W.C. Butler Heating and Air Conditioning Blog: Archive for the ‘Water Heaters’ Category

The History of the Tankless Water Heater

Monday, April 10th, 2023

If you’re interested in installing a tankless water heater in your home, you may want to learn more about how they have evolved over the years. Tankless water heaters have greatly increased in popularity over recent years, but they were actually first created over a century ago in 1889! 

Keep reading to learn more about the history of tankless water heaters and why you might want to invest in one. Then give us a call for a tankless water heater in Daleville, VA. After all, more and more homeowners are switching to tankless water heaters for their many benefits. 

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Is an Electric Water Heater Worthwhile?

Monday, March 13th, 2023
water-heater-tank

When you’re looking to have a new water heater installed for your home, you’ll find you have more choices than you once did. However, the two standards, gas tank water heaters and electric tank water heaters, are still the most common and reliable. Many homeowners find themselves gravitating back to the tried-and-true.

You may be considering an electric water heater in Rocky Mount, VA as your next installation. If your house is all-electric, then your water heater selection is definitely narrowed down. Even some homes that use natural gas may choose to have an electric water heater installed. Is this a worthwhile investment? 

We can’t give you a solid answer because whether an electric water heater is a good investment for your home depends on numerous factors. We recommend you consult with our professionals to get our expert opinion about what water heater to rely on. Below, we’ll walk you through several of the pros and cons of an electric water heater.

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How to Tell You Need a New Water Heater

Monday, February 13th, 2023
water-heater

When you’re accustomed to getting hot water for your morning shower day after day, you may imagine that you will always have hot water. However, you need to remember that a water heater is a mechanical appliance that wears down with time. One day, it will need to be replaced. 

We don’t want you to get caught off guard when your water heater finally fails and you need to schedule a replacement. It’s not fun to be without hot water for however long it takes to have a new one installed. We’d prefer you get ahead of the problem and arrange for a water heater replacement in Rocky Mount, VA on your schedule so you only have to deal with a short period without hot running water.

How can you do that? We’ll take you through some of the signs that your water heater is coming closer and closer to the end of the line.

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What’s a Tankless Water Heater Good For?

Monday, January 16th, 2023
tankless-water-heater

You’ve probably heard about “tankless water heaters,” which are becoming more common in homes across the country. You may not know much else about them, so like many people who are new to this technology, you might wonder if there’s any real advantages to getting one. 

In simpler terms: “What’s a tankless water heater good for?”

The simple answer is: “Lots!” The longer answer is below…

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Schedule This Service to Prevent Water Heater Scaling

Monday, October 24th, 2022
prevent-water-heater-scaling

You may have read this blog post and immediately wondered what scaling is–the short answer is that it’s a build-up of hard water minerals and over time it can have a significant negative impact on your water heater.

Hard water has excessive amounts of minerals in it–most notably calcium, magnesium, and sometimes iron. These minerals are completely harmless to ingest for you and your household, but they’re not harmless to your plumbing system, and your water heater is no exception.

Read on to learn more about scaling, and the service you need to prevent this problem–annual water heater maintenance.

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Signs That Your Water Heater Needs Repair

Monday, August 1st, 2022
hot-water-coming-out-of-faucet

Have you ever really given much thought to how much work your home’s water heater goes through? It takes on more work than your other home comfort systems, when you think about it–since you need this system pretty much every day of the year, no matter what the weather is outside (unlike your air conditioner or heater).

All the work your water heater goes through puts strain on the system, leading to wear and tear. Water heaters don’t contain many moving parts, but eventually, it’s going to need repair work to keep running well. Ignoring the signs of a water heater in disrepair could lead to a premature and unexpected breakdown.

To help you determine when it’s time to call for water heater repair, we’ve collected a list of major warning signs for you to watch out for.

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Is a Tankless Water Heater Better Than a Tank System?

Monday, June 20th, 2022
tankless-system-on-wall

Water heaters are one of those appliances that many people tend to take for granted, even though they are also one of the appliances we rely on the most in our homes.

When it comes time to either replace your water heater or buy the very first one for your brand new home, you’ll want to turn to a pro to help you with installation. You’ll also want to determine what type of water heater you want–with the main two options being a tank or tankless unit.

One of the most common questions we get about these systems is, “Which is better?” Well, the truth is, it really depends. It depends on how much hot water you and your household uses, and how much you use at the same time. Read on as we explore both systems, and when you need help making an educated decision, look no further than our team!

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When Is It Time for a New Water Heater?

Monday, April 25th, 2022
white-question-mark-on-blue-circle

On one of our warmer days, taking a voluntary cool shower might sound like a really nice thing to do. However, getting unpleasantly surprised by icy water hitting you when you were counting on a warm shower is a whole different story.

In the first scenario, your water heater isn’t even going to be on your mind, but in the second scenario, you may scramble to find out what’s wrong. After all, a complete lack of hot water is a definite sign that something is amiss with your water heater!

This isn’t the only sign, though. If you notice anything seems off with your water heater, the best thing you can do is call our team for an inspection. In the meantime, read on to learn when and if it may be time to replace your system.

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“When Should I Schedule Maintenance for My Water Heater?”

Monday, February 28th, 2022
water-heater

Before we answer your question, we have a question to throw back out at you–do you know what “hard water” is?

Many homeowners have heard the term but don’t necessarily understand what it is, or how it impacts their quality of life. Hard water is water that has a high level of minerals in it–namely calcium and magnesium. These minerals are harmless to ingest but aren’t so great for your plumbing system.

They lead to a process called scaling, which is when deposits get left behind, sticking to the insides of your pipes and plumbing appliances, and water heaters often fall victim.

For this reason and more, we recommend that our customers schedule professional water heater maintenance at least once a year. Read on to learn more about the problem of scaling and how maintenance can help!

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Does Your Tankless Water Heater Need Professional Repairs?

Monday, January 3rd, 2022
tankless-system

The great thing about tankless water heaters is that they are very sturdy devices. In fact, they typically have fewer maintenance needs than a tank water heater, which is just part of the reason homeowners choose tankless systems over the more traditional water heater models.

This doesn’t mean, however, that your tankless water heater will never need repairs. Nor does it mean that you should attempt repairs on your own, as this can void the warranty and cause more harm than good.

But how do you know when a tankless system needs repair? Some signs are more apparent than others, and we’ve covered these below. Read on!

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