In today's society, a lot of people are more than okay with simply throwing out any appliance or feature that does not work as well as it once did in favor of buying a new one. That goes for everything from electronics to vehicles, and while you may be able to afford this upgrade, that doesn't mean you necessarily need it. Water heaters are expensive to replace and often when they have issues all they need is minor repairs to get back on track. Here are a few ways you can tell your water heater only needs repairs and can survive for many more years with one simple inspection from an emergency water heater repair contractor. 

Rattling Noises

Sometimes a sound will precede an issue with your water heater by a couple of months or even just days. When you hear a rattling in your water heater it could be anything from a loose component to sediment buildup or any number of other issues. Most of the time, these are easy (and relatively cheap) fixes if you attack the problem early. If you leave it until you have a full-blown issue caused by whatever is loose in your water heater then you are looking at a much bigger bill.

Length Of Time

When you turn on your hot water in winter, whether you are having a shower or simply trying to wash a few dishes, then you expect it to turn on straight away or at least within a couple of seconds. If it doesn't, and you can noticeably see just how much longer it takes to heat up than it used to, then your water heater might require some attention. There are quite literally dozens of potential issues that can precipitate this change in how long it takes to heat your water so trying to diagnose it on your own is almost totally pointless, it requires the knowledge and experience of an emergency water heater repair contractor. 

Terrible Smell

Water heaters use a number of different methods to crank up the heat in the water you want, and some of these are prone to creating situations where a bad smell is created. Often these smells only come years after the installation of a hot water unit and can be fixed with regular maintenance. Sometimes the smell is not the water heater's problem at all, but rather comes from the water source itself. Whatever the case, it is no good to wash in water that is smelly so don't put up with it. 

Contact a local plumber to learn more about water heater repair.