Some of the more common emergency calls that we deal with are when hot water heaters stop supplying hot water to the taps in a home. It’s understandable that people want to have a problem like this repaired as soon as possible: there are just too many basic day-to-day tasks that require hot water.
For professionals, the tricky part of repairing a broken water heater is locating the source, since there are a number of different causes for a system that stops producing hot water. Below, we’ve listed a few of the more common ones. However, this isn’t a “do-it-yourself” help guide: you must have trained technicians for the repairs—especially for a gas-powered water heater!
- Failed pilot light/ignition: Older gas water heaters use a standing pilot light to ignite the burners, while newer ones have an electronic ignition system. If the pilot light goes out or the ignition fails, then there will be no heat applied to the tank.
- Gas line leak: With gas water heaters, a leak along the gas line could result in the heater losing power. This is a serious problem and potentially hazardous, so if you notice a “rotten egg” smell around the heater, call plumbers right away.
- Burnt-out heating elements: This is one of the more frequent troubles in electrical water heaters. The heating elements inside the tank transfer heat directly to the water, and if one or more burns out, it will result in a drop or total loss of hot water. Repair technicians will need to drain the tank and replace the broken elements.
- Excess sediment: Impurities in the water entering the tank will often leave sediment along the tank floor. If this continues, it will insulate the tank against the heat from the heating elements, and the water will not warm up. Technicians can fix this by flushing the tank.
Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. handles repairs for water heaters in Winter Springs, FL.