Reacting to a Sudden Water Heater Failure: Expert Advice
Reacting to a Sudden Water Heater Failure: Expert Advice
Blog Article
What're your opinions about What Would Cause My Electric Water Heater to Stop Working??
Several modern-day residences use an electric hot water heater for their furnace, because of its benefit and ease of use. Nonetheless, similar to any other electrical appliances, troubles might arise with its use, suddenly. It can be truly frustrating to awaken to a cool shower rather than a hot one or having your bathroom with water that isn't warm sufficient or even also warm. Whatever the case might be, hot water heater issues can be quite stressful. Luckily, we have actually made a list of possible options to your water heater problems. There are a variety of aspects that can cause many of these troubles, maybe an issue with the power supply, the electric heating element, or the thermostat. Before doing anything, guarantee you shut off the main power supply for safety and security. Whatever the problem is, getting it fixed must not position too much of an issue if you adhere to these steps:
Call An Expert:
If after replacing all defective components as well as resetting your temperature, the water heater still isn't working, you might need to call an expert plumber for an expert opinion. The issue with your heating system could be that the cold and hot taps have actually been switched or it may be undersized for the amount of warm water required in your home. Whatever the instance might be, an expert plumber would certainly help resolve the trouble.
Check Your Power Supply:
As standard as this may seem, it is really necessary. Without sufficient power, your hot water heater will not function. 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 blown out or the breaker stumbled. If the circuit breaker is the issue, just transform it on and off again. Change any kind of broken or worn-out fuse. Check the device with power after these changes to see if it's now working.
Inspect Your Thermostat:
If your hot water heater still isn't working or the water coming out isn't hot enough, you may require to examine the temperature level settings on your upper thermostat. Ensure the circuit breaker is switched off prior to doing anything. Open the access panel and press the red button for temperature reset over the thermostat. This must aid heat the water. Turn the circuit breaker back on and check if the issue has been solved.
Examine the Burner in the Hot Water Heater:
If it's not a power trouble, then attempt having a look at your heating element if it is still working. Evaluate each of your heating elements to be sure the problem isn't with any of them. If any of them is faulty, change that part and then check whether the hot water is back on.
Verdict
Hot water heater troubles are not constantly significant. Much of them are due to minor issues like a blown fuse or damaged burner. Changing the defective parts ought to work. Nevertheless, if you are still incapable to fix the issue, give a call to your closest plumber to find to get it dealt with.
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.
https://www.huskyair.com/blog/hot-water-heater-isnt-working/
As an avid person who reads on How to Troubleshoot and Repair an Electric Water Heater, I was thinking sharing that editorial was a good idea. Are you aware of somebody else who is inquisitive about the topic? Please feel free to share it. We treasure reading our article about How to Troubleshoot and Repair an Electric Water Heater.
24/7 emergency plumbing? Reach out. Report this page