Why does my water heater make a popping noise?

That popping sound is caused by sediment buildup at the bottom of your tank. Hard water leaves minerals behind, and when the burner heats up, water gets trapped under that layer and boils. We see this most in older homes near White Rock Lake, where the water is hard.

The noise isn't dangerous on its own, but it does mean your heater is working harder. This extra work causes the bottom of the tank to wear out faster.

How to handle it

You can usually fix this by flushing the tank once a year.

If the noise is loud and your heater is over ten years old, it is often time to look at replacing it.

We work in Dallas and Plano. Call (800) 259-7705.