There may be some times when your water heater is acting up, but it can be repaired. Then, there may be other times it acts up, but the only way to take care of the issue is for you to have the water heater replaced with a new one. In many cases, it is hard to tell the difference until a professional comes out to really look at what's going on. However, any time it is giving you problems, you want to have someone come take a look at what's really going on. When you don't have the experience to troubleshoot the issue on your own, you want to leave it to the professionals, so you don't make mistakes and even so you can prevent being injured. Here are some things that can happen that should prompt a call to a repair person. 

There is water leaking 

If you find water anywhere around the water heater, then this is cause for serious concern and you want to make that phone call right away. Also, keep in mind that, sometimes, the signs that there is a leak may come from something other than seeing the water. If you look at the area around your water heater and you notice that there is mold, then this is another indication that there is moisture in that area and it is likely being caused by a leak. This also means you should call someone out to have a look at things. 

The water isn't coming out hot 

If you turn on the hot water only to have cold water come out, then there is a problem that needs to be looked into. Also, if the water warms up, but not for long, then this also indicates something is going on. If the household size has increased recently or if there are other reasons more hot water is being used, then this may be the cause. The way to fix it would be to have a larger water heater put in or have a tankless water heater put in to replace the current one. However, if nothing has changed, then it may need to be repaired. 

The tank makes a lot of noise

You know how your hot water heater sounds when it comes on. If you start to hear other sounds, then this should be taken as a red flag. The sounds can include thumps, clunks, or growling sounds. These sounds are being made from sediment buildup. You need to have the tank drained and refilled to flush all that sediment out. However, if the situation is severe, there may already be damaged from the sediment.

Contact a water heater repair service to learn more.