exceeds 80 PSI, a pressure regulator is required if there isn’t already one installed.

A pressure regulator does exactly what it sounds like: it regulates the water pressure in the plumbing. High water pressure can not only damage a home’s plumbing but can also damage a water heater as well. Most homes have one, but not always. If we find a home has water pressure above 80 PSI and there isn’t a pressure regulator, we will always offer to install one. And if there is one but the pressure is still high, we will check to see of the current one has failed. Not only can any water pressure above 80 PSI be detrimental to the water heater and plumbing, it will also void the warranty on most water heaters. For more information about water pressure and pressure regulators, please read our blog here.

EXPANSION TANKS

Expansion tanks are an important part of minimizing damage to your water heater and plumbing and they are required in certain situations by the CPC. Basically, an expansion tank is a metal “bottle” that is used to relieve when thermal expansion occurs. The expansion tank had a bladder inside of it and when thermal expansion occurs, the expansion can be relieved temporarily by going into the tank. When the thermal expansion has stopped, the excess water goes back into the plumbing.

a water heater heater with an expansion tank

In the above section about pressure regulators, the CPC states that an expansion tank must be installed when a pressure regulator is installed. That’s because a pressure regulator causes the water to not be able to go back to the city main and is essentially locked into what is known as a “closed loop” plumbing system. It’s a closed loop because the water and thermal expansion, when it occurs, can’t go back to the city’s main water system located outside the home. In Section 608.3, the CPC also states that expansion tank must be installed if there is a check valve, backflow preventer or “other normally closed device that prevents dissipation of building pressure back into the water main”.

PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES

Section 608.3 also mentions the use of pressure relief valves in conjunction with expansion tanks. Not only must an expansion tank be installed when part of a “closed loop system”, there must also be a combination temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve. For water heaters, these are typically located on the top of the water heater (though not always). Take a look at the picture above if you aren’t sure what the T&P looks like. These relief valves are set to relieve water and pressure after a certain PSI or temperature has been reached. These pressure relief valves need to also have a discharge pipe (Section 608.5), which has its own requirements such as:

  • The discharge pipe should discharge independently by gravity either into the drainage system or to the exterior of the building.
  • It must discharge in such a way that does not cause bodily harm or structural damage.
  • It cannot discharge into a water heater pan.

This is why you will typically see the T&P valve connected to a pipe that runs either alongside the wall to the outside or through the wall where it will be allowed to discharge in a safe place where no one may get hurt.

In conclusion, we hope this has been helpful information. One final note: As we mentioned in the beginning of this blog, each city may decide to implement the plumbing codes differently dependent on the situation. For example, in some areas the city inspector won’t require an expansion tank to be installed as long as there is a working T&P valve present. Also, an inspector may allow a T&P drain line to just discharge to the floor if the water heater is located in the garage. That’s why it’s so important to hire a company that knows the latest codes. For any further questions about water heater plumbing codes or to schedule an appointment with one of our water heater experts, just give us a call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 833-379-8800.

California Water Heaters And Earthquakes

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Is Your California Water Heater Safe from Earthquakes

Earthquake strapping a water heater is critical in California, where earthquakes are a regular occurrence. From Los Angeles and San Diego, to San Francisco and Sacramento, earthquake damage in homes and businesses can happen without warning, and most of  us don’t think about our water heater’s safety before an earthquake.

In California, the law requires that your gas or electric water heater must be properly attached to a wall, so that it will not fall or tilt to mush during an earthquake event and lead to a fire or a flood of your home. All homes, multi-family properties, offices, apartments and public buildings are required to have their water heater strapped securely.

In the first water heater photo, the water heater is NOT properly strapped and in the event of an earthquake will freely move / shake from side to side.

However in the second water heater photo, this water heater, on the other hand, is properly strapped. As you can see, it will have little, to no side-to-side movement in the event of an earthquake. It will also not fall off it’s platform.

After an earthquake the water heater also holds available cooking and drinking water in the event of an extended power outage. The new laws regarding strapping help to keep the tanks in place and strapping types and attachment hardware rules have been upgraded for safety since the Loma Prieta quake of 1989 and the Northridge earthquake of 1994.

If your water heater is older, you will want to have it inspected by a professional water heater installer to ensure that you have the current and safe strapping that is necessary. The correct connectors and lines can be installed and strapping and wall attachments can be upgraded.

Things To Know About Water Heater Strapping

  • 30, 40 & 50 gallon water heaters require 2 straps
  • 75 & 80 gallon water heaters require 3 straps
  • 100 gallon water heaters require 4 straps
  • Strapping must be placed properly- the top 1/3 and the lower 1/3 of the water heater must be strapped to prevent rocking and tipping.

If you would like to inspect your water heater earthquake strapping yourself and find out if it is current to California law, earthquakecountry.org offers some good tips for proper attachment.  https://www.earthquakecountry.org/step1/waterheater/

Water Heaters Only, Inc. has installed thousands of water heaters to California earthquake code standards, and we are happy to help you secure your water heater, for the safety of your family and your neighborhood.

After a quake, you want to check your water heater strapping, and be assured that there is no gas lines leaking that can start a devastating fire and burn your home, as well as checking that the water heater has not fallen over and leaking water lines have flooded your home, resulting in costly repairs.  With proper earthquake strapping, your home will be much less likely to be devastated by an unfortunate water heater issue due to earthquake tilting.

These are 2 large commercial water heaters in a basement. One is strapped, but not properly and the other one is not strapped at all. This is a disaster waiting to happen, at least the tank with straps is less likely to cause a major gas leak, than the one with no straps. 

Are you wondering if your water heater is up to code? Give us a call at [phone-local] and a trained technician will come out to your home and properly assess your water heater, and bring it up to code.

Refer A Friend

Posted on | by Water Heaters Only, Inc.

Refer A Friend

Refer a friend / neighbor or family member,  if they purchase a complete water heater replacement from Water Heaters Only, Inc will send you a $50 thank you check .

Word of mouth is one of the best sources of advertising and we receive quite a bit of work from customers referring our company to their friends and family. We wanted to take the opportunity to offer our customers a thank you gift for referring their friends, family and neighbors to our company for water heater replacement service.

So we created our refer a friend program.

Most often water heaters in different neighborhoods are installed at approximately the same time (when the houses are built) water heaters in a neighborhood can also fail around the same time or typically at least within a year or two. This will give our customers the opportunity to also refer their neighbors who are in need of service. If you have a friend or a neighbor that you know has an older water heater and it has not recently been replaced, they may soon be in need of our services.

Share our information with your friends and earn a referral thank you, if they use our services.

Refer A Friend Process

  1. Share our information with friends/family/neighbors. Water Heaters Only, Inc 833-379-8800. Let them know if they use Water Heaters Only, Inc for a water heater replacement, we will give you a refer a friend thank you gift, a check of $50.
  2. Once their work in complete – Email your customer order number and the referreds’ customer order number to Michelle@waterheatersonly.com. The customer order number can be found on your receipt and on the blue W.H.O sticker on your water heater.
  3. Give us 4-6 weeks for processing, the check will be sent to the address we have on file for your customer order number. If you would like it sent elsewhere, have questions or have multiple referrals Email michelle@waterheatersonly.com or call 1-800-835-8345 X 201 to discuss.

Thank you for your business and thank you for referring your friends and family to our company, we appreciate the trust you have in our service.

By John Heaters | Facebook

2016 New Year Reflection

Posted on | by Water Heaters Only, Inc.

Water Heaters Only, Inc 2016 New Year Reflection

Well, it’s almost the New Year and that means many people will be reflecting upon all that happened this year and also looking towards the next year and what may happen then. And, yes, that also means a whole new round of New Year’s resolutions that will likely be broken by mid-February at best, but we’ll talk about those in a little bit.

In the meantime, when looking back at the past year here at Water Heaters Only, Inc we are once again very proud of the work that we have done and the thousands of happy customers that we have helped and the fact that we have been in business for over [biz-years] years now. Our customers are the best and we are grateful for every one of them. We are also very grateful for our fantastic technicians, who are often the only people that our customers meet face-to-face. And, of course, how could we forget to be thankful for all of the employees at our corporate office? This group includes all of our sales staff, who are the first people our customers encounter and who set the tone for every facet of the job and who work with the technicians to make our customers very happy with the work being done. There are also those involved in the accounting department, HR and marketing. We all work hard and have a lot of fun while we all do our jobs and we all work together to provide the best customer experience possible.

Looking back on the past year

This past year was another successful one for Water Heaters Only, Inc. We generally base our idea of success on the fact that our customers are happy with the work that we do for them and continue to send there friends and family to us for their water heater service. These days it’s pretty easy to see how our customers service is, but the fact that we are 5-star rated on Yelp and have been A-rated on Angie’s List for the last several years. At this point, we are proud to say we have served over 500,000 satisfied customers and we just continue to grow.

Speaking of growing, we have also really doubled our efforts to attract more property management clients and that means we have been doing a lot of outreach in our Los Angeles and San Diego service areas. We belong to many apartment associations such as the AOA (Apartment Owners Association), the CAA (California Apartment Association), and NARPM (National Association of Residential Property Managers). We even joined a new group this year: the AAOC (Apartment Owners of Orange County). These groups allow us to network with property managers and make sure these companies are aware of the services we have available. That also means we attend many different conventions and expos hosted by these various groups such as the AOA Million Dollar Trade Show and the RHA Expo. Some of these (like the RHA Expo) have themes and this allows us to really get creative and have some fun at these shows. Here are a few photos of our recent booth at the RHA Expo, which had a Hollywood movie theme. Many of the property managers got their picture taken with our “Johnny Deep”.

Water heaters only is hanging with the stars.
W.H.O. is cheesin it up with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Singing and dancing on the way to our next water heater replacement.

2015 was also the year that the new DOE water heater efficiency guidelines went into effect. As of April 2015 all water heater manufactured or sold in the United States need a higher energy efficiency. These new water heaters started being produced in early 2015 and started to roll out just after April 2015. It was initially thought that these new guidelines would result in dramatically more expensive water heaters; however, thankfully, at the end of the day, the new water heaters ended up only being a little more expensive than the water heaters we had been installing. For more information about these new guidelines, you can read our blog post post 2015 new DOE water heater guidelines by clicking this link:

Looking ahead – 2016 New Year Reflection

Now we look to the year coming up and this is when the dreaded “New Year Resolutions” start appearing. Yes, there is nothing wrong with setting a goal to better yourself and resolving to see it through, but so many people set unrealistic goals that they end up giving up before the new year has really gotten underway. According to the website statisticbrain.com, nearly half of all Americans – 45 percent – make New Year’s resolutions; however, only 8 percent actually successfully achieve their resolution. Why is that? Well, we don’t pretend to know, but it’s a pretty good guess that these resolutions involve lifestyle changes that the person hasn’t been successful at to begin with, so, often, failure is right around the corner.

For example the top five resolutions for 2015 included:

  • Stay Fit & Healthy
  • Lose Weight
  • Enjoy Life To The Fullest
  • Spend Less, Save More
  • Spend More Time With Family & Friends

And these are not impossible tasks, but if they were easy, then everyone would be their ideal weight and eat only the healthiest foods, but they don’t because a lot of folks don’t take into account how difficult changing one’s lifestyle can be. For a full list of the top ten New Year’s resolutions plus some other great information about these resolutions and healthy eating.

Water Heaters Only, Inc and 2016

Why did we bring that whole resolution thing up? To make the point that the best way to achieve success in your quest to see your resolutions through is to resolve to do something that you know you can do because you have done it before, but maybe you can improve upon the current version of what your doing.  Small steps to a long term goal, tend to yield results more often than huge unrealistic goals.

That’s why our New Year’s Resolution for 2016 is to continue to provide the best customer service we can and to make sure we continually live up to our reputation. You can read about the expectations we set for ourselves and what to expect when you hire Water Heaters Only, Inc for you water heater replacement. However to sum it up, our guarantee means that when you use Water Heaters Only, Inc we guarantee low prices, quick service and quality products.

And how do we know that we can make our resolution stick? Because that guarantee has been in effect since we got started all the way back in 1968. 1968! That means that in 2016, we will have been in business for 48 years. Wow! And you don’t stay in business that long without a long list of satisfied customers. In fact, to date, we have over 500,000 happy customers that have used our service for water heater repair or water heater installation. That’s half of a million customers! That’s why we can feel pretty confident that we can keep our resolution and make sure our guarantee is in effect all year long.

Now, as we wrap up this New Year blog, we want to bring it back to water heaters for a moment. As the clock strikes midnight and 2016 arrives, we strongly recommend that you find a few minutes to take a look at your water heater. Just like when the clocks change and fire departments urge homeowners to check the batteries in the smoke alarms, we urge folks to use the changing of the year as an opportunity to make sure their water heater is working properly. First, you might consider flushing your water heater. After that, it’s a good idea to closely inspect your water heater and make sure there are no leaks. Also, do you hear a rumbling noise? We have a whole Water Heater FAQ page dedicated to answering your questions about a whole host of water heater issues that you might be dealing with. Just click this link for more information: . If you want more information, you can always call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and one of our water heater experts will be happy to answer question you might have and they can even help set up an appointment to have one of our technicians come out and take a look. Just give us a call at 833-379-8800.

So, in conclusion, we here at Water Heaters Only, Inc. would like to extend our warmest wishes for you and your family to have a Happy New Year in 2016. We are looking forward to another great year of stellar customer service and we can’t wait to get out to some more trade shows and expos, so if you are a property manager or owner, feel free to drop by our booth and say “Hi!”. In the meantime, whether you are a property manager or just have a water heater problem, give us a call anytime and we will be happy to help you. Again, that 24 hour number is 833-379-8800. Happy New Year everyone!

By John Heaters Google + |Facebook

Water Heaters Only Holiday Blog

Posted on | by Water Heaters Only, Inc.

Happy Holidays From Water Heaters Only, Inc

Our Holiday Blog

I know we’re all asking our selves, is it really that time of year already? The answer is yes, it’s Christmas time and we couldn’t be merrier here at Water Heaters Only, Inc!

That merriment has a lot to do with our great staff, but mostly it comes from the great customers we have! Of course, it maybe has a little to do with the company Christmas party that we had at the Delta King in Sacramento.

It was a murder mystery themed dinner and a lot of fun was had by all. Here are a few photos from that night:

But the merriment didn’t end there as we also just had our office holiday potluck and Secret Santa gift exchange. Did I mention that we love the holidays here at W.H.O? We work hard and we play hard and we always make sure we are having at least a little fun along the way no matter what we are doing.

One of the things that makes holidays so special is the wonderful food and that includes favorite recipes that we all look forward to every year. In that spirit, we thought we would share just a couple of our favorites. This first one is for the most amazing sweet potatoes ever!

NORMA’S “KICKED UP” SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

 Serves 12-16

INGREDIENTS

5 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes

½ cup dark brown sugar

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup bourbon

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground allspice

½ tsp. ground nutmeg (fresh, if possible)

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 (8oz.) can cubed pineapple

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 egg whites

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 1 ½ hours. Peel and transfer to a food processor along with the brown sugar, bourbon, butter, ½ tsp. salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, eggs and pineapple. Pulse 4-5 times until all ingredients are mixed. Consistency should be chunky and not completely pureed. Transfer contents to a 9”x13” baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until contents are heated through.

2. While casserole bakes, bring sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil in a 1 qt. sauce pan over high heat; attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and cook, without stirring, until syrup reaches 250 degrees. Place vanilla, remaining salt and egg whites in a large bowl; beat on medium-high speed of a hand mixer until soft peaks form. While beating, slowly drizzle in hot syrup and continue beating until meringue is thickened and cooled.

3. Turn oven to broil. Spread meringue over casserole and broil until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

And, of course, cranberries are a staple, but the hard part is making them a little different just for fun. With that in mind, here is a simple recipe for Cranberry Salad. (Don’t worry, it’s not a “healthy salad”!)

CRANBERRY SALAD

INGREDIENTS

1 lg. pkg. cherry or raspberry jello

2 cups boiling water

1 cup sugar

3 stalks celery, diced

1 lg. can cranberries

3 lg. red apples

1 lg. can crushed pineapple

Chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are best, but it’s your choice)

8 oz. cream cheese

½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Dissolve jello and sugar in boiling water. Finely chop apples and mix with cranberries. Add celery, cranberry-apple mix, pineapple and chopped nuts to jello. Pour into a pan or jello mold. Once it is set, serve with dollop of cream cheese dressing on top. (See recipe below)

2. Cream Cheese Dressing: Mix orange juice into softened cream cheese using mixer or by hand until well blended.

Finally, we want to end this blog post with some helpful water heater information. The holidays are about a lot of things including spending time with friends and family and sometimes that means houseguests. So, to help make sure you (hopefully) don’t run out of hot water while Grandpa showers, we suggest that you take a look at your thermostat on your water heater. It’s usually the red knob located right near the bottom of the water heater where you light the pilot. If you look closely, you will see temperatures listed on the red knob. Typically, there’s a Vacation setting followed by higher temperatures. Unless your thermostat is already set to high, go ahead and turn it up a little. Don’t crank it up to High, just nudge it up a bit. Then, after waiting a bit, check the hot water coming from your faucets to gauge the temperature. Be careful when you do it and never adjust the thermostat without following up with a hot water check. If it’s too high, someone could get scalded including Grandpa and that won’t make for a happy holiday. However, with the right adjustment, your hot water should last at least little longer while you have extra house guests.

Well that’s it for this holiday blog. One final note: The new Department of Energy guidelines will be taking affect starting April 2015 and this will increase the cost of water heaters and may make replacing your water heater a whole lot more trouble than it would be now. So look for our blog post explaining all about these new guidelines in the New Year. This will likely be in our January or February blog post. In the meantime, you can always give us a call at 833-379-8800 and one of our water heater experts will be happy to discuss these new guidelines and your options moving forward. See you next year!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Water Heaters Only! Oh, and Happy New Year, too!

By John Heaters Google+ | Facebook

RHA Expo 2013

Posted on | by Water Heaters Only, Inc.

Water Heaters Only, Inc at RHA Expo 2013

Networking with our Property Management Friends

Water Heaters Only, Inc has many property management clients that rely on our expertise and availability to repair or replace the water heaters for there tenants. Having a tenant with no hot water is never a pleasant situation. Our commitment to excellent service has kept our property management clients loyal to our company and we value our clients. One way we like to keep in touch and thank our clients is by participating in the local apartment associations and attending their annual trade expos.

water heaters only inc rha expo 2013

One of our favorite events to attend is the local Sacramento Rental Housing Associations’ annual expo.

This event is hosted at Cal Expo and is a great way for us to connect and show our appreciation to our clients and showcase our company to prospective clients. We don’t often get to spend quality time with our clients outside of the office; when we do meet we are either repairing or replacing a water heater and don’t have time to socialize. Having the opportunity to meet with them in a relaxed and fun environment is a real treat.

Water Heaters Only, Inc has been attending the RHA expo for a few years. Each year the RHA expo has a theme, we always participate and try to have as much fun with the theme as we can. This means dressing up, decorating the booth and having a raffle prize that all represent the theme. This years theme was Game On! We had many ideas about which game or game theme to go with, but in the end we all agreed on golf! We have a few golfers around the office and we know most of our property management clients love to golf. Totally a win – win theme choice.

Once we had decided on our theme for the RHA Expo 2013, it was time to get to work on ideas about how to decorate our booth. Most of the time we are knee deep in water heaters and plumbing parts, so when we get to do something like decorate a booth for an event, we like to have a lot of fun with it. Participating in the theme makes the entire event more festive and enjoyable for all who attend. Our property management clients who attend enjoy the fact that we get involved with the theme. This is a big event where everyone gets away from the office for a day so the more decked out the better.

We set up a putting green and decorated our booth with a golf theme garland and golf flags. Our table top was a “green” made of astro turf with a sand pit and all our golf hats and giveaways were placed around the “green”. To top it all off we had a raffle prize that included an office putting green, four rounds of golf and chocolate golf balls as a little treat.

Water Heaters Only Inc RHA Expo 2013 Raffle

We also showcased our residential, commercial and tankless water heaters, at the RHA Expo 2013, so attendees had a chance to see the actual product in person. It’s great to have the products available when prospective clients want to get really technical. It much easier to discuss and show the new Ultra Low-Nox burner and blower systems with the water heaters right in the booth.

Now it’s time to get back to work and we’ll plan on seeing everyone at the next RHA Expo next year!

Interested in our services? Give us a call at [phone-local]

Water Heaters Only Inc RHA Expo 2013 Other

By John Heaters

Water Heater Customer Letter

Posted on | by Water Heaters Only, Inc.

Why A Letter Is Worth More Than It Used To Be.

Water Heater Installation Customer Testimonial

At Water Heaters Only, Inc we receive at lot of feedback from our customers. Since we have been in business for over [biz-years] years, we have amassed hundreds of thank you customer testimonial letters, phones calls, emails and more recently online reviews and video testimonials.

With the popularity of the internet, we are receiving many online reviews and videos each month, but we have seen the number of letters sent in by mail, reduced dramatically. So when we receive a letter or a card in the mail, it really makes a statement.

We recently received a letter of praise for our technician Wes P. from a very satisfied customer and were so thrilled. In the age of everything being quick and fast on the internet it was refreshing to receive a letter of praise in the mail from our newest customer.

“Dear Sir,

This is a letter of thanks to say…………………WOW! I have never or not since I can remember had the pleasure of being serviced by a company like yours. I called your company on a recommendation.

My hot water heater gave out and I was sure I would be buying a new one. I needed it that day and expected to have been aggravated to no end and then have to pay dearly.

Over the phone I spoke with Christina who was very knowledgeable, that was my first shock, I was given a price that was easily $300 to $400 or more less than I would have had to pay locally. Shock number two, it was mentioned that I might only need a repair and that I would receive a call shortly from the service man in the area who would have the water heater with him on his truck. Shock number three, I received a call within 15 minutes…………….WOW! Shock number four, not only did I get the call as promised the man was at my house in under and hours and charged me less that 1/5 of what I was ready to have to pay……………..WOW unbelievable.

What a breath of fresh air my whole experience with water heater only was, WOW I am still in shock.

I don’t know how to thank you any other way. You have exceeded my expectations this day in every way. Rest assured when I need a water heater or service you will hear from me. I will also praise and highly recommend you.

WOW!

Sincerely David M. “

This level of customer service is one of the reasons Water Heaters Only, Inc has been in business for over [biz-years] years and attests to the commitment we have to our employees and our customers. In the service industry companies operate many different ways. When we think about our customer service policies and practices, we try to think how we feel when we hire someone to come into our home and work. What are the things that stand out and instill confidence in the companies that we use, our employees, managers and owner come together to talk about what makes a company good and what are the little things that really make a company excellent. Like calling when we are on the way to give our customers a little notice before we arrive or having a water heater expert answer our phones 24 hours a day, so they can provide actual help and knowledge to our potential customers – not just having an answering service take a message. Then we take these practices and make them part of our everyday business practices. By coming together and sharing our experiences and really paying attention to the feedback from our customers we are able to continuously improve the service our company provides.

It is wonderful to receive feedback acknowledges some of these specific traits we work so hard to portray.

Our hallway in our office is lined with framed letters we had received over the years and while we don’t received as many customer testimonials letters in the mail as we used too we love the online feedback we receive just as much. Of course we love our online feedback and our customer testimonial videos, but we still treasure the letters we receive via the mail.

If you have questions about a water heater repair or replacement in your home, give us a call 24/7 at [phone-local]

By John Heaters Google+ | Facebook

 

Water Heater Failure

Posted on | by Water Heaters Only, Inc.

Signs of water heater failure

What signs can alert you before water heater failure

A leaking water heater

Most often homeowners aren’t aware that a water heater failure is about to happen. Have you come home to water running from under the garage or a soppy carpet? While you can’t be for sure when your water heater failure will occur, there are signs that you can keep an eye out for.

One of the most important things is to know the age of your water heater. You can find the age of your water heater by looking at the manufacturer sticker on the upper portion of the water heater. It will have the brand name and many different numbers and small symbols. Try to find the serial number or manufacturer date.

This date will not be exactly when your water heater was installed, but it will tell you how old the tank is. The serial number will have a date code for example “F051052638”. F is for the month – F is the sixth letter so it represents the sixth month, June. Next the first two digits of the serial number are 05, this represents the year, 2005. A water heater with the serial number F05052638 was made in June 2005. Each manufacturer has a similar “code date” for their product, some are easier than others to figure out, if you can not figure out the age of your water check the manufacturers website for the way to crack their “code”. Once you know the when you water heater was manufactured you can keep track of how old it. As a rule of thumb most water heaters over 10 years old have lived a useful life can be replaced. If your water heater is in a location that WILL NOT cause damage if leakage occurs, you can wait until it develops a leak before replacing it. However, if your water heater is in a location that WILL cause damage to your home, replace it after 10 years or before if any of the following symptoms occur.

Rusty Water

Rusty water that comes from only the hot side piping in your home can be a sign that your water heater is rusting away from the inside out and will begin to leak in the near future. If you have galvanized piping you may also have rusty pipes. A good test to ensure you are not replacing a functioning water heater, is to drain the few five gallon buckets of hot water out of the water heater. If by the third bucket the water from your water heater is still coming out rusty then most likely it is not the hot water piping, but the water heater. This is a sign that your water heater needs to be replaced.

Rumbling and Noise

As a water heater ages sediment will build up on the bottom of the tank. Overtime the sediment is heated and reheated and as more sediment accumulates it hardens. When this happens you can often hear rumbling or banging sounds coming from the water heater when it is heating up. This is a sign that the water heater it at the end of it’s useful life. First the water heater will have to use more energy (gas or electricity) to heat the water and will be less efficient. Second the extra time spent heating the water will cause more wear on the metal tank and lead to more brittle metal that can crack and develop tiny holes quicker. If you start to heard rumbling from your water heater, keep an eye out for any small leaks, then replace your water heater.

Moisture Around Water Heater

If you notice moisture around your water, you may have a small leak or a fracture in the tank that releases water when the water heater is heating up. As the metal heats it expands, if there are slight fractures sometimes water will leak from the tank. Once the metal has cooled the inner tank will stop leaking. Make sure there are no other leaks coming from the water heater. Check the fittings and connections to the tank. Also make sure the t/p temperature / pressure overflow pipe is not leaking and causing the moisture. If everything all other connections and fittings are dry and the water heater is an older model, it may be time to replace the water heater. You can always look inside the bottom of the water heater and try to see if the inner tank is dripping. It is not always easy to see inside the bottom of the tank, but it’s worth a try before replacing the tank.

If you are concerned about water heater failure or any of the signs above you can call and speak with a water heater expert 24 hours a day 833-379-8800 or check our FAQ’s to read more about common water heater problems.

By John Heaters Google+ | Facebook

100 Gallon Water Heater

Posted on | by Water Heaters Only, Inc. | 5 Commentson 100 Gallon Water Heater

100 Gallon Water Heater

Residential natural gas 100 gallon water heater with recirculation pump

An earthquake strapped 100 gallon water heater.

This residential natural gas 100 gallon water heater is installed with a re-circulation pump to provide instant hot water to the homeowner. As soon as the homeowner opens a faucet or shower in the home hot water comes out.  No more waiting for hot water to arrive while gallons of good water goes down the drain.

Having a re-circulation pump installed with your water heater can make a complete difference with the amount of time you have to wait to receive hot water.

If you own a ranch style home and the hot water has to travel from one end of the home to the other it can take up to 5 minutes for the hot water to reach the faucet or shower. This is a waste of water and energy as the hot water travels through the pipes is loses some of it’s heat, making the water heater work more in the long run.

Benefits from a re-circulation pump are not only convenient they are also financially sound. How often have you stood waiting for the hot water to arrive, thinking “I wish there was a way I could get hot water faster”.

Re-circulating pumps provide the solution to this ongoing problem. Pumps are available in a few different models and styles depending on the existing plumbing you have and the style of your home.

A re-circulation pump can be added to your water heater, if there is a return line for the water to circulate through. If you do not have a return line, most often a little additional plumbing can solve that problem. If you can not have a return line added a different type of re-circulation pump can be added to your water heater, with special valves added to the hot water fixtures in your home. You will be able to have hot water instantly.

In addition to a re-circulation pump, most brands and styles of re-circulation pumps work with timers so you can set the pump to run during your peak water usage hours. This will help save even more energy, by only using the re-circulation pump to circulate the water when you will actually need the hot water at the faucet immediately. No need to have the re-circulation pump running all day if you are away from home. Most often homeowners request we set the timer for early morning and evening hours when hot water is frequently used.

If you have questions about how re-circulation pumps give our water heater experts a call 833-379-8800 and find out what options are available for your home. You can also view our re-circulation pumps product page and find out more about the products and brands we offer.

By John Heaters Google + |Facebook