So your water heater has gone out. Water heater problems are not uncommon for this time of year. When the weather starts to cool, the water heater must work harder to heat water that eventually comes through the taps. Common water heater problems occur most often as the weather begins to cool. The most common water heater problems & their repairs are:

What do you do when your water is not hot? What if the pilot light of your gas water heater has gone out? Tank-type water heaters are fairly simple. Each component is important but most repairs can be made without costing a fortune.  If you have an electric water heater, a few things should be checked:

Common electric water heater problems that cause your electric unit to stop working are pretty straight forward.This may seem obvious but first check for a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse. Next, check if power is being supplied to the electric water heating element thermostat. When the water’s not hot enough, you could have a faulty heating element or thermostat. When you have no hot water to your water heater, the heating elements are usually bad and need replacement. It may also be an issue with the limit/reset switch on the thermostat. It may have tripped due to the water being way too hot or simply failed and needs replacement. There are only a couple of reasons an electric water heater stopped working and an experienced water heater plumber like Duncan Plumbing knows how to quickly & accurately diagnose a water heater issue.

Common gas water heater problems include water leaking from the top of the water heater or water leaking from the bottom of the water heater. For no hot water, the first thing to check is the gas flow. Make sure the pilot is on and does ignite the gas. If not, the thermocouple may need replacing on your gas water heater. If your gas water heater has an electronic ignition switch, make sure to check the breaker box.

A faulty thermostat or a broken dip tube could also be the cause of not enough hot water.

If your pilot light will not light or if the pilot light will not stay lit, the thermocouple needs to be checked and possibly replaced. Other possibilities include a bad gas valve or partially clogged vent which can cause downdrafts that blow out the pilot light.

Other common water heater problems & repairs include things like discolored water. Rust or any discolored water is usually a bad anode rod or corrosion of the tank. Replacing the anode rod is easy to do and can add years to your water heater.

If the water is not rusty but dirty or discolored, it may be because of scale build-up on the heating elements or sediment that’s making its way into the hot water outlet. You should have your water heater descaled every year as part of regular water heater maintenance & service.

When the water smells, you have bacteria that has developed in the tank. Well water is a prime example of water that is susceptible to bacteria. You simply must flush your water heater regularly to avoid bacteria that makes your water smell. Flushing your water heater regularly will stop that rotten-egg smell that comes from bacteria in the water heater tank. You may also want to change the anode rod to get rid of the sulfur smell coming from your water heater. Raising the temperature to above 140 will also kill off some of the bacteria.

Need to hire a plumber for water heater repair? If you need professional water heater repair or a new water heater in Waxahachie or Midlothian call Duncan Plumbing Solutions 972-937-0040 today!

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