There is no surviving the winter months without a trusty water heater. A water heater that stops working could spell disaster––no one wants to be taking cold showers in the middle of the winter season! So it’s important to keep an eye out for the health of your water heater and identify and troubleshoot potential issues in advance.Â
For this, you need to know some of the most common reasons for a water heater to stop working.
Why Is My Water Heater Not Working?
There are several reasons that your water heater could go silent on you, leaving you to shiver and tremble helplessly in the chilling cold water. Let’s look at these queries one by one.
Problems with the thermostat:
Before you jump to the conclusion that your water heater is broken, check your thermostat to see if it is at the right temperature and adjust if necessary. An ideal temperature would be between 120 and 140 Fahrenheit. If changing the thermostat does not change the warmth, the thermostat may be broken, and you may need to replace it with a new one.
Issues with heat supply:
There could be several reasons that your water heater is not supplying the required heat. These include a weak power or voltage supply, a faulty thermostat, and a faulty upper heating element. Check if the circuit wave has been tripped or if the fuse has blown over for the power issue. Also, check if the thermostat is receiving power supply properly.Â
Leaks:
A common reason for a faulty water heater is a leak. Leaks can occur due to excessive pressure, loose in-line valve, overheating, overhead or adjacent plumbing connection leak, loosening of heating element bolts, a bad gasket, leaks in the water tank, or even a stuck valve.
Damage to the pressure relief valve:
The pressure relief valve is designed to help maintain the pressure in the water tank by releasing excess pressure. Damage to this valve can cause leaks, in which case it is necessary to replace the pressure relief valve.
Cracked dip tube:Â
The dip tube is responsible for taking cold water to the tank’s base to be heated. You can reduce the water to be heated if there happens to be damage to the dip tube in the form of a crack or hole. As a result, cold water will get released prematurely in your showers and faucets.
Sediment buildup:
 Another common reason your water heater could stop providing hot water is the buildup and sedimentation of excess minerals over time. Minerals like calcium and magnesium can collect at the base of the water tank, taking up room meant for hot water to be stored. As a result, your supply of hot water will be cut short. Luckily, solving this is easy as all that needs to be done is flush the water heater to remove all the sedimentary particles.
Rust:
Rust and deterioration can affect different parts of the water heater, such as the water tank or the heater’s anode rod. A telltale sign of rust in your heater is the discoloration of the water. In such instances, you will need to call your nearest Water Heater Repair Carrollton, TX, to get it properly fixed or tuned up.
Always be sure to turn off the power by switching off the fuse or circuit breaker connected to the heating unit before starting any work on the heater yourself.
There could be several reasons for your water heater not heating water. Our expert Heater Services Carrollton, TX, can help you with just that if you need expert eyes to take a look. Just give us a call or book an appointment via our website ifetimezair.com and we’ll help you identify any issues with your water heater and fix it!