I See Rust in My Water

So a few months ago, my husband and I noticed rust coming out of the faucet in our primary bathroom.  We called a plumber who did look at our water heaters but said that even though they were older, they looked ok and he didn’t think that the rust was anything to worry about.  

Yesterday, I heard a beeping sound coming from our attic.  Our water heaters are in the attic, not a great place for them to be, but that is how the home was built.  The last time we replaced our water heaters we installed a shut off switch that would stop water from going into the water heater if the water heater was leaking and also placed a water sensor alarm in the drain pan of the water heater to let us know when there was water in the drain pan.  We were lucky that the shut off valve worked and the loud beeping of the water sensor alarm alerted us that the water heater had started to leak.  

My suggestion to you is that if you do see rust coming out of your water heater and if your water heater is older that you do call a plumber.  Water heaters can last from 8 to 12 years.  If your water heater is older than this, it may be wise to consider replacing the water heater. 

There are other causes of rust in your water including damage to the main water lines or corroding metal water pipes.   The best thing you can do is to call a plumber to evaluate the situation.