Repair Water Heater Noises Problem

Noises coming from a water heater can be caused by expanding and contracting metal parts; drips; or, more likely, minerals and hard water scale accumulations inside the tank or on an electric water heater’s heating elements. When heated, dissolved hard water minerals recrystallize and form scale that cakes onto interior surfaces of water heaters, making them less efficient and more likely to fail.

To minimize corrosive minerals through ionization, water heaters have a magnesium or aluminum anode rod, inserted through the top of the tank. To avoid scale in the first place, every few months open the drain valve at the base of the tank and flush about a gallon of water through it. See “Water Heater Maintenance” for more on this process.

Here are some common water heater sounds you might hear:

Banging, gurgling, or popping. These sounds are caused by the buildup of hard water sediment heating up and exploding inside the tank. You can flush out the tank yourself, although by the time you’re hearing this sound the sediment chunks may be too large to pass through the drain valve. If you have an electric water heater, these sounds could indicate a buildup of scale on your heating elements; it may be time to replace these.

Boiling sound. If water sounds like it is boiling inside the tank, this could indicate overheating and a dangerous pressure buildup. Call a service professional immediately.