Did you realize that the average family uses 41 gallons water per day? It gets even worse: Some larger families use up to 86 gallon of water each day.
No hot water is a common problem in the United States, as so many people share the same bathrooms and showers. Here’s how to deal with a broken water heater (and avoid a cold shower).
Electric Water Heater Trouble
No water in the home? It could be that your electric water heating system is having problems. Thankfully, our team is here to help.
It is important to determine as to why you water heater is not working. Once you have figured out what’s wrong, you can try some tricks to get it working again.
Need a push to the right direction? Here are some ideas for troubleshooting:
- Check for a broken heating element.
- Check the thermostat on your water heater.
- Consider tripped circuit breakers.
Here’s what you need to know: your electric water heating element is probably broken. The best part is? You can’t stop this from happening but you can fix it easily.
The thermostat of your water heater is the next thing you should check. The upper thermostat controls the heating elements of the entire structure. The lower thermostat is only able to control the heating element at the bottom.
Does your upper and lower thermostats work, but not your hot water? The below could help you fix your problem. All you need to do is change your thermostat.
Have you ever considered tripped breakers? If you haven’t already, you can always check your circuit breakers to see if the electric heater breaker has been flipped.
Every water heater needs an electrical outlet.
You should be able to tell what the problem is if you notice that the water heater circuit breaker doesn’t match with the others. Just flip the switch to “on” from the circuit breaker’s box.
Troubleshooting Gas water heaters
Gas water heaters are just as prone to problems than electrical ones. It’s a no brainer to get them both fixed. When your heater is powered by natural gas, it’s a good idea to be cautious.
Want to check the gas water heater on your own? Here are a couple of things you can check:
- Check your gas supplies
- Pilot light
If you’re not getting hot water then it’s possible something is literally blocking gas from reaching your burner and pilot light. It’s possible that your gas supply was accidentally cut off.
The solution? Remember to check the gas supply. Check that your gas supply is on and your valve is open. You only need to twist the valve, and then relight your Pilot Light.
Is the pilot light on but the gas off?
There are several possible explanations for the problem.
- Thermocouple problems
- Air in the line
When was the most recent time you checked your thermocouple?
It doesn’t harm to take a couple of minutes out of your busy day to check that your thermocouple is aligned with the pilot light flame.
Why does it matter? This part needs to be tightly connected with your gas line for it to work. If the problem cannot be fixed, you may need to buy a thermocouple.
After you’ve checked your thermocouple you should check to see if you have any air stuck in the line.
It is easy: just make sure that your gas is flowing. Then, relight your pilot light a few times. This will allow you to get the air out of your line.
It’s fine to call a water heater installer if you aren’t handy.
How to Turn the Heat Up
Sometimes all it takes to fix your water heater is to turn the heat up. How so? We’ll show how:
- Check your thermostat
- Examine your burner
- Inspect your dip tube
We cannot stress this enough: check the thermostat as soon you experience problems with hot water. If it’s at the right temperature then you may need to replace it.
This problem is one the easiest fixes.
If you still have problems, it is worth checking your burner. Why? Because it is not uncommon for sediments to collect on the burners of gas water heaters. Your hot water supply may eventually run out.
How do you fix it? While you can do the repair yourself on a poor burner, it is better to let a professional handle this one.
Lastly, you could try to inspect your dip tub. Even though this is an uncommon problem, it’s worth checking to see if your dip tube has failed. If so, replace it!
If you still have no luck, it could be time to upgrade your heater.