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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Each person has their own rationale in relation to How to Troubleshoot and Repair an Electric Water Heater.
Many contemporary houses utilize an electrical water heater for their heating system, because of its ease and also convenience of use. Nevertheless, similar to any other electrical appliances, issues may develop with its use, unexpectedly. It can be actually frustrating to wake up to a cold shower rather than a warm one or having your bathroom with water that isn't hot adequate or perhaps too warm. Whatever the instance might be, water heater problems can be rather nerve-racking. Luckily, we have actually made a checklist of possible solutions to your water heater concerns. There are a variety of factors that might trigger a number of these troubles, it could be a concern with the power supply, the electrical heating element, or the thermostat. Before doing anything, ensure you turn off the main power supply for safety. Whatever the problem is, getting it fixed need to not position way too much of an issue if you follow these steps:
Inspect Your Power Supply:
As basic as this may appear, it is extremely needed. Without sufficient power, your water heater will not work. So the first thing to do when your water instantly retires is to confirm that it isn't a power problem. Check if the fuse is burnt out or the breaker stumbled. If the circuit breaker is the concern, simply turn it on and off once again. Replace any type of broken or damaged fuse. Evaluate the home appliance with power after these adjustments to see if it's currently working.
Inspect the Burner in the Water Heater:
If it's not a power trouble, then attempt checking out your burner if it is still functioning. Test each of your heating elements to be sure the issue isn't with any one of them. If any of them is damaged, replace that component and then check whether the hot water is back on.
Inspect Your Thermostat:
If your hot water heater still isn't functioning or the water appearing isn't hot sufficient, you might require to check the temperature setups on your top thermostat. Guarantee the breaker is turned off before doing anything. Open the gain access to panel and press the red button for temperature reset above the thermostat. This need to help warm the water. Turn the breaker back on and also check if the issue has been dealt with.
Call An Expert:
If after changing all defective parts and also resetting your temperature level, the water heater still isn't functioning, you might require to call a specialist plumber for a specialist viewpoint. The issue with your heater could be that the cold and hot taps have actually been changed or it may be undersized for the amount of hot water needed in your home. Whatever the instance might be, an expert plumber would assist resolve the trouble.
Final thought
Hot water heater issues are not always major. Much of them result from minor issues like a blown fuse or worn-out burner. Changing the faulty components need to work. Nevertheless, if you are still incapable to resolve the issue, give a call to your local plumber to find 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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