888.630.9224Fall is officially here and although the beauty of foliage can make the chilliest day bright, waking up to discover there’s no hot water can make even the warmest autumn day dull and gray.
Even though some are willing to suffer a lukewarm shower, a defective hot water heater can affect your entire home. Because some home appliances function on hot water, fixing the problem will ensure warm water for the shower, washing clothes or dishes, and ensuing that all appliances run properly.
The two main types of storage water heaters are either gas or electric. Both can be easily checked, so if feeling confident, before calling the repairman follow these guidelines to see if your issue can be safely resolved.
Electric Heaters
Electric water heaters use either 120 or 140 volt power to energize heating elements from the water. A common problem with failure in these heaters is that the elements will burn out. If your water runs warm and never gets hot, it is more likely that the top heating element has gone bad. However, if the water gets hot but then quickly turns cold, it is the bottom heating element that needs to be replaced.
If these two elements appear to be working fine, it could be the thermostat that needs to be checked. Sometimes the red reset button may need to be pressed or the temperature may need to be turned up. The circuit breaker switch controls power to the water heater and should be turned on, but double check to make sure that no fuses have been blown.
Before attempting to resolve any electrical issue always remember to observe electrical safety by turning off power to the circuit or circuits being worked on and always replace any parts with the same wattage or voltage as the part that has gone bad.
Gas Heaters
The best way to begin is to the check the pilot light. Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual to relight it if it has gone out. Traditionally, steps will include turning the gas control valve to off for a few minutes before turning the valve to pilot. Then push down on it or the red button next to it. You should begin to hear the flow of gas through the pilot gas supply tube. The pilot indicator should light, however if you have to do it manually a barbecue lighter works best.
The thermocouple, a heat sensor that automatically shuts off the gas when the pilot goes off, will start to heat as you continue to hold the control button; only hold for about a minute, then release. Now turn the control to the on position. Depending on your thermostat control setting, the burner should ignite.
If the pilot light is still lit, and there is still no hot water, the issue may lie with a faulty thermocouple or gas control. Thermocouples need to be replaced as often as every three months or every one to two years. Higher temperature thermocouples need to be replaced more frequently when operating at higher temperatures. The gas control valve controls the pilot light, water temperature, and even has a safety limit to shut everything down. If you have already tried to reset the pilot and replaced the thermocouple, and there is still no hot water, the valve will need to be replaced with the exact same valve in order to wire up the rollout switch.
When dealing with gas water heaters, always check for the smell of gas. If you do smell anything suspicious, immediately turn the gas valve control to off and wait for the smell to leave before relighting the pilot. If the smell persists, make sure the gas supply valve is off and call a repairman for assistance.
Checking your water tank for hot water issues can be an easy task and for the most part, many issues can be resolved with simple investigation. If taking on the job yourself, remember to follow all safety guidelines, practice patience, and the hot water will be flowing in no time.
