If you have ever had hot water suddenly stop working for you when you need it, you know the feeling that comes with having to figure out what is wrong.
If you are having this happen to you for the first time or need a refresher on what to do when this happens, then you have found the right place. We will go in-depth on all the possible problems, and help you solve your problem as quickly as possible so you can get back to having hot water again.
Reasons Behind No Hot Water
The reasons behind no hot water abound and knowing all the different causes among the different types of water heaters will help you know what to look for if you notice a big change in your hot water quantity and quality.
Electric Water Heaters Problems
Faulty Heating Element
If you aren’t receiving any hot water, it could be due to a defective heating element. This device is supposed to turn on and off to regulate temperature.
Whether due to dirt buildup or poor wiring, a faulty heating element will not be able to heat your hot water as you need it to. You’ll want to get this replaced if you find this is the cause of your water not heating up.
Faulty Thermostat
A broken thermostat can also cause a water heater to stop heating water. If the thermostat is not working, it is unable to regulate the water temperature and is unable to instruct the system on when to turn on hot water.
You can tell if your thermostat is broken if it tells you the water temperature is hot enough when it actually isn’t hot at all.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
If your circuit breaker keeps getting tripped, it won’t be able to heat up the water. Try resetting the breaker to see if that fixes the issue.
If your circuit breaker repeatedly gets tripped just moments after resetting it, it could mean there’s an issue with your water heater (either the thermostat or the heating element).
It could also be another device in the house tripping it off or simply that the circuit breaker is old or faulty.
Gas Water Heater Problems
No Gas Supply
This is a common problem when it comes to no hot water in gas water heaters. If you have a gas water heater and you find yourself only receiving cold water, it could be the gas supply. It’s possible that it happened to get turned off, or it could be that the valve itself is defective.
Pilot Light is Out
The pilot light is the physical flame that is conducted to heat up the water. If your pilot light doesn’t stay lit (whether due to sediment buildup or faulty parts), it is physically unable to heat up the water supply. So, if you find that you don’t have any hot water, this could be the reason why.
Thermocouple
The thermocouple’s job is to signal the gas valve to open. When this device is compromised or faulty, it can’t signal the gas valve to open, preventing the pilot light from staying lit. If there is dirt buildup, you can try cleaning it out to fix the issue. If it’s bent, you can try to realign it with the pilot light.
Air in Line
In some cases, air can get into your water line. This can happen when water lines get shut off for maintenance when methane gas sneaks in (don’t worry, it’s in low amounts and generally is harmless to water supply), or in cases when the well isn’t deep enough due to low water levels.
If the air seems to be coming from hot water pipes only, though, it means that the air is in your water heater. This happens when the heater hasn’t been purged for quite a while, allowing air and sediment to build up. This can restrict the heat from being able to properly heat up the water.
Air usually replenishes within a few hours but if this seems to be a regularly occurring issue, then you will need to purge your water heater to get rid of the excess air.
Clogged Pilot Orifice
Your pilot orifice may be unable to hold a flame due to clogging, causing your water heater to be unable to heat the water. This is a common case when the water heater and parts aren’t cleaned regularly.
Sediment and particles in the water build up and adhere to the surfaces in the water heater. So if your pilot orifice has dirt and sediment clogging it, it will not be able to hold a flame or heat your water.
Clogged, Bent, or Defective Supply Line
If the gas supply line is clogged, bent, or defective, it won’t be able to send gas to the pilot light and therefore, will be unable to heat your water.
If the system is clogged, you can get it cleaned by a plumber by taking the parts off to clean its buildup by hand.
If it is bent, you may be able to bend it back in order to align it correctly but be careful when trying too. If the bend is unable to be fixed or if the piping is defective, you will need to get those parts replaced.
Defective Gas Control Valve
As one can figure out, the role of the gas control valve is to control the sending of gas. The gas gets sent to the pilot light and burner. If the thermocouple sends an electric current to the gas valve to turn it on or turn it off, the gas valve must obey that signal.
If your gas control valve is not functioning properly, though, it may either keep the gas running at all times or not turn it on at all. This could be a risky situation and should be addressed as soon as possible if you suspect the gas control valve is the issue.
Dirty or Clogged Burner
As with many parts that get sediment buildup, if a part is covered and clogged with dirt and mineral particles, it is likely that it will cause your water heater to not function as effectively or efficiently.
The same goes with a clogged burner. Sediment build-up on the burner will make it harder for the heat from the pilot light to transfer to the water, therefore not supplying you with hot water. You can clean this by taking the burner out (after shutting off the power and gas and letting the water cool) and scrubbing it gently with an abrasive cloth or sandpaper.
Other Causes of Hot Water Not Working
Accidental Grounding
Grounding is the intentional connection of a current-carrying conductor to Earth. Basically – it prevents hazards that could arise (such as circuit breaks or leaking) by balancing the voltage, keeping you safe from electrical shock. If there is sediment or other stray objects adhered to the wires, it may prevent the power from being able to reach the heating element, causing your water heater to not work properly.
Tripped Reset Button
Water heaters have an emergency cut-off precaution, which functions to shut the entire product down entirely if your water heater rises higher than the max 180℉ setting. Try to reset the system to see if it gets tripped again. If so, then this means there is a fault with a part in your water heater, and should get checked out right away by a professional.
Shorted Wire
A short wire in your water heater can cause the water heater to not work properly. It can make it difficult for power to transfer to instruct the water heater parts to do their jobs. Your water heater may continue to chug along as best as possible, but the sooner you can get this issue resolved, the better because it can eventually stop working or cause damage to the heating elements.
It is also a good idea to get it fixed as soon as possible because water and electricity don’t mix, and it could pose a potential threat to your safety (very low chance, though, due to other precautions such as the grounding in your water heater).
Water Leak
One of the most common dilemmas when it comes to water heaters is leakage. Depending on how old the tank is, the integrity of the parts, and how well it’s maintained, leaks can be even more likely to occur. If your water heater is leaking, it can cause a loss of hot water and restrict the flow.
It is unlikely that the water heater will stop functioning altogether, but it is possible for it to make way for other issues to emerge. If your water heater is leaking, you want to get that taken care of right away to avoid flood damage and prevent other parts of the water heater to stop functioning as well.
Undersized Fuse or Breaker
It could be possible that your water heater isn’t working simply because your fuse box doesn’t have the capacity to do all the work you need it to do. Keeping a water heater heating water can take a bit of power and that, plus everything else that uses electricity, can overload your breaker if it isn’t an adequate size.
You may be more likely to encounter fuse shortages, which can be hard on your appliances, including water heaters. If this is the issue for you, you will need to either downsize your electricity use or upgrade your fuse box to a greater capacity.
Weak Breaker
If your fuse box is too small or if it is damaged and weak, it will be unable to consistently and effectively keep your electronic appliances running.
It will likely get tripped constantly, and cause repetitive shutdown and startups of your appliances, which can be hard on them and decrease their lifespan. A poor or faulty breaker needs to be addressed and fixed as soon as possible to avoid causing further damage to your home and appliances.
Reasons Why Water May Not Be Hot Enough
Check Thermostats
The thermostat is a device that instructs your water heater to turn on or turn off your water heater. If this is broken or malfunctioned, it may be telling your water heater to stop heating the water because it is registering that the water is already hot enough when in reality, it is not.
If it is working though, you can try raising the temperature to see if that helps. Just be sure not to raise it past 140℉, which can increase scalding, and can eventually cause other issues with your water heater.
Inspect The Burner
If your water isn’t getting warm enough or if it doesn’t stay hot for very long, it could be because there’s an issue with the burner. While it is possible that it could be due to a broken burner, the more likely culprit is the sediment and dirt buildup that may be caked onto the burner.
You will want to access the control panel to inspect whether this is the issue. If so, simply take an abrasive cloth or sandpaper and gently wipe the buildup to clean it. This should help your water heat up quicker and provide a longer supply of water.
Examine Dip Tube
The dip tube is a thin plastic tube that is inserted through the cold water inlet. It allows the hot water to pass through without mixing with the cold water. If this dip tube falls off or is compromised, it can allow cold water to mix with hot water, resulting in water that may not be hot enough for what it needs to be used for. You will need to get this replaced; luckily, unlike many other water heater parts, the dip tube is not nearly as costly to replace nor as time-consuming.
Loose Wiring
Having loose wiring can cause multiple issues and is a fire hazard. The loose wiring will cause the thermostat to trip and stop heating water, causing water because of the loose wire heating up more than it is supposed to.
While the thermostat may trip and stop heating the water, the loose wire may still heat up more and cause other issues with an electrical fire or tripping your breaker.
Tank Leak
When your tank is leaking, it will cause a puddle to form; if you have a puddle formed on the ground, you are losing more heat from your tank, causing the water heater to try to heat up water continuously.
In trying to heat up water more, the leak will end up leaking more and more over time, causing more issues than just having colder water than you are used to.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the biggest causes for hot water heaters not working is a good way to check and diagnose the problem.
In being able to diagnose the problem, you are able to do a quick fix yourself or help the professional you hire to have an idea of what they are walking into and help them fix your problem faster, which gets your hot water back quicker as well as easing the burden of the issues that the water heater caused.
