A water heater is one of the essential home appliances. Since it is put to use almost every single day, it’s no surprise that problems can occur quickly. Luckily, most of these issues can be solved without breaking the bank. Although you could tackle some of these problems yourself, if you feel unsure about it, it’s best to call professional help. Here are some issues you might face and how to fix them:
There’s no hot water
No hot water is probably the number one problem you might encounter. In such a case it is not working since its primary energy source is not producing heat. These energy sources are usually gas or electricity. Although these two types of heater look almost the same, fixing those problems will be entirely different depending on which one you have. A first indicator that a water heart runs on gas is a duct, similar to a chimney because a gas heater needs to vent combustion gasses to the outdoors.
On the other hand, electric heaters don’t have these pipes, but they do have electrical hookups inside that connect to circuit breakers. The first thing you should do when it comes to a malfunction is to check whether the circuit breaker has tripped. You need to switch it off, remove the access panel, insulation and safety guards for the heating element, and replace them afterward. After that, turn on the circuit breaker.
Not Enough Hot Water
Water heaters often won’t produce enough hot water for your demands. Sometimes it is because your household demands exceed the capacity of the heater. In such a case, you might think about getting a bigger one, or limiting and shortening your showers.
When it comes to this issue, you should first check the dial on the front of the heater, and adjust the temperature. If after a while you still don’t have enough hot water, you could test the temperature-pressure relief valve. Lift and lower the handle, which should drain the water from the pipe. The main purpose of this valve is to prevent the pressure from building up in the heater. You could also flush the tank to get rid of the minerals which hinder the heater’s power. If all of this doesn’t work, try getting help from professionals like Dylsal Plumbing, who can easily detect your problem and solve it in no time.
Water is too hot
When the water running from the faucet is too hot, the first thing to do is to check the thermostat on the heater. Turn it down a notch and after a couple of hours, check whether the temperature has changed. If everything’s the same, the appliance probably isn’t turning off at the set temperature, which could mean that the temperature-pressure relief valve might be broken, or not correctly installed. You should lower the heater’s temperature and wait until the water cools down, and then replace the valve. If you don’t do this, the heater could rupture and scald you with steam and hot water.
Water is discolored and smells bad
If you can sense a strange smell or discoloration in hot water, it doesn’t have to mean it is due to the heater. First, check the water source. If the cold water also smells, then you don’t have a problem with a heater, but with minerals like iron and copper that cause these issues. If you only have this problem with hot water, then you try flushing the water heater tank. If this doesn’t solve the problem, then your next step would be to replace the anode rod. In such cases, it is best advised to seek professional help.
Having a water heating system is a necessity nowadays. However, most of us take it for granted and start noticing it only once a problem occurs. Regular checkups are the key to avoiding any surprises. After all, prevention is better than cure!
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