Nothing compares to jumping into the shower expecting peaceful warmth and then being surprised with ice-cold water. If you are doing emergency hot water heater repair, you have little time. You have not the luxury of lazily waiting about. You must find answers quickly. Right now, take these steps to have hot water running once more before your house becomes a frozen wilderness.
Start with looking at the power source.
Make sure your water heater is even running before you begin breaking it apart. While a gas heater might have a pilot light that has gone out, a tripped breaker or blown fuse might cut off power to an electric unit.
Get to the breaker box with electric heaters. Turn off and back on your water heater if its switch is turned off. Should it continue to trip, there is cause for concern—your heater may have a more serious problem.
Look at the pilot light of gas heaters. Should it be out, relight it. If it continues to leak, though, that could indicate problems including a malfunctioning gas valve or a damaged thermocouple.
Should neither of these address the issue, proceed. The offender can be just within the apartment itself.
Water Leaks: Stopper the Drip Before a Flood
Not only is a leaky water heater unpleasant, but it might also cause a full-fledged calamity. A little trickle could grow and seriously damage your floors by soaking them.
Examine connections. Sometimes a hand-tightening of loose fittings stops minor leaks.
check the tank. Should water gather around the base, the tank itself may be failing. Should that be the case, you are looking at a replacement.
Leaks in the pressure relieving valve Should the leak originate from the valve, it may be performing its intended function—excess pressure release. On the other hand, a continual pouring indicates a problem.
Lifting the lever and allowing it to snap back into position fixes a leaking valve quickly. Should that not stop the trickle, you may wish for a fresh one.
There is no hot water Let us explore the cause of it.
Usually one of these offenders when your heater runs yet the water is ice-cold is:
Regarding electric heaters: Fried might be the heating element. With a wrench and some time, these may be replaced out.
A malfunctioning gas valve can be preventing fuel from getting to the burner on gas heaters. Call a professional and immediately stop everything if you smell gas.
Should the thermostat be set too low, the heater will not kick in. Turn it up a level and see if it helps.
Lukewarm Water Almost Worse is what I mean.
A half-hearted shower is not appealing to anybody. If your water is not ice-cold but never becomes quite hot, you could have:
Build-up of sediments. Minerals settle toward the bottom of your tank over time, shielding the burner or element from the water. One might benefit from flushing the tank.
A poor dip tube. This tube heats itself when cold water flows toward the bottom of the tank. Should it shatter, lukewarm mess results from cold water mixing with heat.
Turn off the electricity, tie a garden hose to the drain valve, and allow the water run out to clear your heater. Though it’s a bit dirty, it can really make a big difference.
odd sounds Your Heater wants to convey something to you.
Your water heater most likely runs empty of sediment if it sounds like a popcorn maker. Mineral deposits inside the tank create all kinds of disturbing sounds as they harden.
Usually, popping and cracking indicate accumulation near the tank’s bottom. A good flush should silence things.
If you hear this close to the top, a leak could be pouring onto a hot surface.
Expanding and compressing metal can make certain heaters sound haunted.
too hot water? You Perhaps Live in Scald City
Not only is scalding hot water unpleasant, but it is also dangerous—especially for young children and elderly relatives. A few things could be happening if your water suddenly seems hotter than molten lava:
The thermostat can be caught on high. Try downing it a little bit.
If the heating element is defective, the water simply keeps getting heated without shutting off. Your best bet could be replacement.
Designed to maintain a constant temperature, broken mixing valves combine hot and cold water. Should it be on the fritz, water could come out really hot.
A fast fix? first turn the thermostat down. Should that not work, it could be time to replace a part or two.
Should your hot water smell like a science experiment gone bad, bacteria could be flourishing inside your tank. Usually, hydrogen sulfide gas—which smells like a traditional rotten egg—is the suspect.
Run hydrogen peroxide through the tank. This destroys germs without running across your heater.
Swap the anode rod. While this sacrificial rod stops rust, it can react with minerals in the water to produce the odor when it begins to fail.
If your water smells, don’t ignore it. It grows worse the more long-lived germs stay about.
When Should One Call in the Pros?
A wrench and some elbow grease will help you solve some easy problems. Others also? Not as much. Should you be handling:
A leak in a gas tank
Significant leaks do not stop; electrical problems beyond a tripped breaker
An over-ten-year-old water heater broke out
You might be ready to replace your unit or hire a plumber. There is no guilt in that; occasionally you just have to accept your losses and go on.
Finally, get that hot water flowing once again.
Every second feels like an eternity when your water heater breaks—especially if you are shivering in the shower. Often you can solve the most frequent problems yourself and save some money by troubleshooting them.
If you are looking at a more extensive repair, avoid waiting until your pilot light fails to stay lit or your bathroom floods. Now, a simple repair might avoid a far more severe headache down road.