3 reasons why old water heaters are the spookiest Halloween decorations
Some old-fashioned trick-or-treaters like to lament the fact that nowadays Halloween is more about dressing up and collecting candy rather than a healthy scare. Haunted houses and spooky hayrides do the trick for some people, but some homes might have their own source of horrors in the basement year round.
While your old hot water heater is a necessity for your home, certain factors can make these outdated appliances seem as spooky as a call from inside the house. While you might be focused on perfecting your costume and shopping for some last-minute candy as Halloween approaches, you should check out these three reasons why the scariest thing this Halloween might not be witches or ghouls, but that inefficient water heater you’ve got tucked away in a dark corner in the basement.
1. It makes scary noises.
Gas or electric tankless water heaters aren’t only energy efficient, but they’re also low-profile appliances. With their small size and virtually noiseless operation, tankless water heaters are like the characters in horror movies that know where to hide without being caught.
On the other hand, traditional heaters are more like the bellowing monsters of B-movies. The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper explained that mineral deposit usually build up in most heaters with large reservoirs, and continuous heat can cause these minerals to break off from the walls of the heater. When these chunks of calcified minerals start bouncing off the inner walls of the tank, you might start to hear what sounds like a monster in the cellar.
Instead of going down into the spooky basement, just get a tankless water heater installed as soon as possible.
2. It shocks you with cold water.
Even if you haven’t seen the movie, Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic “Psycho” is best known for its infamous shower scene. Though Marion Crane is said to have been more concerned with her uninvited visitor, she was probably worrying about how the faulty water heater at the Bates Motel could shock her with a stream of cold water at any second.
Old models that heat water in large reservoirs can quickly run dry if multiple people are showering or using sinks at the same time. Once the warm water is used up, most heater can’t produce more of it fast enough to maintain a comfortable temperature. You go from a comfortably hot shower one second to a blood-curdling icy rinse in another.
It’s not all bad, though – tankless water heaters treat water as you need it to, so there’s no chance you will run out.
3. It bursts and floods.
Most horror movies that come out around Halloween rely on shock value and surprises to scare audiences. Is it really any surprise that your old water heater might do the same thing?
PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services explained that faulty pressure regulation can cause your old water heater to burst like a tossed pumpkin. Whatever water was in the tank could spread across your entire basement, and because it’s also hooked up to your home’s plumbing system, it could continually pump water throughout your house if it’s not stopped.
Standing water in an unfinished basement can cause electrical fires that can turn an inconvenience into a tragedy, so while you might be scared to death of your old water heater now, see this as an opportunity to upgrade your home’s hot water supply with a tankless water heater.
If you’re one of those people that enjoy the adrenaline that comes with a good scare, stick with your traditional hot water heater and chances are it’ll deliver before long. Everyone else can switch over to tankless water heaters and save themselves the trouble.