Home Water Heater Troubleshooting
Your home water heater has some important maintenance information listed on its nameplate, such as the capacity of the tank, how much room must be left between the heater and combustible materials and the R-value of the unit's insulation. A poorly insulated water heater can affect the temperature of the water being delivered through the house. If your tank has an R-value less than seven, you need to wrap insulation around the tank. Does this Spark an idea?
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No Hot Water
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A hot water heater that is no longer delivering hot water is the worst case scenario. Troubleshooting this problem can lead to one of several relatively simple fixes. The first step is to make sure you haven't blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker. If you have a gas water heater, make sure the pilot light hasn't gone out. When the pilot light won't stay lit, the thermocoupler may need to be replaced.
Water Not Hot Enough or Not Enough Hot Water
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When the water is either not hot enough or the supply is less than adequate, the first step of your troubleshooting should be to make sure that the capacity of the heater is large enough for your household's use. Another source of these two problems is too much demand for hot water throughout the house all at once. Making sure that the dishwasher, clothes washer and a shower aren't running at the same time may be enough to solve your problem.
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Replacing the Heating Element
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Becoming familiar with the heating element inside your water heater will also come in handy for troubleshooting problems with low water temperature. In addition to reading the manufacturer's manual, you should turn off the power so you can open up the tank and access the elements before it becomes an emergency issue. Replacing a faulty heating element is not a quick job, but it is well within the scope of the average homeowner.
Water Too Hot
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A water heater that is providing too much heat can be easily resolved by lowering the setting on the thermostat. The thermostat could also be the culprit if it is not mounted properly. Remounting the thermostat is a process of removing the cut-off label, disconnecting the wires to the thermostat, loosening the bolts to the mounting bracket then repositioning the device so that it is flush with the heater's wall.
Noisy Water Heater
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The problem with a noisy hot water heater depends on whether it's electric or gas. A gas heater that makes a popping sound most likely has a problem with gas pressure, in which case it should be inspected by a technician from the gas company. An electric water heater that suddenly becomes noisy may need to be drained of built-up sediment in the tank, or the heating element may need to be cleaned due to mineral accumulation.
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References
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