Troubleshooting a Water Heater Emergency: What to Do When It Stops Working
Troubleshooting a Water Heater Emergency: What to Do When It Stops Working
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We have unearthed this great article on Hot Water Heater Repair listed below on the web and figured it made perfect sense to write about it with you in this article.
Many contemporary residences use an electric hot water heater for their heating unit, because of its benefit as well as ease of use. However, similar to any other electrical appliances, troubles might occur with its usage, unexpectedly. It can be actually discouraging to get up to a cold shower instead of a hot one or having your bath with water that isn't warm adequate or perhaps as well hot. Whatever the case might be, hot water heater troubles can be fairly stressful. Luckily, we've made a checklist of feasible services to your water heater concerns. There are a number of elements that could trigger a number of these problems, maybe a problem with the power supply, the electrical burner, or the thermostat. Before doing anything, guarantee you turn off the main power supply for safety and security. Whatever the issue is, getting it fixed need to not position too much of a concern if you follow these actions:
Call An Expert:
If after changing all damaged parts and also resetting your temperature, the hot water heater still isn't working, you might need to call a professional plumber for a professional opinion. The trouble with your heater could be that the cold and hot faucets have been switched or it may be undersized for the quantity of hot water required in your house. Whatever the case may be, a specialist plumber would assist address the issue.
Examine Your Power Supply:
As basic as this might seem, it is very necessary. Without appropriate power, your hot water heater will not work. So the first thing to do when your water instantly stops working is to verify that it isn't a power trouble. Check if the fuse is burnt out or the circuit breaker tripped. If the breaker is the concern, simply turn it on and off again. Replace any kind of broken or damaged fuse. Examine the home appliance with power after these adjustments to see if it's now working.
Inspect Your Thermostat:
If your hot water heater still isn't functioning or the water coming out isn't hot enough, you may need to check the temperature level setups on your top thermostat. Ensure the breaker is turned off prior to doing anything. Open up the accessibility panel as well as press the red button for temperature reset above the thermostat. This ought to assist heat up the water. Transform the breaker back on as well as check if the problem has been fixed.
Inspect the Burner in the Hot Water Heater:
If it's not a power trouble, after that try looking into your heating element if it is still working. Evaluate each of your burner to ensure the trouble isn't with any of them. If any one of them is malfunctioning, replace that component and after that inspect whether the hot water is back on.
Final thought
Hot water heater troubles are not constantly major. Much of them result from minor issues like a blown fuse or worn-out burner. Replacing the malfunctioning parts must suffice. Nonetheless, if you are still incapable to fix the issue, give a call to your closest plumber to come to get it fixed.
Common Reasons Why Your Hot Water Heater Isn’t Working
Water Gets Too Hot
Ouch! You wanted a hot shower, not boiling! If you have a newer model electric water heater, your water heater works with a thermostat (actually, two thermostats). If this thermostat has been jostled — or purposely reset — by someone in your home, the water flow will be much hotter than you expected.
FIX: Adjust the thermostat to a more moderate setting for producing hot water. Forty-nine degrees Celsius is recommended to prevent scalding.
Water Doesn’t Get Hot
This is the opposite of the previous problem, but it’s almost as bad. Your flow of hot water is merely lukewarm or even incoming cold water. Once again, an incorrect thermostat setting, or a faulty thermocouple in a gas water heater, could be to blame. Another explanation might be that there’s no power to the water heater (in the case of an electric heater) or the pilot light has gone out (if you have a gas unit).
FIX: Adjust your thermostat as necessary. If that doesn’t do the trick, check the power supply. Another possibility is the replacement of a damaged thermocouple in gas water heaters.
Leaking Water Heater
A leaking water heater (a sign may be low hot water pressure, or not enough hot water to shower) might be a reason to push the panic button… but first, take a few minutes to check where the leakage is coming from. Leaks near the top of the heater tend to indicate a problem with a valve, which won’t need a major repair. However, a leak from the water heater base is more serious.
FIX: You may need a qualified plumber to replace your drain valve or TPR (temperature pressure relief) valve. When your water heater is leaking from below, your plumber might be able to fix it if you call them soon enough. Otherwise, you will need to have a new water heater installed.
Noisy Water Heater
Sometimes your water heater might make some peculiar noises, loud enough to compete with your singing in the shower. Are these a cause for alarm? It depends on exactly what kind of sounds you are hearing. Sizzles and rumbles are both red flags, indicating a heavy sediment buildup in your hot water tank that might cause a breakdown in the near future. In addition, banging is a sign of a water hammer, which can lead to serious damage to your pipes.
FIX: To stop sizzling or rumbling, turn off the tank and have it flushed by a reliable plumbing company ASAP. Ask your plumber to install a water hammer arrestor to quiet down the banging and save the pipes.
Pilot Light Keeps Going Out
Many pilot lights go out once in a while, but when your water heater pilot light keeps going out continually, it’s a problem. And the chances are good that that problem stems from either a shortage of combustible air or a malfunctioning thermocouple.
FIX: Increase the air supply around your water heater by cleaning dust and lint off the appliance and clearing any clutter from the area around it. A bad thermocouple will require expert plumbing repair and is more than basic gas water heater troubleshooting.
Water Smells Bad
The water from your residential plumbing pipes should smell neutral. If it has a strong unpleasant odour, something’s wrong. To check whether your water heater is at fault, turn on a hot water faucet and let it run for a few minutes. And, yes, use your nose to determine exactly what you are smelling.
FIX: For a garlicky odour, relight the pilot light on your water tank. When you detect the scent of garbage, you’ll need a professional plumber to flush the hot water tank and possibly replace the anode rod. A strong smell of rotten eggs could signal a hazardous gas leak; turn off the gas supply if possible, get everyone out of your house, and make an emergency call to the gas company.
Water Looks Brown Or Rusted
The first thing to do is ask yourself, “Is the brown, rusty-looking water coming only from my hot water taps?” If the answer is yes, then most likely, either the anode rod or the water heater interior is starting to rust, especially if your hot water heater is nearing the end of its life expectancy. (A “no” answer means the issue does not originate from the hot water heater but rather from the water supply.)
FIX: Contact a plumber to inspect the water heater. If you catch the problem quickly enough, it might be fixable. Otherwise, you’ll need a water heater replacement. Consider installation of an efficient new tankless water heater.
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