Troubleshooting Tips to Consider When There's No Hot Water
Posted on: 28 February 2019
Imagine going for your morning shower only to realise that there's no hot water. Although that initial shock will wake you up better compared to your favourite morning beverage, it's unpleasant to experience this. To solve the problem at hand, you need to inspect the water heater. Here are tips you can consider before contacting your plumber.
When using a gas heater
The first thing should be to confirm if the pilot light has been blown out by a quick whiff of air or a downdraft. Most water heaters have instructions on how users can relight the pilot. But if you follow the instructions and it doesn't light up, or if you smell gas, consider contacting a local plumber and/or the gas company.
If the pilot light is working perfectly, the other part you should check that's normally to blame is the thermocouple. A thermocouple is a safety device that stops the flow of gas in case the pilot is extinguished. You might be required to readjust it just to ensure the tip is in line with your pilot light flame. If it can't be readjusted, consider getting an expert to replace it.
In case you can't find a problem with the heater, consider inspecting the gas line. Confirm whether it's open and if there are problems that could be causing the line to be tangled up. Then, contact the gas company to make sure you're accessing the gas. You need a plumber to find out what the problem is.
When using an electric heater
Like other electronics, your electric water heater may need a quick reset to operate as expected. So, the first step should be to turn it off and turn it on after a few minutes. After thirty minutes, find out if the water is warm.
If that doesn't work, go to the main circuit breaker and turn off the switch that supplies power to the heater. After thirty seconds, flip the switch on. If it doesn't stay fully on, you may be having a circuit breaker problem that must be addressed.
Age is another problem that can't be ignored when you are dealing with a water heater problem. If it is over ten years old, consider replacing it. Most parts of water heaters start to fail with age.
Instead of complaining about the cold water, get up and find out what the problem is. Try the outlined tips or contact a professional to get help with your hot water system.
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