Diagnosing a Water Heater Failure: What to Do When It Stops Working
Diagnosing a Water Heater Failure: What to Do When It Stops Working
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We've stumbled on this post on How to Troubleshoot and Repair an Electric Water Heater directly below on the net and believe it made good sense to write about it with you on my blog.
Many modern residences make use of an electric water heater for their heating system, as a result of its ease as well as ease of use. However, much like any other electrical devices, problems might occur with its use, all of a sudden. It can be actually discouraging to wake up to a cold shower rather than a hot one or having your bath with water that isn't warm sufficient and even too warm. Whatever the situation may be, hot water heater issues can be quite aggravating. Thankfully, we've made a list of possible remedies to your water heater issues. There are a variety of variables that can trigger a number of these problems, it could be a concern with the power supply, the electric heating element, or the thermostat. Prior to doing anything, ensure you turn off the major power supply for security. Whatever the problem is, getting it taken care of ought to not posture excessive of a problem if you follow these actions:
Call A Professional:
If after replacing all faulty components and resetting your temperature level, the water heater still isn't functioning, you might require to call an expert plumber for a professional viewpoint. The issue with your heater could be that the hot and cold faucets have been switched or it might be undersized for the quantity of warm water required in your house. Whatever the situation might be, a professional plumber would aid solve the issue.
Examine Your Power Supply:
As fundamental as this might appear, it is really needed. Without appropriate power, your hot water heater will certainly not function. So the first thing to do when your water unexpectedly retires is to validate that it isn't a power trouble. Examine if the fuse is burnt out or the circuit breaker tripped. If the breaker is the concern, merely transform it off and on once again. Replace any kind of broken or damaged fuse. Test the home appliance with power after these adjustments to see if it's currently functioning.
Inspect Your Thermostat:
If your water heater still isn't functioning or the water coming out isn't hot enough, you might require to examine the temperature level settings on your upper thermostat. Ensure the circuit breaker is turned off before doing anything. Open up the gain access to panel and press the red switch for temperature level reset over the thermostat. This must assist heat up the water. Transform the circuit breaker back on and also check if the trouble has been resolved.
Check the Burner in the Water Heater:
If it's not a power trouble, then attempt looking into your burner if it is still functioning. Check each of your heating elements to make sure the problem isn't with any one of them. If any one of them is faulty, change that component and afterwards examine whether the warm water is back on.
Verdict
Hot water heater troubles are not always significant. Many of them result from minor concerns like a blown fuse or damaged heating element. Changing the damaged parts ought to work. However, if you are still not able to resolve the issue, give a call to your local plumber to find to get it fixed.
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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