One of the worst feelings is stepping into a shower–only to find out there’s cold water pouring out. Without reliable hot water, you can’t shower, wash your dishes, or carry out any number of other activities that involve water. Here are a couple reasons as to why the hot water may not be hot enough.
There are two types of hot water heaters, gas and electric. Both can have issues with the water not being hot enough.
Electric Water Heater– If you have an electric water heater, the most common cause of water that isn’t hot enough are failed heating elements inside the tank. Notice a drop in the temperature of your water? Don’t wait it out. This means that one of those heating elements may have burned out and if the other ones goes, you’ll be stuck with cold water. It’s also important to note that these heating elements can lose their power because of a tripped circuit breaker or even a fuse that has blown.
Gas Water Heater– Gas water heaters have a burner unit that is just below the tank and contains gas jets which ignite that transfer heat to the water in the tank. Now, if the burner becomes dirty or corrode then this becomes an issue. It’ll have a difficult time drawing the oxygen to ignite. If this happens, soon the jets won’t come on and the water in the tank won’t heat up. Lastly, if the standing pilot light or the electric ignition system fails then the burner won’t ignite.
Preventative Maintenance
Most people forget about their water heater until there’s a problem with it. However, neglecting for too long can mean that you’ll have to replace it sooner than later. Every year the homeowner should be flushing out their hot water tank and examining the anode rod to ensure that it’s intact and in the right position. Luckily, you’ll only need to add insulation and set the temperature once.
If you’re having issues with your hot water heater and need a water heater repair, contact the team at AAC Services today!
