Conventional
Water Heater Special

Most tank-style water heaters won't live past 20 years. If you're not taking good care of your water heater by getting annual flushes and replacing the anode rod every 4-5 years, you might need to replace your system even sooner.

This means your water heater is either too small or on its way out. Either way, it can't keep up with how much hot water your home needs.

This could be a sign that your water heater is getting older and losing efficiency. Less efficiency means higher water bills.

Brown or rusty water is a sign that something (your water heater or pipes) is corroding. If it's your water heater, a repair isn't an option. You'll need to replace it.

Once the tank body has sprung a leak and water starts filling the pan below the unit, that's the end of your water heater. You'll need a new one right away.

Finding you have no hot water in your home is never a pleasant discovery. While there is some troubleshooting you can handle safely, you could be inviting danger if you try to fix a malfunctioning heater. Here's how to react when you find yourself without hot water.

The simple checks

It's possible you'll be able to run the most basic checks on your hot water supply. The procedure will depend on whether you have a gas or electric water heater in your Georgia home.

Electric heaters. If you have an electric heater, start by making sure the electrical breaker is in the on position. Sometimes, family members can turn the breaker off. If everything is in order, check the thermostat to make sure the temperature is above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Be very careful performing this check as you have to remove the side inspection panel of the heater and high voltage electrical wiring is present in this area.

Gas heaters. With a gas-powered water heater, you can also check whether the thermostat is set at the proper temperature. After that, check to see if the pilot light is lite. All newer water heaters actually come with an automatic lighting system built in making the job of lighting a pilot that much easier. Just simply follow the instructions on the face of the heater, but be careful to follow all instructions fully.

Be Careful with water leaks. Make sure you have not drips or water leaks. A recent story from Augusta highlights the need to address problems with heaters responsibly. A broken pipe can lead to mold, which could lead to thousands of dollars' worth of damage.

Fix it yourself

Whether your home's water heater is electric or gas, Georgia residents can often fix the problem on their own when they find they have no hot water.

If you can't easily find the problem, call Reliable Heating & Air and a licensed plumber can be at your home or office right away.

Tankless heaters and other modern solutions

A look at water heaters will reveal impressive new options on the scene. Tankless heaters, the most recent innovation, deliver an unlimited supply of hot water to homes. You don't have to wait for tanks to fill up when several family members want to enjoy hot showers or baths in a short time period.

Fiberglass tanks, another modern option, are guaranteed in the original purchaser's home for as long as you live in that location. Georgia Power customers may even qualify for rebates when converting to efficient fiberglass-tank systems.

The bottom line is there's no reason to live without hot water for long. Reliable Heating & Air can be at your home within hours, and install a new heater the same day in most cases. Professional help is only a phone call away.

In the past few years, tankless water heaters have drawn a lot of attention from consumers looking for a better way to heat water in their home. The tankless offers many attractive features that make them a great, energy efficient source of almost limitless hot water without paying to keep 40 or 50 gallons of water hot all day when you are away from home.

How Tankless Water Heaters Work

The way a tankless works is by reducing the amount of water flowing through the heater so it stays in the heater long enough to be heated to the correct temperature. One of the problems with conventional tankless water heaters are when numerous people are using water, the flow can be very low and they can struggle to keep up with demand. In many homes a circulator is required to give instant hot water in all fixtures so you don't have to waste water waiting for adequate hot water to bath or wash. A circulator can't be used on a regular tankless water heater, so there is sometimes a waiting period for hot water. A traditional tank water heater does not reduce flow, but when hot water runs out, you have to wait for the water to be heated until you can use it again. To fill a normal sized garden tub, you have to have at least 100 gallons of hot water on reserve and the tank type water heater can be expensive to keep this much water on demand.

Modern Tankless Water Heaters

There is a now a water heater available that combines the best of both worlds and gives you unlimited hot water without any of the pitfalls of both the tank type and conventional tankless types. It is the Nation's #1 Selling Tankless Water Heater by Rinnai and it is simply one of the most efficient and comfortable heaters on the market. Rinnai combines both a small reservoir tank of hot, ready to use water in a stainless steel heat exchanger and an instant tankless water heater that can produce up to 19.5 gallons per minute of hot water. This is 8 to 10 gallons more per minute than most tankless and the water heater will never reduce pressure or volume. It also will eliminate the "cold water sandwich" that comes from hot water being followed by cold water followed by hot water when a conventional tankless shuts off and on due to usage. The tankless water heater uses water from its small reservoir to stop this inconvenience and when coupled with a circulator pump, can provide instant hot water to any fixture in the home.

Tankless Means More Energy Efficiency

The tankless water heater is much more efficient than most water heaters, providing 98% thermal efficiency, which means 98 cents of every dollar spent on gas actually goes into heating water with only 2 cents of waste. There is also a model that does not require a new "over sized" gas line to be installed allowing installation in many more homes than a conventional type. The Rinnai Tankless can also be mounted interior to a home allowing installs without moving all the piping to the outside wall. In some cases, the Eternal can be 100' inside a home and all models use regular PVC to vent gas by-products to the outside. All conventional tankless water heaters need cleaning every year to maintain their warranty while the Eternal needs no routine service. This represents a substantial savings over the life of the product. It comes with a 15 year heat exchanger warranty and a 5 year parts and labor warranty. Reliable Heating & Air is an authorized dealer for Rinnai and has their techs have been trained to install and service these new tankless water heaters.