How to Identify and Fix the Most Frequent Problems with Household Water Heaters
You may find it tough to relax at home if your water heater is malfunctioning. Taking a shower, washing the dishes, or doing the laundry becomes more challenging. There’s no avoiding dealing with a faulty water heater when you have no other choice. Locating the source of the heater’s malfunction is the first step in getting it fixed. Some issues with a water heater are more obvious than others. In this short article, we’ll examine the most frequent causes of water heater failure.
Fast Flow Plumbing & Drain LLC always recommends hiring a professional plumber, but if you’d want to try troubleshooting before giving up and giving in, make sure you’re not putting yourself in harm’s way. Make sure you’ve done the following before beginning troubleshooting:
- Turning off the electricity at the circuit breaker box will disable electric water heaters.
- If you have a gas water heater, you need to turn the pilot control valve to the “pilot” position.
- Cut off the water supply.
We don’t have enough hot water
Do you have a shortage of hot water even though you’re getting plenty of heat? Thermostat issues could be to blame. If the thermostat isn’t turned up high enough, the water could not get hot enough to shower in. There may be silt in the heater. Do you remember the last time you emptied the water from the heater’s tank? If the burners are clogged with sediment, it will be more difficult to heat the water to the desired temperature. Look at the tank’s dip tube to see if it has been recently emptied. If the dip tube is broken, the hot and cold water will mingle. The end outcome is water that is just about room temperature.
Cold showers only, please
Your gas heater’s pilot light may have gone out and needs to be relit. Take your time and carefully follow the steps outlined in the device’s owner’s manual. If you’ve lost your user guide, you can obtain replacements online for most popular brands. In addition to the aforementioned issues, the following are also common with gas heaters:
- Low pressure of gas
- Defective thermocouple
- Poor gas-fired starter
- Control valve for gas pilot malfunctioning
- Snapping, Crackling, and Popping Noises
Do you hear a cracking or slapping sound from your water heater whenever you take a shower? This noise is often perplexing and unsettling. Too much silt in the water heater’s tank is usually to blame. After a year has passed, it’s recommended to flush the tanks. Having to flush your tank less frequently may be necessary if you have hard water. While you may find guidelines online, we advise having a professional plumber conduct the task to avoid any potential missteps.
Leaking Tanks
If there is water around the water heater’s base, then water is leaking from the tank. A leaking pipe or malfunctioning relief valve are two possible causes. Do not disregard tank leaks. You can tighten the valve if you can see water leaking from it. A plumber should be called immediately. There could be a problem with the tank’s heating element. Corrosion caused by rust in storage tanks might eventually cause leaks.
A professional should be called immediately to assess the damage. New Braunfels, McQueeny, Geronimo, Marion, Cibolo, Seguin, and San Antonio are all serviced by Fast Flow Plumbing & Drain LLC, the best emergency plumbing service in the area 24/7. Give us a call immediately if you think there’s an issue with your heater, and we’ll get a skilled plumber out to your house right away.
