Your water heater has a major impact on the health, comfort, and usability of your Archbold, OH home. Lacking a consistent hot water supply, residents can’t enjoy long, steamy showers or take relaxing baths. Problems like diminished hot water quality, insufficient hot water, and lower water pressure are major inconveniences. The following are six common water heater issues along with tips for resolving them.
1. No Hot Water
If you turn your hot water taps on and cold water gushes out, your water heater might have a faulty power supply. To troubleshoot the issue, start by checking and resetting its circuit breaker. When power surges or other short-term electrical faults trip circuit breakers, homeowners can simply reset them to turn their water heaters back on. However, repeated circuit breaker trips could indicate potentially serious electrical hazards, and they often require professional intervention.
Your water heater might trip its circuit breaker due to:
- Heavy sediment buildups
- Overheating
- Electrical overloading
- Faulty wiring
- Thermostat errors
- Damaged heating elements
In some cases, the problem lies with the breaker itself.
If your circuit breaker box is warm to the touch or making buzzing sounds, schedule service. You should also contact a professional whenever your circuit breaker trips repeatedly.
Gas Supply Line Problems
If you have a gas-fired water heater, the issue could lie with your gas supply or your water heater’s exhaust system. If you have an older gas water heater, check its pilot light. The pilot flame should be on and bright blue at all times. Orange or yellow pilot flames mean that the unit is no longer burning gas completely.
Gas suppliers add mercaptan to natural gas. This gives it a distinctive rotten-egg smell and makes it easy to detect. Catching a whiff of rotten eggs or rotten cabbage near gas-fired appliances always indicates trouble. In the event of a potential gas line leak, exit the building, report the issue to your utility company, and schedule water heater service immediately.
Gas water heaters route the byproducts of incomplete combustion out of homes via their venting systems. Carbon monoxide (CO) gas is one of these byproducts. If your water heater’s exhaust vent has collapsed or if it has a blockage, your water heater will shut itself off as a safety precaution. During service, your provider will inspect your water heater’s exhaust vent and test your CO alarms.
2. Insufficient Hot Water
If you have a standard, tank-based water heater and have less hot water than you need, your water heater’s tank might be too small for your household. This is especially true if you’ve recently added new household members or new plumbing-connected appliances. Installing a new dishwasher or a larger washing machine can definitely impact your water heating needs.
If your hot water usage hasn’t changed and you still don’t have enough hot water, your water heater might have a faulty lower heating element. Heavy sediment buildups on tank bottoms can also decrease hot water supplies. In this case, you need professional water heater maintenance.
3. Foul-Smelling, Off-Tasting, or Discolored Hot Water
Rust-colored water indicates rust formation in the interior of your water heater. With severe rusting, water heaters are often ready for replacement. However, if you have rust-colored water that smells like rotten eggs and tastes off, this could be an indication of bacterial growth. Whenever you have concerns about your water quality, schedule service right away.
4. Low Water Pressure
Low water pressure is a common indication of buildup from hard water minerals. These minerals create corrosion, sediment on tank bottoms, and scale buildups in supply pipes. A professional might solve the problem with water heater maintenance. But if scale buildups have already undermined the integrity of multiple components, you may need a new water heater instead.
5. Loud, Jarring Sounds
Standard water heaters make loud, jarring sounds when they have heavy sediment buildups on their tank bottoms. As trapped water beneath this sediment heats up, it makes cracking, popping, and banging sounds. By scheduling water heater service and having professionals flush this sediment out, you can extend the lifespan of your water heater. You’ll also enjoy quiet, non-disruptive performance.
6. Water Is Too Hot
Scalding water may mean that your thermostat is set too high. The ideal temperature setting for water heaters is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. In some instances, homeowners can safely set water heater temperatures as high as 140 degrees Fahrenheit. But if your hot water’s temperature rises above this, your water heater may have a faulty thermostat or a faulty heating element.
Schedule Professional Water Heater Service Now!
At Fraas Heating & Cooling, we do water heater service right. We use cutting-edge diagnostic tools and stand behind our work with solid guarantees. We service gas and electric water heaters and both standard and tankless models. If you need a water heater repair in Archbold, get in touch with Fraas Heating & Cooling now!
