What Is That Whistle Coming from My Water Heater in Woodbridge, VA?

Your water heater is likely one of the most unseen and underappreciated aspects of your Woodbridge, VA, home’s plumbing system. You probably don’t give much thought to your water heater until you don’t have enough hot water, or you otherwise realize that something has gone wrong with it. If you notice whistling noises coming from your water heater, there are a few possible causes.

Loose Drain Valve

As time goes by, sediments begin to build up in the bottom of your water heater. There is a drain in place that allows you to drain those sediments out, but over time the valve that opens and closes that drain can become loose. If you notice a whistling sound coming from your water heater, it may be something as simple as a loose drain valve.

Temperature Pressure Relief Valve

Your water heater has another valve, known as a temperature-pressure relief valve which opens up to allow pressure to escape when too much of it builds up in the tank. As the pressure escapes, you may notice a whistling sound, which means the TPR valve is doing its job. However, if there’s pressure building up in your tank, you need to have the system checked out by a professional to find out why the pressure levels in the tank are so high.

Cracked Tank

Cracks in your water heater generally occur because of rust. It’s easy to overlook the need to perform routine maintenance and upkeep on your water heater, which means you may not notice the presence of rust until there is a crack in the tank. When the pressure in the tank begins to escape through this crack, your water heater may create a whistling noise.

Under no circumstances should you perform any sort of water heater repair on your own. Instead, allow one of our professionals to handle the problem for you. Call Indoor Air Quality Medics Heating & Air Conditioning today to find out more about water heater repair and all of our other services.

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