No Hot Water - No Problem, Fix it Yourself!

Hot Check - No Hot Water - No Problem, Fix it Yourself!

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Your water heater is one of the singular most high-priced components of your plumbing system. It costs a lot of money to buy it and it costs more money to operate it. If your water heater isn't working properly it can make your life miserable. Unless you de facto like cold showers it is a big deal when your water heater has problems.

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When To Call A Plumber

This is a good time to talk a little about when it is acceptable for you to fix things yourself and when you should probably go ahead and call a plumber. Water heater problems are a good example of when this option is important.

If you water heater itself is leaking, as opposed to the piping connected to it leaking, this probably means that it needs to be replaced. It is virtually impossible to fix a leaking hot water heater. If you can't confidently say you know how to setup a water heater you de facto need to use caution.

A water heater transfer raises a lot of security concerns and there are some fairly technical skills needed to do the job right. It is commonly better to call a licensed plumber if yours needs replacing. Licensed plumbers know how to setup a gas water heater without creating a potentially perilous situation (and how to setup galvanic water heater without getting electrocuted in the process).

You Can Do It!

On the other hand, if you have a non-leaking water heater and no hot water, you can often correct that yourself without calling a plumber. You don't need any de facto technical skills to learn to troubleshoot water heaters, just a little base sense and patience.

The first good news is that, although the trend is toward more frugal water heaters, the basic performance and controls haven't changed much over the years. So some basic knowledge will allow you to troubleshoot water heaters of almost any age or manufacturer.

Gas or Electric?

There are two main kinds of storehouse water heaters (we won't get into tankless models here): gas and electric. This indicates what sort of vigor source is used to heat the water.

Gas Water Heaters

Gas water heaters use natural gas (and sometimes Lp) to fuel a burner which in turn heats the water sort of like a pot on the stove. They have only a few components that operate either or not you have hot water.

The first thing to check if you have a gas water heater and no hot water is either or not you have gas. I know it my sound silly, but I have gone to many homes only to find that the gas had been turned off for one presume or another. If you have a gas stove see if it works. If not check your meter to make sure it's on.

If you have gas, the next step is to check your pilot light and, if it's out, try to light it. The lighting instructions are commonly right on the water heater. If your gas has been off it may take a while for the air to bleed out and the gas to get to the pilot, so be patient.

The Thermocouple

If your pilot won't light, or won't stay lit, the thermocouple may be the problem. This looks like a copper wire advent from the operate box on front of the water heater and going down to where the pilot light should be. It has an enlarged tip at the pilot end.

The thermocouple is positioned with it's enlarged end in the flame of the pilot. This heat from the pilot flame causes a tiny electrical signal to be sent to the operate valve, telling the operate valve that there is a flame gift so it's Ok to let the gas through to the main burner when the thermostat calls for heat. . You can change a thermocouple on most water heaters with only a small adjustable wrench. Just make sure that the bulb end is securely positioned in the pilot flame. You can get a new thermocouple at most hardware market for under . This will commonly correct a pilot light problem.

On more modern water heaters, the combustion room may be sealed. If you have one of these there will commonly be a small inspection window you can look through to check the pilot. You may need to call the builder to get a perfect pilot assembly and new cover seal in order to fix these models, but the policy is still pretty much the same once you get the parts. These parts are commonly covered by the manufacturers warranty.

The Gas operate Valve

If you are sure you have gas, and replacing the thermocouple doesn't fix the problem, the gas operate valve is about the only thing left to check. This is a fairly major fix so if you aren't very comfortable working with gas connections you may want to call a licensed plumber for this.

Electric Water Heaters

Electric water heaters use, you guessed it- electricity, to heat the water. If your galvanic water heater isn't working the first thing to do is check your breaker or fuse box. Many galvanic water heaters also have a cut off disconnect box at the water heater, check this too.

If you are sure you have power, the problem is either your heating elements or thermostats. Most galvanic water heaters have two of each, upper and lower. In order to check or replace a water heater element you will have to turn off the breaker serving the water heater circuit and remove the entrance cover on the water heater. At this point you might get lucky and find the easiest way to fix an galvanic water heater.

The Reset Button

Many thermostats have a reset button which can sometimes be pushed to reset the circuit and get the water heater working again. To find it you may have to determined remove any insulation face the thermostat. If the reset button has been tripped you should be able to hear and feel a exact click when you push it. If you think it was tripped, put everything back together, turn the power on and check for hot water in about an hour.

If the thermostat can't be reset you will need a voltage meter or continuity tester before going any further. There's not room in one record to cover electrical diagnostics but you can accomplish a straightforward continuity check on the elements to make sure they make a perfect circuit.

The Heating Elements

First, make sure the power is off to the water heater! Then search the heating elements. The elements will have two wires connected to each one and will either have a big hex nut where they screw into the tank or will be fastened to the tank with a bracket and commonly 4 bolts. After confirming that the power is de facto off to the water heater, remove the 2 wires from the element and check for continuity. If there is not an intact circuit between the two terminals on the element, it is bad.

If one or both of the elements is bad it is probably a good idea to just replace them both. You will need to shut off the water and drain the water heater to replace the elements. If they are the hex nut style, you may need a special socket. You can commonly find these tools where you buy the elements. Make sure the water heater is completely full and all air bled from the ideas before turning the power back on or you will ruin the new elements by "dry firing" them.

The Thermostats

If the elements are Ok and don't need to be replaced, it is probably the thermostat(s). It is a good idea to replace both thermostats if there are two, they are fairly inexpensive. Just remove the wires, connect the new one the same as the old one, put the entrance plate back on and turn the power back on. You should have hot water in about an hour.

Know Your Limitations!

Learning how to troubleshoot water heaters can be fairly straightforward but you do need to understand and be comfortable working with gas and electricity. either one can de facto kill you if you fail to peruse the permissible security precautions. If you aren't suited or aren't sure about something it is better to be safe than sorry.

I hope you get new knowledge about Hot Check. Where you possibly can offer easy use in your life. And most significantly, your reaction is passed about Hot Check.