Nearly everybody seems to have his or her own idea on the subject of What Would Cause My Electric Water Heater to Stop Working?.
Many modern-day houses utilize an electrical water heater for their furnace, because of its convenience as well as ease of use. Nevertheless, just like any other electrical devices, issues might occur with its use, unexpectedly. It can be actually frustrating to get up to a cold shower rather than a warm one or having your bath with water that isn't warm enough and even also hot. Whatever the instance may be, water heater troubles can be quite stressful. Fortunately, we've made a checklist of possible services to your hot water heater issues. There are a variety of variables that could trigger most of these problems, it could be a concern with the power supply, the electric heating element, or the thermostat. Prior to doing anything, guarantee you turn off the primary power supply for safety and security. Whatever the problem is, getting it repaired must not posture too much of a problem if you adhere to these actions:
Call A Professional:
If after replacing all malfunctioning components and resetting your temperature, the hot water heater still isn't functioning, you might need to get in touch with a professional plumber for a specialist point of view. The problem with your heating unit could be that the cold and hot faucets have actually been switched or it may be undersized for the amount of hot water required in your house. Whatever the instance may be, a specialist plumber would certainly aid address the trouble.
Examine Your Power Supply:
As standard as this might appear, it is really needed. Without ample power, your hot water heater will not work. So the first thing to do when your water unexpectedly stops working is to confirm that it isn't a power problem. Check if the fuse is blown out or the circuit breaker tripped. If the circuit breaker is the problem, just turn it off and on once again. Replace any type of damaged or worn-out fuse. Check the home appliance with power after these modifications to see if it's currently functioning.
Inspect Your Thermostat:
If your hot water heater still isn't working or the water coming out isn't hot enough, you may need to inspect the temperature settings on your upper thermostat. Make certain the breaker is turned off before doing anything. Open the accessibility panel and also press the red switch for temperature reset above the thermostat. This need to aid heat the water. Transform the breaker back on and also inspect if the issue has been dealt with.
Check the Heating Element in the Hot Water Heater:
If it's not a power trouble, after that try having a look at your heating element if it is still functioning. Check each of your heating elements to be sure the trouble isn't with any one of them. If any of them is faulty, change that part and then examine whether the hot water is back on.
Conclusion
Hot water heater issues are not constantly major. A lot of them are due to small problems like a blown fuse or worn-out heating element. Changing the malfunctioning parts should suffice. Nevertheless, if you are still unable to fix the problem, give a call to your nearest plumber ahead to get it taken care of.
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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