There’s nothing worse than hopping into the shower to find you have no hot water in your home. Assuming no one in your home has been hogging the hot water, you may have an issue with your water heater.
If you’ve been noticing a decline in the availability of your hot water, you may need to consider water heater repair. Keep reading to learn what to do if you have no hot water in your home.
- Inspect Your Hot Water Tank
You may have no hot water in your house but it could be a simple fix.
First, ensure that your heater is the right size for your water needs.
Water heaters come in many different sizes. Units for household use range between 30 and 80 gallons on average. Smaller sizes are perfect for a single-person home while bigger families will need larger units.
Next, is the thermostat at the right temperature? The ideal range is between 122° and 140°F. Not only will a heater below this range cause hot water deficits, but it can be dangerous, too.
Listen to your unit. Is your water heater making noise? Take note of any sounds you hear so you can relay information to your plumber. Popping or cracking can indicate a mineral build-up.
If your unit is gas-powered, check to see if the pilot light is still on. If the light is not lit, you’ll need to re-ignite it to get hot water back to your home.
Is there water leaking from the tank? This is a plumbing emergency and means the heater needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
- Check the Weather
It’s not unusual for areas with cold snaps to experience water heater problems.
Even the most efficient units can struggle in cold temperatures. The weather outside will determine how fast your unit can heat the water for your home. Folks in warmer climates may even find their water heaters’ efficiency lacking in the winter.
It may be that you’ll have to ride out the cold temperatures and then insulate your unit.
- Inspect Your Circuit Breaker
The problem might not be with your hot water tank at all. Check your home’s circuit breaker box to determine if the breaker for your water heater was tripped.
Your unit will need its own 240-volt electrical circuit that only serves the heater and no other appliance. Water heaters have a high-power demand so they need to be on their own circuit to prevent accidental trips.
It’s easy to determine if your water heaters breaker has been tripped. The breaker will not be in line with the others in your circuit box.
- Call in the Pros
You don’t want to mess around when it comes to a broken water heater. These units are expensive so the less you try to DIY your repairs, the better. A local plumbing company can come to inspect your appliance to determine what the issue is and why you’re not getting hot water.
No Hot Water No More
There are few things as frustrating as a homeowner than having no hot water when you need it. Our tips above will help ensure you can have all the hot showers you desire when you desire them.
Keep reading our blogs for more home improvement tips.