Troubleshooting a Water Heater Failure: How to Do When It Stops Working
Troubleshooting a Water Heater Failure: How to Do When It Stops Working
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The article author is making several good pointers on the subject of No Hot Water — Water Heater Repair overall in this great article down below.
Numerous modern homes make use of an electrical hot water heater for their heater, as a result of its ease as well as simplicity of use. However, just like any other electric home appliances, issues may arise with its usage, all of a sudden. It can be truly discouraging to wake up to a cold shower as opposed to a warm one or having your bath with water that isn't warm sufficient and even as well hot. Whatever the instance may be, water heater troubles can be rather nerve-racking. The good news is, we have actually made a list of possible remedies to your water heater issues. There are a variety of elements that can trigger a lot of these troubles, maybe a problem with the power supply, the electrical burner, or the thermostat. Before doing anything, guarantee you turn off the major power supply for security. Whatever the problem is, getting it dealt with ought to not position way too much of a problem if you follow these actions:
Call A Professional:
If after changing all defective components as well as resetting your temperature level, the water heater still isn't working, you might need to speak to a professional plumber for a professional viewpoint. The problem with your heating system could be that the hot and cold taps have been changed or it may be undersized for the quantity of hot water required in your house. Whatever the case might be, a professional plumber would help resolve the trouble.
Check Your Power Supply:
As standard as this may seem, it is extremely necessary. Without appropriate power, your hot water heater will not function. 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 blown out or the breaker stumbled. If the circuit breaker is the problem, simply turn it on and off again. Replace any kind of broken or worn-out fuse. Check the appliance with power after these modifications to see if it's now functioning.
Examine Your Thermostat:
If your water heater still isn't working or the water coming out isn't warm sufficient, you may need to inspect the temperature level settings on your top thermostat. Ensure the breaker is turned off before doing anything. Open up the accessibility panel and press the red switch for temperature level reset over the thermostat. This should assist heat up the water. Turn the breaker back on and check if the trouble has been fixed.
Inspect the Heating Element in the Water Heater:
If it's not a power problem, after that attempt looking into your burner if it is still working. Test each of your heating elements to ensure the trouble isn't with any one of them. If any one of them is damaged, change that component and then check whether the warm water is back on.
Verdict
Hot water heater problems are not constantly major. Much of them result from small concerns like a blown fuse or worn-out heating element. Changing the faulty parts should suffice. Nevertheless, if you are still not able to resolve the issue, give a call to your local plumber to come to get it dealt with.
8 possible reasons why you have no Hot Water
Along with streaming Netflix and having light flood a room when we flick a switch, having hot water flow from our taps and showerheads whenever we want is an oft-overlooked modern miracle of homeownership. That's why, when that flow goes cold, it can be shocking — and not just in a "Wow, that's freezing" kind of way while you're in the shower.
Water Leak
Before hot water reaches your taps and showerheads, it needs to spend some time in your water heater. This appliance, which can be either gas- or electric-powered, takes the cold water that enters your home from your well or utility company and cooks it until it gets hot. It's akin to an electric tea kettle.
Obviously, if your water heater is leaking, it will never fill with water so it won't have anything to warm. To see if this is the case, simply examine the area around the water heater to see if it is wet. If so, you'll likely need to replace the unit, but you can also call in a pro for a second opinion and to see if it is fixable. Sometimes leaks can happen around fixtures on the water heater, and if so, the solution might be as simple as replacing them.
Gas Heater: Gas Leak
If your hot water is fueled by natural gas and there is a leak in the supply line or where the line enters the tank, the appliance won't have the power it needs to heat up your water. The result is not only inconvenient, but it can be extremely dangerous as well. If you smell gas when you investigate your water heater, call your gas utility company immediately and report it as an emergency. It might also be prudent to leave your home until a repair person from the company arrives. Your utility company will usually fix any kind of gas leak. However, in terms of getting your water heater working again, you'll need to relight the pilot and wait a while to see if it is functioning properly. You can call in a water heater specialist or plumber to help with this.
Gas Heater: Pilot Light Problems
There are two other issues with gas-powered water heaters that can lead to a loss of hot water. The first is a pilot light that's blown out. The pilot light is the source of a constant flame inside your water heater. When the heater determines the need to heat up the water it is holding, it will open a valve that will cause gas to flow over the pilot light and cause it to ignite. To see if your pilot light is functioning, there is usually a small window in the front of the water heater. If you can't see a flame, remove the access panel and see if that helps you locate it. If there is still no flame, you'll need to relight it in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Your pilot light should burn with a bright blue flame. If not, make sure there are no drafts affecting it, which could keep it from functioning properly. If the flame looks yellow, it might be a sign of the presence of carbon monoxide, which spells trouble and needs to be looked at right away by a technician.
Gas Heater: Faulty Thermocouple
The second reason why a gas-powered water heater might fail is a faulty thermocouple. This is a small probe that should sit in the pilot light flame. Its purpose is to stop the flow of gas if it senses that the pilot light is out. Sometimes, these probes get knocked off track, so make sure it is directly in the flame. They can also get a buildup on them that prevents their function, so try cleaning yours off with some steel wool or fine-grit sandpaper. If your pilot light won't stay lit and you've tried these steps to fix the thermocouple, it is likely faulty and needs to be replaced. Call a technician.
Electric Heater: Breaker Blues
Electric water heaters don't have pilot lights, because there is no gas to burn in order to heat up the water. Instead, they do their magic through the use of (naturally) electricity. But that's not to say things can't go wrong with them. If your electric water heater isn't working properly, there's a good chance that a breaker was tripped that supplies the appliance power. Check your breaker box and flip any breakers that have switched to the off position back on. If it trips again, then there might be a fault in the water heater, and you'll want to call in a pro to have a look.
Electric Heater: Reaching The Limit
If the breaker is fine, check to see if the high-temperature limit has switched off on the water heater itself. To do so, first turn off the breaker to the unit. Then remove the service panel and press the red button you'll find there. This is the limit switch, and resetting it could solve your problem. To check, replace the panel, turn the breaker back on and listen to see if the water heater is functioning again.
Electric Heater: Heating Element
If these steps don't fix the issue, then you might have a failed heating element, which will need to be replaced. Unless you are comfortable with such repairs, calling in a technician might make the most sense.
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