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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The publisher is making a few good pointers regarding What Would Cause My Electric Water Heater to Stop Working? overall in this post following next.
Several modern-day houses use an electric water heater for their heating unit, due to its benefit and convenience of use. Nevertheless, much like any other electrical devices, troubles may arise with its use, unexpectedly. It can be really discouraging to awaken to a cold shower rather than a hot one or having your bathroom with water that isn't hot sufficient and even too warm. Whatever the instance might be, water heater issues can be fairly nerve-racking. Luckily, we have actually made a listing of possible services to your water heater problems. There are a variety of aspects that can create a number of these issues, maybe a concern with the power supply, the electric heating element, or the thermostat. Before doing anything, ensure you switch off the main power supply for security. Whatever the problem is, getting it taken care of need to not present way too much of an issue if you comply with these steps:
Call A Professional:
If after replacing all malfunctioning parts and also resetting your temperature, the water heater still isn't working, you may need to speak to a professional plumber for a professional point of view. The trouble with your heating system could be that the hot and cold taps have been switched over or it might be undersized for the quantity of warm water needed in your home. Whatever the case may be, a specialist plumber would certainly aid fix the issue.
Examine Your Power Supply:
As standard as this might seem, it is really needed. Without sufficient power, your water heater will certainly not work. So the first thing to do when your water suddenly retires is to confirm that it isn't a power issue. Examine 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 more. Replace any damaged or damaged fuse. Evaluate the appliance with power after these adjustments to see if it's currently functioning.
Inspect Your Thermostat:
If your hot water heater still isn't functioning or the water appearing isn't hot enough, you may require to examine the temperature setups on your upper thermostat. Make sure the breaker is switched off prior to doing anything. Open up the access panel and also press the red button for temperature reset over the thermostat. This need to assist warm the water. Turn the circuit breaker back on and examine if the problem has actually been resolved.
Inspect the Burner in the Hot Water Heater:
If it's not a power problem, then try checking out your heating element if it is still functioning. Check each of your burner to make sure the issue isn't with any of them. If any one of them is defective, change that part and then check whether the hot water is back on.
Final thought
Water heater problems are not always significant. A lot of them are due to minor issues like a blown fuse or worn-out heating element. Changing the damaged components must work. Nevertheless, if you are still unable to address the trouble, give a call to your local plumber to find 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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