Troubleshooting a Water Heater Emergency: How to Do If It Stops Working
Troubleshooting a Water Heater Emergency: How to Do If It Stops Working
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The publisher is making a few good observations relating to How to Troubleshoot and Repair an Electric Water Heater in general in this article just below.
Many modern houses utilize an electric water heater for their furnace, due to its comfort and also ease of use. Nonetheless, just like any other electrical appliances, troubles may arise with its usage, all of a sudden. It can be actually frustrating to wake up to a cold shower instead of a warm one or having your bath with water that isn't hot sufficient or even too warm. Whatever the situation may be, water heater troubles can be fairly aggravating. Luckily, we have actually made a checklist of possible services to your water heater concerns. There are a variety of variables that might trigger a number of these issues, it could be a problem with the power supply, the electrical heating element, or the thermostat. Prior to doing anything, guarantee you turn off the primary power supply for security. Whatever the problem is, getting it taken care of should not pose way too much of a concern if you adhere to these actions:
Call A Specialist:
If after replacing all malfunctioning parts and also resetting your temperature level, the water heater still isn't functioning, you might require to speak to a specialist plumber for a professional viewpoint. The trouble with your heating unit could be that the hot and cold faucets have actually been switched over or it may be undersized for the quantity of hot water needed in your house. Whatever the instance may be, an expert plumber would certainly help fix the issue.
Inspect Your Power Supply:
As standard as this may seem, it is really required. Without ample power, your water heater will not work. So the first thing to do when your water unexpectedly retires is to confirm that it isn't a power issue. Examine if the fuse is burnt out or the circuit breaker stumbled. If the breaker is the problem, merely transform it on and off once more. Change any type of broken or damaged fuse. Test the appliance with power after these changes to see if it's now working.
Check Your Thermostat:
If your water heater still isn't working or the water appearing isn't warm sufficient, you may need to examine the temperature setups on your upper thermostat. Guarantee the breaker is turned off prior to doing anything. Open the gain access to panel and also press the red switch for temperature reset over the thermostat. This must aid warm the water. Transform the circuit breaker back on and also check if the trouble has actually been fixed.
Inspect the Heating Element in the Hot Water Heater:
If it's not a power issue, then attempt looking into your burner if it is still working. Evaluate each of your burner to ensure the problem isn't with any one of them. If any one of them is defective, change that component and after that inspect whether the warm water is back on.
Verdict
Hot water heater troubles are not always major. Many of them are due to minor concerns like a blown fuse or damaged heating element. Changing the damaged parts should suffice. Nonetheless, if you are still not able to fix the problem, give a call to your local plumber to come 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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