Solving Common Problems with a Water Heater

 

Most homeowners rarely concern themselves with water heaters until they start malfunctioning. Like all plumbing fixtures, water heaters need regular checks by professional plumbers to ensure everything functions appropriately. 

Your water heater does a lot in the background to produce hot water for your faucets and gadgets. However, there are instances when it exerts itself too much, creating issues that can call for expert assistance. We will go over five typical issues with water heaters and offer solutions.

Water Not Hot

There are several potential causes for the lack of hot water, and you must systematically rule out each one to find the main issue. This might also differ based on the type of heater you have; electric or gas-powered. The most common cause of a malfunction in an electric heater is a lack of power. To begin, confirm that the circuit breaker has not tripped. If it has, turn it off and back on. Additionally, the fuse may need to be replaced if it has blown. 

The problem could also be from a faulty high-temperature cut-off. Hit the red “reset” button after opening the panel, then confirm if everything is working well after. You could furthermore have defective heating elements. Check them out and replace them if necessary. It may be necessary to contact a professional if you still cannot identify the cause of your lack of hot water after inspecting each of these.

Extremely Hot Water

This probably results from the thermostat being set excessively high, but it is a simple issue to fix. Lowering the thermostat to a desirable temperature will fix it. If that doesn’t work, look at the temperature pressure valve; if it’s broken, the heater will not turn off when the temperature is right. It is necessary to replace the valve right away because this scenario is hazardous.

Low Pressure

Lack of sufficient pipe width frequently results in low water pressure. Many old buildings have 12″ pipes, while newer ones have 34″. If you are in an older house, the fault may not be with the heater; instead, you might have to consider installing wider pipes to correct the situation.

Rusty Water

You are likely dealing with corrosion inside your tank if your water begins to reflect a murky rust color. The tank must be replaced to solve this complication. Before buying a new tank, flush the old one and change the anode rod to see if the issue is resolved. A deteriorating anode rod might be the problem.

Smelly Water

Bacteria in your boiler may be responsible if your water smells unpleasant. This is notably prevalent if the water is well-sourced. Flush the tank or heat water to its highest degree to eliminate all the bacteria. You can also clean it using chlorine bleach. However, if there is a rotten egg smell in the water, replace your anode rod, as this is a sign of failure.