Troubleshooting a Water Heater Failure: How to Do When It Ceases Working
Troubleshooting a Water Heater Failure: How to Do When It Ceases Working
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Just about every person may have his or her own idea on the subject of What Would Cause My Electric Water Heater to Stop Working?.
Numerous contemporary houses use an electrical hot water heater for their heating system, due to its comfort as well as simplicity of use. However, much like any other electrical home appliances, troubles might emerge with its usage, suddenly. It can be truly discouraging to get up to a chilly shower as opposed to a warm one or having your bathroom with water that isn't hot sufficient or perhaps also hot. Whatever the case might be, water heater problems can be rather nerve-racking. Luckily, we have actually made a checklist of possible solutions to your hot water heater concerns. There are a number of elements that might cause a lot of these issues, it could be a concern with the power supply, the electrical heating element, or the thermostat. Before doing anything, ensure you shut off the main power supply for safety and security. Whatever the problem is, getting it fixed ought to not pose way too much of an issue if you follow these steps:
Check Your Power Supply:
As basic as this may appear, it is really required. Without adequate power, your water heater will not operate. So the first thing to do when your water instantly retires is to verify that it isn't a power trouble. Examine if the fuse is blown out or the breaker stumbled. If the circuit breaker is the concern, just transform it on and off once more. Replace any broken or damaged fuse. Examine the appliance with power after these modifications to see if it's currently functioning.
Inspect the Heating Element in the Hot Water Heater:
If it's not a power trouble, after that attempt having a look at your burner if it is still working. Test each of your heating elements to make sure the trouble isn't with any of them. If any of them is defective, replace that part and after that check whether the warm water is back on.
Inspect Your Thermostat:
If your water heater still isn't functioning or the water appearing isn't hot sufficient, you may require to examine the temperature settings on your upper thermostat. Ensure the circuit breaker is turned off before doing anything. Open up the access panel as well as press the red button for temperature level reset over the thermostat. This should help heat the water. Turn the breaker back on and check if the problem has actually been settled.
Call A Professional:
If after changing all malfunctioning components as well as resetting your temperature, the hot water heater still isn't working, you might need to speak to a specialist plumber for a professional point of view. The issue with your heater could be that the hot and cold faucets have been switched or it might be undersized for the quantity of warm water required in your house. Whatever the situation may be, an expert plumber would certainly assist solve the problem.
Conclusion
Water heater issues are not always major. Many of them are due to minor problems like a blown fuse or damaged burner. Changing the damaged components should suffice. However, if you are still incapable to resolve the problem, give a call to your nearest plumber to come to get it repaired.
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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