Water Heater Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Water Heaters

Water Heater Troubleshooting

Gas or Electric Heater Fails to Heat Water

If your gas heater isn't getting the water up to the right temperature try the following simple steps:

• Check that the gas is switched on. Take off the metal cover from the bottom of the heater and see if the burner or pilot light is lit.
• If the pilot light is not lit, relight it. If not, reset it and turn on the hot water tap for a couple of minutes to check if the burner ignites.
• If it's the burner lights, put back the cover and set the thermostat to a suitable temperature. However, if it doesn't ignite, stop all water heater troubleshooting activities and get an expert repair person to look at it.
• If you detect a garlicky smell, turn the gas valve control to 'off'.
• If the smell of gas is strong and doesn't diminish, turn the gas supply valve off straightaway, open windows and doors and leave the building.
• If your Electric Water Heater isn't getting the water up to the required temperature it means that the power supply to the heater has been interrupted or you have a problem with heating elements or controls.

Look at the water heater's main switch and check the circuit breaker serving the heater. If the circuit breaker has been tripped, you can easily troubleshoot the water heater. Contact an electric water heater repair person.

If there is a water leak then you'll have to replace the heater and no amount of water heater troubleshooting will save it!

If you know what you're doing with this type of repair, troubleshoot the water heater yourself by following the manufacturer's instructions on how to replace heating elements. Otherwise, contact an electric water heater expert.

Remember, if these steps for troubleshooting your water heater don't work, contact an expert in heater plumbing problems because it's better to be safe than sorry!

Electric Water Heater Troubleshooting

When your electric water heater is not heating properly chances are that it could be an element. If the meter does not move then you have found the problem, turn off the water supply, and relieve the pressure by opening a hot water faucet until it stops running. The water will normally just glug out. Tighten the new element, attach the wires. Normally if you have hot water and it runs out quickly it is usually the bottom element that is bad, if you it takes longer to get hot water than normal and its partially warm then, it is the bottom element. 

If you your elements are good the next place to look is your thermostats, only one thermostat powers at a time on a heater with an upper and lower element, with the power and water still on, run the hot water for 10 minutes, check the power going to each element, try turning the upper thermostat off, and the bottom thermostat on all the way. The bottom element should receive power. Now the last major problem is the dip tube. A dip tube is usually a plastic tube about three to four feet long by about 1/2 inch in diameter, and is on the cold water side, it takes the cold water cold water to the bottom to be heated, where the hot water side draws off the top.

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