A lack of hot water can be a very unwelcome surprise – whether you feel like you’re freezing your hands whenever you wash them or shivering in the shower, cold water isn’t always refreshing. If you’ve noticed that you have minimal to no hot water in your home, there could be a few reasons why this is the case.
Since your water heater is the source of the warm water, troubleshooting it should be your first step. There are a few areas you may need to check to find out the reason for no hot water.
1. Power Issues
One of the first steps you should take is to ensure that your water heater is actually on. For electric water heaters, a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse could mean that the heater is not receiving any power. Go to your electrical panel to see if you need to reset the power. Then check to see if the water heater has begun to work properly.
Gas-powered heaters, on the other hand, rely on a pilot light or ignition system to function. For older models, relighting the light may be sufficient to get it to start working again. However, for newer models that have an electronic ignition, you may need to call a plumbing service, like S&B Plumbing, to fix the problem.
2. Malfunctioning Heating Elements
If it seems that your heater is still getting power, but there still is no hot water, there may be a problem with the burner elements that are heating the water. In order to get hot water flowing again, it’s best to call a professional to see if any of the heating elements need replacement or if there is a gas issue to be addressed.
3. Thermostat Issues
No hot water coming out of your pipes could indicate that your thermostat is either malfunctioning or is not turned up enough. The average set temperature is about 120°F, so if your thermostat is below that, you may want to try bumping it up. However, if it’s set to an average temperature and you’re still not getting very hot water, you may need to get your thermostat repaired or replaced.
4. Sediment Build-Up
Over time – especially for areas that have harder water – mineral sediment can settle in the inner workings or at the bottom of your water heater. This can inhibit the heater from functioning properly and result in cooler or cold water. Getting regular maintenance to clean the sediment away can help your water heater work better to ensure you get hot water.
5. Broken Dip Tube
The dip tube is the part of your water heater that sends cold water to the bottom of the tank to heat it up. If the dip tube is not functioning properly, then this could send cold or lukewarm water out of your pipes. Plumbers can identify whether a broken dip tube is the problem and can easily replace it.
6. High Demand
If you’re getting no hot water, this isn’t necessarily an indicator that something is broken. Big families may end up using the water heater’s supply in a short period of time, not allowing the water heater to replenish fast enough. You can try spacing out hot water usage, like showers, laundry loads, or dishwashing cycles. If this still isn’t helping, consider investing in a larger water tank or tankless water heater so you can have on-demand heated water.
Call a Professional
After you have done some troubleshooting to assess the source of the issue, you may want to call professional services. If you have no hot water, plumbers like S&B Plumbing can help with diagnosing the cause and provide advice and services to get your water heater back to being functional. S&B provides top quality care to all of their clients, ensuring that they have working plumbing. Whether you need a water heater check-up, your sink unclogged, or your toilet repaired, we can help. Reach out today!
