Common Water Heater problems

Have you ever got into the shower and experienced the cold water blast you in the face? You might run out of hot water midway through and end up shaking while trying to remove the final traces of shampoo from your hair.. Alternatively, there may be a little lake that forms around the base of your water heater when you enter your basement.

If any of these problems arise for you? Your water heater isn’t working well. You may resolve many of the most frequent problems with water heaters without having to replace the entire unit, thankfully.

Here are the four most typical issues with water heaters that you may encounter and how to fix them.

Cold Water

What is the most typical issue that arises with a water heater? Lack of hot water when required. If you’re lucky, you can figure out how to solve this on your own. When not? You will need to bring in an expert.

Whether you have an electric or gas hot water heater will determine how to solve the issue.

1. Check the thermostat

Whether your water heater is gas or electric, you should run it between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (running it at 120 will save some electricity). Make adjustments to your thermostat if it isn’t within this range. After that, you can watch to see if your hot water has come back for half an hour. If not, you’ll need to take additional action.

2. Check the pilot light

You may have a thermocouple issue with your water heater if the pilot light illuminates but flickers out when you turn off the control knob. If this gadget detects that your pilot light is out, it will cut off the gas supply. Position the thermocouple on your heater, resembling a copper tube, so that its tip rests within the flame of the pilot light; otherwise, you may need to change or adjust the thermocouple.

3. Restart your water heater

Try restarting your water heater if it is an electric one. After shutting off your heater for two to five minutes, turn it back on. If your hot water has come back, give it another half an hour.

4. Check your breaker box

If your water heateris electric, you can also check your home’s circuit breaker box. The breaker dedicated to your water heater might have tripped. Check to see if this breaker is in the “off” position. If it is, flip it back to the “on” setting. 

If these simple steps don’t work? It’s time to call in a plumber who can tackle the more serious problems that are keeping your water cold.

Water is lukewarm

First, ensure sure the thermostat on your water heater is adjusted to a minimum of 120 degrees. If your gas heateris operating properly and your thermostat is set, make sure the pilot light is on. It ought to be blazing cyan. In the event that it is burning yellow, insufficient air is reaching the flame. Hire an expert to resolve this issue.

To get your water from lukewarm to pleasantly hot, you might need to call a professional again if your water heater is an electric model and your thermostat is set correctly.

Water smells

This is usually the result of hot water left in your tank for an extended period of time. Turn on your cold water solely to ensure that the source of the issue is your water heater. The likelihood is that the scent is emanating from your hot water heater if you smell nothing. The most common source of this issue is a bacterial build-up in the heater tank from heated water left in there for an extended period of time.

You will need to get in touch with a plumber who can clean and sanitize the tank on your water heater in order to remedy this issue. If you are going to be away from your house for more than two weeks, don’t let the hot water in your water heater lying around to let the stench come back. Turn off the gas or electricity to your water heater before you leave. You can leave cold water in your tank without it growing the bacteria that smells bad.