Common Water Heater Problems and Their Solutions

Water heaters are an important appliance to keep things civilized at the house. Although these appliances are usually reliable appliances, there are some troubles that arise occasionally which further lead to a lot of inconvenience for you. The common problems with water heaters such as when water not being heated, inadequate hot water, rust colored water, etc. need to be resolved by undertaking water heater repair. However, it is advised to hire professional technicians for the water heater repair instead of trying to do it yourself.

Some of The Common Problems with Water Heaters and The Ways to Repair Them:

#1. Water Not Getting Heated

This is the most common problem with a water heater. The method adopted to repair this defect is dependent on the type of water heater being used.

#2. Gas Water Heaters

In case of gas water heaters, you need to check whether the pilot light is on. It is a small flame at the end of the pilot gas supply tube. If the pilot light is off, the gas burner will not ignite and will fail to heat water. The reason for unlit pilot light may be a defective thermocouple. The thermocouple is a sensor which enables the gas to flow to the pilot light through the gas valve. A defective thermocouple needs to be replaced with a new one with the help of by enlisting the services of a professional technician. 

Water Heater Repair Service

Defective gas valve preventing the gas from reaching the pilot light and gas burner of the heater can be another reason for lack of hot water. The valve should be changed by a professional plumber because it involves the task of disconnecting the main gas supply line from the valve.

The rusted or damaged burner is another reason for lack of hot water. Such a burner assembly needs to be replaced with a new one to overcome the problem.

#3. Electric Water Heaters

The malfunctioning heating element does not produce heat and therefore, is the most common reason for water heater failure. In order to replace the heating element, the power to the circuit breaker needs to be turned off prior to removing the cover plates in order to get access to the heating element. Water needs to be drained off from the tank. By using a screwdriver and wrench, professionals remove the defective heating element and place a new one and tighten it using the wrench.

High temperature cutoff can also cause problems in water heating. In order to check the high temperature cutoff, you need to open the panel and press the reset button. The absence of power or a clicking sound on pressing the button indicates that the temperature cutoff is defective. In such cases,the service of an electric water heater repair professional is required.

Water Heater Repair

#4. Extremely Hot Water

If the water from the water heater is too hot to bear then the initial course of action should be to lower the temperature on the dial of the thermostat. You should note the present setting and turn the dial to a lower number. Thereafter, wait for about two hours and check whether the water temperature has gone down or not. If the problem persists, check for boiling sounds in the water and whether hot water shoots out of the faucet or not. If both are positive, it means that the temperature-pressure relief valve is defective and needs to be replaced.

#5. Hot Water with Bad Odor

Malodorous hot water can be produced due to the reaction between the anode rod of the heater and the sulphates present in the water. The water heater tank can be flushed to get rid of this problem. If the problem persists, the anode rod needs to be replaced with the help of a professional.