Troubleshooting a Water Heater Failure: What to Do When It Ceases Working
Troubleshooting a Water Heater Failure: What to Do When It Ceases Working
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We've discovered this great article about How to Troubleshoot and Repair an Electric Water Heater listed below on the web and thought it made perfect sense to discuss it with you here.
Many modern residences use an electric water heater for their heating unit, because of its ease and also ease of use. Nevertheless, similar to any other electric appliances, problems may develop with its usage, all of a sudden. It can be really frustrating to awaken to a chilly shower rather than a hot one or having your bath with water that isn't warm adequate or perhaps also warm. Whatever the case may be, water heater problems can be quite nerve-racking. Luckily, we have actually made a listing of feasible remedies to your water heater problems. There are a number of factors that might cause many of these issues, maybe an issue with the power supply, the electrical heating element, or the thermostat. Prior to doing anything, ensure you switch off the primary power supply for security. Whatever the issue is, getting it fixed should not present way too much of an issue if you follow these actions:
Call An Expert:
If after replacing all damaged components and resetting your temperature level, the hot water heater still isn't working, you might need to call an expert plumber for a specialist opinion. The issue with your heater could be that the hot and cold faucets have been changed or it might be undersized for the amount of hot water needed in your home. Whatever the instance might be, a professional plumber would aid address the problem.
Inspect Your Power Supply:
As standard as this may seem, it is extremely essential. Without sufficient power, your hot water heater will certainly not function. So the first thing to do when your water instantly stops working is to validate that it isn't a power trouble. Check if the fuse is blown out or the circuit breaker stumbled. If the circuit breaker is the concern, just turn it off and on again. Replace any kind of busted or worn-out fuse. Evaluate the device with power after these adjustments to see if it's now functioning.
Inspect Your Thermostat:
If your hot water heater still isn't functioning or the water coming out isn't hot enough, you may require to check the temperature setups on your top thermostat. Guarantee the circuit breaker is turned off before doing anything. Open the access panel and also press the red button for temperature level reset above the thermostat. This need to assist warm the water. Turn the breaker back on and inspect if the problem has actually been fixed.
Examine the Heating Element in the Hot Water Heater:
If it's not a power problem, after that try looking into your burner if it is still working. Check each of your heating elements to ensure the issue isn't with any of them. If any of them is malfunctioning, replace that component and after that check whether the hot water is back on.
Verdict
Hot water heater issues are not constantly significant. Many of them are due to minor issues like a blown fuse or damaged burner. Changing the faulty components need to do the trick. However, if you are still unable to address the issue, give a call to your nearby plumber to find to get it repaired.
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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