Water Heater Troubleshooting

Hot water heater repair can be something of a mixed bag. There are minor repairs that you can attempt for yourself if you know how to repair a water heater and there are problems that should only be handled by a licensed professional plumber. Some problems are rather inexpensive and some problems will require that a completely new water heater be installed. It is important to know what you are looking for and what your capabilities are when attempting to deal with any hot water heater repair.

Hot Water Heater Flush

Question: After having the hot water heater flushed, the washing machine will not fill with hot water. All other faucets are running hot water correctly just the washing machine on hot will not. Any suggestions?

The debris from your flush might have plugged the washer bib which you will need to be removed and replaced.

Each year thousands of gallons of cold water enters your hot water heater – carrying tiny amounts of sand, rust and dissolved minerals (sediment). You need to flush this sediment once per year, to improve the efficiency of your hot water heater, thus saving you money and extending the life of the water heater. This is a very simple process that anyone can do. If your hot water heater just doesn’t heat the water like the old days, or you hear popping sounds from your water heater, you may not need an expensive water heater repair, just a simple water heater flush.

Water Heater Leaking

Question: I am not sure when it began, but there is a new puddle in my utility room. I have traced the source to my hot water heater. I cannot tell where it is leaking from, what should I do?

If your hot water heater is leaking, there is no option but to replace the unit. A leaking water heater can be a very dangerous thing and our professional employees will be able to quickly remove your old water heater and replace it with a more energy efficient new model.

Did you know, that you can get an instant tax break from installing a new energy efficient water heater? Learn more here at the Energy Star website.

Not Enough Hot Water?

Question: Our hot water heater seems to be limiting the amount of hot water we have available to us. Previously, we could take 40 minutes of shwering without running out of hot water, now that seems to be down to 30 minutes of hot showers. Do I need a new hot water heater?

Not enough hot water, on the other hand, can be a little trickier to diagnose. A little detective work may be required to get to the bottom of this piece of hot water heater troubleshooting. Many hot water heaters share space with the laundry or furnace and it isn’t uncommon for the temperature setting to get bumped up or down while doing something else in this room. In this case, simply resetting your thermostat should take care of things.

Your water heater reservoir should hold at least fifteen gallons per household member. As your kids grow up or other relatives move in, a water heater tank that used to be more than sufficient may leave you cold. In this case, you can be vigilant about staggering the family’s shower schedule or replace the unit for one with a proper capacity. Calling in a licensed plumber will allow you to choose an energy efficient model that fits your needs that will be installed quickly and professionally according to local building codes.