DIY Plumbing Water Heaters Hot Water Heater Problems That You Can Fix
Hot Water Heater Problems That You Can Fix Print E-mail
Written by Jake   

Hot Water Heater

Hot water heater problems seem to come at the most inopportune times, such as during a shower! Hot water heater problems are not as difficult to handle as you might think. See also hot water heater efficiency tips to save you money.

Common electric hot water heater problems and repairs

Warning: Your electric water heater is a 240 volt appliance. The shock it can produce can be fatal. Turn off the power at the service panel before beginning work. Be sure to label the service panel with tape that will alert family members you are working on the electricity.
  • Hard water contaminants can build up over time: This can create a layer of sediment on the bottom of the water tank. This hinders the heater’s performance and shortens its life. Slow down this process by softening the hard water and lowering the temperature to 130 degrees.
  • Not enough water: Push the reset button on the high-temperature cutoff. Test the thermostats and replace them, if they are not working. Test the heating element. Replace it if it is faulty.
  • Not enough hot water: Adjust the thermostat settings. Reset and then test the replaced thermostats or heating elements.
  • Water is too hot: Adjust the thermostat settings and reset. Test and replace the thermostat or high-limit cutoff.
  • Leaky heater: Check the pressure relief valve. If leak continues, replace the valve. Tighten the mounting bolts on the heating element gasket. Replace gasket, if needed.
  • Rusty tank: Replace the water heater.
  • Noisy heater: Drain and flush the tank. Replace damaged or scale-encrusted elements.
  • Dirty water: Drain and flush the tank. Do this on a regular basis to extend the life of your electric water heater. If drain valve leaks, tighten or replace.

Common gas hot water heater problems and repairs:

Warning: If you smell a gas odor for more than a couple of minutes, close the gas-shutoff valve that supplies water to the heater. Open a door or window to ventilate the room. Call the gas company immediately.
  • Not large enough: If your water heater holds less than 15 gallons of water per family member, you should consider purchasing a larger unit or staggering the use of the hot water within the family.
  • No hot water: Check to see if pilot light is out. Relight it if it is.
  • Pilot light won’t stay lit: Clean the pilot orifice, tighten the thermocouple connections and/or replace a faulty thermocouple.
  • Not enough hot water: Check and reset the temperature controls.
  • Water is too hot: Check and reset temperature control. If too high, have the thermostat professionally serviced.
  • Water leaks: Operate the pressure relief valve. If leak continues and the temperature is okay, replace the valve.
  • Rusty tank: Replace the water heater.
  • Noisy heater: Drain and flush the tank and refill.
  • Dirty hot water: Drain and flush the tank and refill.
  • Relief valve or drain valve leaks: Replace if needed.

You do not have to run out and purchase a new hot water heater for hot water heater problems. Consider these simple hot water heater problems and repairs before venturing out to purchase a new one.

Comments (104)
  • |2009-06-09 20:30:50 stb  - my apt only
    Why does everyone elses hot water work now in all 5 suites in my apt except mine. The hot water tank was replaced, everyone else has hot water except me.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-10-20 21:41:49 Jim  - Hot Water Runs Cold A Long Time Before Hot
    I recently purchased an older house that has a nine year old gas water heater. It seems to be working fine, in that the pilot is on and the outside of the tank is warm to the touch. But it literally takes 4 - 5 minutes for the water to run hot from any faucet in the house. In other words, I waste 4 - 5 minutes worth of cold running water before I get hot water to come out of the faucet. I turned the thermostat all the way up, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. What might be causing this and how can I repair it?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-06-10 18:43:24 Cari W  - Same problem - Exhast Blower comes on, but gas doe
    I am having the same problem with mine as well. I have had the service tech out several times and I still have the same problem. They now think its a "venting issue".

    Sometimes, it won't light even after I have reset it. I think its getting too much air and its blowing the burner out.

    If anyone has any ideas that would be wonderful becuase I really don't want to spend more money on this.

    Thanks!
    Cari
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-02-28 12:39:46 spratley  - gas hot water heater
    what's the best method for cleaning flute inside hot water heater
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-02-28 14:13:39 Gman  - Best Way To Clean Out Hot Water Heater
    Hello Spratley,

    Turn the gas/electric off to the water heater (you can sometimes get away with turning the heat way down so pilot light does not go out). Leave the cold water supply valve on to the heater. Hook a hose up to the boiler drain on the water heater and turn the valve on. Turn the handle back and forth; there will be grit in the valve assembly and you need to establish good flow before shutting the cold water inlet valve off to the heater.

    Once established, shut the cold water inlet valve off. THEN, go around and open all hot side ONLY valves in your home so you can break vaccum and allow the hot water to drain from the tank. That boiler drain off the tank is the lowest point of your potable water system so you need to allow it to drain completely out.

    10-25 minutes is the norm for proper draining; you should be able to "shake" the tank to determine it is completely empty. Just because it stops draining does not mean it is empty most times.....usually dir...
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-03-16 15:18:18 John  - elect. Hot water heater element
    Which element is suppose to heat first the top element or the bottom one?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-03-25 13:54:59 Rick  - Reset thermostat?
    I have a few questions.

    #1 How do you reset the thermostat?
    #2 Does the heater run off an internal thermostat?
    #3 Does it make sense to empty your tank and put CLR or someone chemical in to clean the tank out?

    Thanks
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-03-25 13:59:53 Gmf  - (a) reset thermostat
    Rick,

    Answer #1 and #2

    Most electric hot water heaters have two thermostats, one near the top of the tank and one near the bottom, and are covered by removable metal cover plates. The thermostats are pressed firmly against the bare metal wall of the hot water heaters tank.

    The top thermostat usually has a high limit switch that will trip if the water gets too hot. When it trips it shuts off the electricity to both the upper and lower heating elements.

    To reset the high limit switch there is usually a red button that you must press. When the upper limit switch trips it is often an indication that something else has gone wrong with the heater.

    Answer #3

    No need, just follow the advice previously stated in the above article and article comments.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-03-31 05:20:36 Anthony  - Electric water is not making hot water
    My electric hot water had a bad element only one side was getting hot I change it out and It showing that it's getting power but my water is not getting hot also if the vales on the water heater is going up and down is it in the open state? P.S. please help !!!
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-02-05 00:05:11 Anonymous  - re: no hot water
    kebin2 wrote:
    we just brought a new hot water heater and we changed the top element three times. We drained all the air out of the tank by letting the fauclts run until all the air was gone and still no hot water. someone please help!!!!!!!!!
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-04-07 18:40:50 Laura  - gas hot water tank has pipe that leak water???
    Hi,

    We just moved into our place (with a new hot water tank) and when ever we turn on the hot water (shower, dishwasher etc). Water pours out of the tank and down a pipe into a drain in the floor. Is this suppose to happen? It seems like alot of waste?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-04-08 07:06:53 Gmf  - re:gas hot water tank has pipe tat leaks water
    Laura,

    You have something defective and it could be a number of things from over heating, to a T&P valve. I strongly recommend you have a professional take a look at it because it appears the previous install is not correct.

    If you have a brand new hot water tank this should be a free service check as part of your warranty / installation. Check with the installers.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-04-25 09:55:15 Kathleen  - Help over the Weekend
    We live remote so no plumbers til Monday
    We went on vacation and are now back And no hot water.
    Before we left we shut off water supply, drained all the water lines to the house and in the house to avoid freezing, antifreezed, brker to HW etc.
    All water lines are good and no winter problems occured while we were gone.
    Now the hot water tank is a different situation.
    These are our start up steps for HW.
    Turn on water supply
    Fill tank
    Turn on breaker
    Bleed all taps
    With a electrical tester I can see power going to both upper and lower heaters. No heating noise from the tank
    NO HOT WATER^&%&$%$&^&)()_!!!
    Thanks
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-05-03 18:36:00 Tim McCoy  - Gas Hot Water Heater Mystery anyone?
    Moved into this house 10 years ago and have had this hot water problem mystery since then. No one, including our very experienced plumber has been able to figure it out. The mystery is that we only have hot water after we have used a great amount of hot water beforehand. We have to run the dishwasher every night at bed time to have hot but usually just warm water to shower in the morning. Our water is hottest AFTER doing several loads of laundry. We live in the country, have a drilled well and a new water pump. We replaced the hot water heater to only have the same problem continue. The hot water heater is fueled by propane gas.
    Anyone have any ideas what our problem is? We would love to have a hot shower one day.
    Thanks.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-05-06 07:53:05 jen  - gas water heater mystery
    only ideas i have make sure the gas is being regulated correctly therefore heating the water when it is supposed to and that the temp is set around 130 on the water heater.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-05-28 23:46:20 NR  - Gas Water Heater's Panel Gets Really Hot but the W
    A month ago, the pilot light wouldn't stay lit. Searches online led me to replace the thermocouple. The pilot light stays lit and we now have hot water again.

    However, I noticed that the water was not as hot as it used to be. When I went to increase the temperature on the gas cock, I noticed the temperature knob was quite hot. The area around the pilot light, especially the outer panel that covers the thermocouple and pilot, seem to be much warmer than I remember. It isn't hot throughout the day, but whenever we use hot water (washing machine, shower, etc.) the water heater comes alive and the knob and surrounding area gets really hot.

    I don't recall the temperature knob being this hot in the past. It might be normal; I really don't know how hot the knob used to be in the past since I never paid attention to my water heater before it stopped working. But I'm worried I might have done something wrong when I replaced the thermocouple.

    I would like to increase the tempe...
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-06-06 23:14:33 matt b.  - exhast blower comes on, but gas does not light
    I have had a problem over the past few weeks with my water heater in that the gas is not lighting when the thermostat tells it it's time to heat the water. I think the thermostat is fine because the exhaust vent still comes on.

    I don't know much about water heaters, but it appears to have an electronic ceramic coil-type ignition. When I open a small access panel at the bottom I can see underneath to the gas burner. There is a small electrical module with an on-off switch. Only after I cycle it off and back on does the 'coil' underneath go active and begin glowing orange. A few seconds later the gas ignites and I'm back in business.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks in advance.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-06-12 19:43:15 Bernie  - hot water mystery
    Could it be that you cold water dip tube has a hole on the top of the dip tube ? If so then simply replace it.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-01-26 21:34:29 ty  - no
    If your cold water dip tube has a hole in it, that is normal. it acts as a vacuum breaker so if you're draining the tank and you forget to open the t&p valve (or some valve) it will still suck air into the tank to compensate for the space lost by the water draining.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-06-14 10:34:31 DonV  - Gas Hot Water Heater Mystery
    Tim, you are not alone. Came to this site hoping to find a solution to exactly the same problem with our rural propoane water heater. My suspicion is the thermostat; essentially that the "deadband" between shutting off and turning on is too broad, so it has to get cold water flowing into the tank before the thermostat starts the burner. Has anyone seen this?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-06-24 19:19:03 Rudy  - mysterious loss of hot water
    fairly new water heater, worked fine, now all of the sudden I'm only getting lukewarm water out of all of the fixtures in the house. Burner is working fine. No change in water pressure. Thermostat seems to be working fine, Off position turns off burner and when thermostat is turned up burner goes on. Is there a reset button somewhere? Or fixture leaking cold water into the hot? I'm stumped, especially when it just happened all of the sudden. Please advise--Thank you in advance. GE 40 gallon natural gas.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-06-24 19:23:27 Rudy  - mysterious loss of hot water
    fairly new water heater, worked fine, now all of the sudden I'm only getting lukewarm water out of all of the fixtures in the house. Burner is working fine. No change in water pressure. Thermostat seems to be working fine, Off position turns off burner and when thermostat is turned up burner goes on. Is there a reset button somewhere? Or fixture leaking cold water into the hot? I'm stumped, especially when it just happened all of the sudden. Please advise--Thank you in advance.

    GE 40 gallon natural gas
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-07-05 21:21:29 James382  - gas water heater
    Have a problem with a gas water heater its only a few years old but now every couple of days it goes cold I can't find a reset button, the light for the pilot flash's on and off so I have just been unplugging it and plug it back in a within a min it refires and have hot water again but then dose it all over again in a few days, any ideas what it could be, I live out in the country so I have a dug well and jet pump have no issues with water ever have filters and ultra viote lights in the system, could something be clogged in the heater of just worn out
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-07-13 05:57:02 Steven Joyce  - Hot water a-plenty in the morning and day...but no
    This is strange! I live in a very cold area and for some reason I only get 1min of hot water when it is dark. In the morning when it is frosty I can have a 1/2 hour hot shower if I want. We also have no problems during the day. Our kids have a quarter filled bath at 5pm...but for some reason when it is dark we have next to no hot water. This is very embarrassing if we have visitors. The tank is only about 4 years old and has done it for the last 3 years. Does anyone know how to help? Cheers!
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-07-14 17:04:00 Joey  - Burner comes on but goes right out...
    Hello, my gas water heater went out so i went to re-light it and when the burner fired up it went out in about 2 seconds. I went to re-light the pilot again and the pilot wouldn't light. I had to wait about 30 mins. before the pilot would light back up and then the same thing happened... the burner fired up the went right out, any easy ideas?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-03-07 10:35:13 Bob
    Had same problem with a GE gas heater. It's a lack of oxygen. Must have tripped the sensor/safety that shuts off oxygen to chamber. By waiting 30 mins enough air entered into the sealed off area to allow the pilot to light again. Once burner was lit it used up all the available oxygen and went out.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-07-26 17:50:06 mike123  - Best Way To Clean Out Hot Water Heater
    I was just wondering why we need to turn off the cold water supply when cleaning out the hot water tank? It seems to me that if you leave the supply on, the added water pressure would help clean out the tank.

    Thanks - Mike
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-08-07 00:01:26 zhybridtoast  - Various replies...
    Tim, DonV, et al:
    Some quick thoughts (a pro plumber probably already covered these). Sounds like you could use some pipe insulation--also, I've seen some water circulation devices that keep the hot water moving through the house.
    Perhaps check out the Metlund device?
    http://www1.eere.energy.gov/inventions/pdfs/act.pdf

    Or perhaps your dip tube has cracked or fallen off.

    Rudy:
    Sounds like dip tube to me-"...leaking cold water into the hot..."

    stb:
    Maybe the shutoff valve for your apt? Or the valves near each of your fixtures?

    mike123:
    The cold line is supposed to flow directly into the bottom of the tank (even if it enters the top; see dip tube). If you leave the cold on, it's possible that the water level above will not lower & those floating sediments will not exit the drain. Maybe drain tank and then flush with the cold supply?

    me:
    Stop talking about dip tube so much--and taking up so much space...

    Also, I'm trying to find documentation on the ...
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-08-17 20:29:51 LisaGZ  - To thermally expand or not to thermally expand?
    Wondering if you experts can enlighten us? We just installed our very first hot water tank. We had initially requested a contractor (who got back to us after three days) but ended up doing it ourselves in the meantime. Because we were cheeky and just wanted to see how much it would have cost, we asked them to review the costs, and they mentioned that they would have charged us for a thermal expansion tank. Our old hot water heater didn't have one, so we're curious if we need to install one with the new tank? Everything we can find on the web indicates that the determining factor to needing a thermal expansion tank is whether or not a pressure reducing valve (backflow valve) is already in place causing a closed system. We're not sure how to idenfity it, can anyone help? Also, we noticed that the cold input hose to the tank occasionally felt warm to the touch and were hoping that this meant that our hot water was expanding out into an open system. Is this normal, or is this a ...
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-08-22 10:24:48 Matt D  - Water pressure after replacing water heater
    I replaced my water heater yesterday and my pressure is very erratic since (hot and cold). Do I need to turn on all the faucets/showers at the same time? Could there still be air in the line that's effecting the pressure?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-09-01 14:26:35 Ashley  - No hot water!!
    We moved into a house about 3 months ago and the hot water was only luke warm! It came out of it in a week.. but now we have no hot water once again. We have changed both elements and the upper thermostat. Yet there is no success.. The bottom element is not getting power... Any suggestions?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-09-13 10:26:33 Jim L  - Water gets too hot and trips shut off switch....bu
    All

    We have this problem with our gas hot water heater. the temps are set in the mid to low range but yet the heater gets too hot and trips the failsafe, leaving us with cold water. Any ideas? Is this something I could fix myself?

    Thanks for the advice.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-09-21 13:55:48 Gman  - Upgraded comments
    you can now reply to specific comments and get email notifications to comments.

    We hope you like this upgraded version.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-09-29 06:42:31 kebin2  - no hot water
    we just brought a new hot water heater and we changed the top element three times. We drained all the air out of the tank by letting the fauclts run until all the air was gone and still no hot water. someone please help!!!!!!!!!
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-10-10 07:15:12 Betty  - water too hot and then not hot at all
    Water gets scalding hot from my electric tank and then suddenly there is no hot water at all. There is something wrong with it but don't know what. Thanks.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-10-11 16:50:21 patrice  - LEAKING TANK AN OVERFLOOR
    MY HOT WATER IS LEAKING AN WATER IS COMMING OUT OF THE OVERFLOOR AS WELL AS ON TOP OF THE HOT WATER TANK. MY TANK LOOKS LIKE THE 240 VOLT THAT IS SHOWN ON THIS PAGE. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM.THANK'S
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-10-18 22:47:20 ricky  - water heater pilot
    yes my water heater won't stay lit and i have reset it twice. it automatically tries to re-light than stops and tries again.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-11-07 01:25:38 Susan  - No hot water
    Hi, a couple of weeks ago, without warning I ran out of hot water. My ex came over and replaced both elements (is that the right term?) and we had great hot water for about a week and a half and then once again no hot water!! What to do??? I'm already behind on my rent and the owner will not send someone out to fix. Is this an easy fix? Is this common? My kids are not thrilled with boiling water for showers out of milk jugs!!
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-11-13 22:13:03 walt
    I'V NOTICED WHILE LOOKING AT WATER HEATERS THAT THIER ARE DIFFERENT WATTAGE SIZES. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-11-16 00:24:28 Jenny
    :D i try to ligth my hot water tank and it wil not stay ligth. it keep going out
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-12-06 09:44:49 JS  - Cold water problems
    When we turn on the cold water faucets hot water comes out initally until we run water for a few minutes. Also starting to get water hammering in the house. Any suggestions
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-12-06 20:26:17 Paul  - Insufficient Hot Water Supply
    Help,
    I have a 6 year old gas 60 gal hot water heater. In the last month the volume of hot water at all points of use inside the house have a significant reduction in hot water supply at all times. The thermostat setting has not been altered. The water is hot but the supply is much less with less pressure. I thought the water pressure seemed lower on the cold side as well and called the local utility company but they have not responded as yet. Can water pressure cause this problem? One of my neighbors feels the water pressure mat be lower but I haven't asked others about this. Any suggestions before I call a plumber? Thanks for any assistance you may provide.
    Regards,
    Paul
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-12-08 18:19:52 Heather  - water heater
    My water heater pilot went out it doesn't sound like there is even gas flowing what should I do.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-12-14 16:19:21 Mario  - Pilot Lite
    My pilot light won't stay lit longer than 15 minutes at a time. I replaced the thermal couple twice and nothing has helped. It seems as if the pilot light flame is not large enough to hit the thermal couple. Is there a reason that the flame is not large enough?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-12-22 11:08:12 LOUISE KUHN
    MY LIGHT KEEPS ON GOING OUT ON MY GAS HOT WATER HEATER TANK WHAT SHOULD I DO
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-12-27 09:07:57 ken  - wall dial thermostat over heating house
    we have an old sanvic tlx wall thermostat on the wall the temp is set to come on when the dial is turned halve way only and therefore it is to hot how can the inside of the dial be adjusted to turn on say at 15 degrese and keep temp at this temp rather than the hotter temp. its a council house rented and they wont update system till next year. mean while the wifes asma is suffering because off the over heating and council dont give a toss. during the day we can just turn it back but at night when you are sleeping its kinda hard surely it can be set at lower temp. no thermostats on radiators.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-12-27 11:53:13 Thomas  - no water flow at one tap
    Replaced element in water heater. Everything went fine,except....no water flow coming out of kitchen tap hot side. Have hot water in both bathrooms. I'm theorizing that a vacuum has occured in the kithen pipes.

    Can anyone help to restore water in kitchen?

    Thanks
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-12-27 14:36:47 ken  - Is This Normal
    I was recently doing some plumbing work and had the water main to my house shut off. I turned on a faucet in the yard at the lowest place on my lot to drain out the water from the pipes. As the pressure and flow was draining off the water became hot. I'm not sure how hot water could get back into the main water unless it was going back out of the water heater tank. Is this normal?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2009-12-29 16:17:26 greg palacios  - problem with hot water
    We just purchased a 6 year old house that has an electric 50 gallon water heater. we noticed that we only had hot water for about 15 minutes of shower time. we replaced both thermostats and still have the same problem. anyone have any suggestions?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-01-08 19:45:57 joe  - waterheater
    hello i have a 30 gallonwater heater gas heated and the water is durty and the thermostat is turned all the way up and the water is just warm for about 10 mins any one know what going on do i need to replace it or tell me some ideas to improve it thatnks so muchj joe
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-01-15 23:53:47 Linda  - funky taste
    I had my HWH replaced a few days ago and have noticed that the how water tastes funky - sort of a chemical taste. I contacted the company that did the installation; they had no clue. A guy came out and tasted the water and said he didn't notice anything, but I definitely do. Any ideas?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-05-10 20:54:09 Seth  - Hot water taste
    I am having the same taste problem with the hot water after replacing the heater inlet valve. Did U figure out the cause?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-01-17 11:10:13 Brian  - New T and P valve and cold water does not run in a
    I recently installed a T and P valve on a gas hot water heater. After the installation, I turned the water on at the street, and the tank began to fill. The cold water in the house is running very slow or not at all. The hot water is flowing properly. Any ideas?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-01-17 15:15:27 Mary  - re: New T and P valve and cold water does not run
    The hot water comes out cloudy, but then clears
    in a few seconds. Do we need to clean the
    hot water tank?
    Thank you, Mary
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-05-10 22:42:27 Anonymous
    you might have to drain off about a gallon from the tank drain.we do that every month and it seems to help
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-01-22 13:04:49 Peggy Larsen
    Isn't a water heater just a vessel that holds water with the replaceable parts being thermostats and elements? Ours keeps blowing elements. This is the fourth time in a year. Does it need to be replaced?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-02-10 11:23:19 Colm Gallagher  - Condo Owner
    :?:
    I have a tenant who has emailed me stating that her hot water is going cold after 7 to 10 minutes. What should I do with the water heater to keep the water hot longer. Adjust the temp? To me 7 to 10 minute is a long time but I need to keep the tennant happy.

    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-02-11 14:04:29 PEGGY LARSEN
    Not a single person will tell you that there is a magnesium anode rod in water heaters and once it goes bad you have no choice but to replace your water heater. It is being eaten from the inside out. You can replace the rod but you have to do it BEFORE the damage occurs.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-02-11 14:06:35 PEGGY LARSEN
    Not a single person will tell you that there is a magnesium anode rod in water heaters and once it goes bad you have no choice but to replace your water heater. It is being eaten from the inside out. You can replace the rod but you have to do it BEFORE the damage occurs.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-02-12 12:48:11 r evans
    problem with my electric water heater only getting a bit of hot water for about 10 seconds is it my thermostats or my heater it self wish you could help thanks
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-02-22 08:00:42 Reggie  - Home Owner
    My water heater is overflowing and flooding my basement. I'm not sure where it's coming from. I don't want to purchase a new water heater, what should I do? Thanks
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-03-02 22:45:46 joanne
    my water heater makes whinny noises and is also very hot to the touch at the bottom hinged area. Is that a real problem
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-03-06 00:45:51 Gene  - gas water heater drainning alot lately
    My gas hot water heater is drainning alot here lately. It is 5 years old located in the basement of the house which is 5 years old as well. It drains a lot of water out and seems to be doing it daily or every couple of days that I have noticed in the last 2-3 weeks. We have 5 people living in the house, so lots of baths and laundry daily. Is the tank going bad or is this a normal thing.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-03-20 10:49:22 Melissa
    I ran out of hot water, so I went and turned the heater on and off. It lit the pilot light on ran for about 20 seconds and shut off again for about 20 seconds and started up again and then off again every 20 seconds or so. Is this suppose to happen because I still don't get any hot water, maybe a little lukewarm.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-03-28 12:21:47 Anonymous  - hot water heater leak
    leak is at bottom where leg is welded on can it be fixed or replace
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-04-03 11:51:11 Aaron  - HOT WATEWR IS TO HOT
    Hi, I have a problem that started recently at a house i am a handyman on. The customer's water is way to HOT. I have gone through and adjusted the temp control and that didnt work. So then i went and bought a new thermostat and it seems to still be getting way to hot. The reset button also clicks off everyday due to this. What is the issue. I have changed the bottom thermostat, should i have changed the top? Please someone reply that knows, i would appreciate it. THANKS :D
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-04-09 10:28:52 Michael  - Aaron--me, too!
    Our heater has the same problem. We were about to try replacing the thermostats... Anyone know what causes this?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-04-09 11:30:10 Aaron  - I HAVE FIGURED IT OUT
    :D I did replace the bottom thermostate and this solved the issue! the part only cost $9 and easy to replace, just shut of the power supply breaker first, then disconnect the 2 wires that are connected to the thermostate. Swap out the old with the new, flick on power and hit the reset botton ( if needed ) and you should be good. I was.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-04-09 12:20:16 Michael  - Great!
    Thanks for the reply, Aaron. I have a question, though. In your first message, it sounded like you changed the bottom thermostat and that didn't fix it... Was I just reading that wrong?
    Good to hear that it is a pretty cheap part. I was afraid it would be $50 or something!
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-04-21 20:07:46 Don  - no water coming from hot water spigots
    When turning on cold water spigots in house we do have cold water but when turn the hot water spigot only on - no water comes out of any in house and this just happened.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-06 23:35:04 Stacy  - DON--no hot water in any spigots?
    we just had this exact problem..there is a piece behind the spigot control, that needs to replaced,,you take off the spigot control knob and behind it is a valve of some kind and a plumber will charge you a arm and a leg to replace it..try maybe taking it off yourself and replacing it yourself..i hope this helps!
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-04-30 12:21:58 R Tocher  - homeowner
    Why is it that when I turn on the hot water in the shower before the cold, there is no water for a minute or so and then hot water. If I turn on the cold water first, the hot water will not come out unless I turn off the cold and then back on?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-05-04 07:47:14 Laren Symonds  - no pilot light
    LP gas water heater. only a few years old. GE brand name. the pilot light will not light at all. yes there is gas. help
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-05-09 00:34:26 mjg55
    You migh have to replace the thermalcouple.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-05-09 09:57:25 mjg55  - brown water comming out of hot water side of fauce
    :angry: I changed the leaky hot water tank drain,now all the hot water sides of my faucets are running brown water.How can I fix this??The cold water is running clear.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-05-14 21:46:35 jim  - gas hot water heater problem
    This is a very strange problem. I tried to fix the leak hot water faucet at kitchen. I shut off the main water valve and the valve under the sink and expect the water will be completely stopped. But when I removed the catrige from the faucet the hot water still runing out from the faucet. Why this happen and what is the possible cause? Does it have something to do with the pressure in the hot water tank? Any suggestion or clues will be welcomed.

    Thanks,

    Jim
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-05-21 11:55:43 Kathy  - Suddenly too hot of water
    This morning when I went to get in the shower, the water was literally scalding! It was fine yesterday, but not today. I know I need to check the thermostat, but what would cause it to so suddenly get way too hot?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-05-25 17:30:42 dan
    Hi I have a propane hot water tank it was shut down for the winter when i went to open my place up this week the hot water tank pilot lit and the fire comes on but wont turn up very much and take a long time to heat up and only warm help'''' :D :ooo:
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-06-04 07:51:45 Cheryl  - Hot Water Pressure
    I have had this problem ever since I moved in 9 years ago. I have very little water pressure on the hot water side throughout the whole house. I have to wash all of my clothes in cold water because the water basically drips into the washer if I try to use the hot water cycle. When I go to take a shower the pressure is fine in the faucet, but then goes to a drip when I turn the shower section on. When I wash dishes the pressure of hot water slowly looses strength as I use the hot water. I have had many plumbers try to fix this issue, but no one truly knows how to solve it. Do I need a new water heater or something a little less expensive? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-06-04 07:53:30 Cheryl  - Hot Water Pressure
    I have had this problem ever since I moved in 9 years ago. I have very little water pressure on the hot water side throughout the whole house. I have to wash all of my clothes in cold water because the water basically drips into the washer if I try to use the hot water cycle. When I go to take a shower the pressure is fine in the faucet, but then goes to a drip when I turn the shower section on. When I wash dishes the pressure of hot water slowly looses strength as I use the hot water. I have had many plumbers try to fix this issue, but no one truly knows how to solve it. Do I need a new water heater or something a little less expensive? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-06-05 12:27:43 AP  - Hot water in some places, not in others.
    My water heater is near the bathrooms, there is plenty of hot water there. Not so in the kitchen, where the water is about 20 degrees cooler. Turning up the thermostat makes all water hotter, but still not hot enough to wash dishes - I'm afraid to turn it any hotter as it's so hot in the bathrooms. Have spent hundreds of dollars in plumbing work with no fix.

    Suggestions? I'm thinking it would be less expensive to install a small demand heater in the kitchen?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-06-05 12:45:42 mike golch
    sorry can't help you
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-06-07 03:54:00 Brian  - Is noise coming from hot water system
    I have a slight knocking noise in the ceiling and the gas hot water storage tank is not far from where the noise is coming from. The noise is a slight knocking noise about every 15 minutes. We notice the noise at night while watching TV. I was wondering if the noise would be coming from a faulty relief valve in the hot water system. The system is about 8 years old.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-06-21 10:41:16 Clara
    I have a gas furnace and water heater. I got a new thermostat in Dec. 2009. Now that it's summer and I turned the thermostat back I have no hot water. If I turn it up to 70 or 80 I have hot water in 15 min. What is wrong? Is there a switch I should be turning?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-06-26 12:13:04 Lori  - Hot Water
    Why all of a sudden does my hot water get way TOO HOT !!!...Like almost to the point of scalding me..
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-06-29 14:47:19 Craig
    So I just moved in to a trailer with an old electric water heater. The water lines had/has a lot of other problems, so holes i have repaired and some I still need to get to. So after the hole from the main water line was fixed, I got cold water out of the faucets and shower but nothing at all coming out of the hot ones? Any idea what this could be? I've tried a few different things and haven't been able to figure it out yet. Water comes out of the drain in the heater tank but when it comes to the faucets and shower nothing at all...
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-06-29 19:26:40 Cheryl
    Please do not send me any other posts from this website. Thanks!
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-07-15 02:56:26 Joe  - Help!
    I have a Whirlpool Electric 40 gallon lowboy hot water heater. It suddenly quit working 2 days ago. I assumed it would be the breaker but it wasn't. There is electricity. After consulting with several people all agreed that my problem was probably the thermostats. Since I have been working some crazy hours and my hot water heater is in my crawl space, I purchased both top and bottom thermostats and elements. Drained the tank, replaced everything. Now I still have no hot water. Any suggestions?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-07-21 20:23:57 slog hog
    i have the same problem with the kitchen, it is air stuck somewhere that causes this, try running dishwasher and all hot water for a time, to get air out of system.....
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-07-26 20:06:18 Shar  - water heater suddenly slows output
    What could be causing a sudden slow flow from only the hot water faucets? I am wondering if having the gas off for a period of time can have this or other detrimental effects on the water. Thanks for help.
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-01 21:55:37 lee  - water heater
    electric. i have very low pressure when i turn on my hot water. the water will get warm but not hot, any suggestions?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-07 01:30:22 Anonymous  - stop
    stop
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-07 07:46:48 Amy Pobst
    new comment to get this to not notify
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-16 11:16:03 Kim  - HOT WATER HEATER FAN/MOTOR WON'T SHUT OFF
    Our hot water heater fan/motor has been running for 7 days straight now. It does this every once in awhile. Anyone have any ideas as to why it is doing this?????
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-16 11:18:15 Kim  - HOT WATER HEATER FAN/MOTOR WON'T SHUT OFF
    Our hot water heater fan/motor has been running for 7 days straight now. It does this every once in awhile. Anyone have any ideas as to why it is doing this?????
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-16 12:03:31 Dave Unrein  - Home owner
    What is the cause of moisture in the vent of my gas water heater?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-16 13:57:23 Robin  - Constant reset of water heater
    We were not getting hot water and I went to the water heater and performed the steps on the device to reset it. I turned off the power to it, turned the dial counterclockwise and then there was one other switch to turn, wait 5 minutes and turn everything back on. Well it works great. I go back upstairs and we have hot water almost immediately. However, in the last month, I've had to do this about once a week. Is it trying to tell us something?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-16 13:58:48 Robin  - Constant reset of water heater
    We were not getting hot water and I went to the water heater and performed the steps on the device to reset it. I turned off the power to it, turned the dial counterclockwise and then there was one other switch to turn, wait 5 minutes and turn everything back on. Well it works great. I go back upstairs and we have hot water almost immediately. However, in the last month, I've had to do this about once a week. Is it trying to tell us something?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-18 21:01:55 Don  - Gas hot water heater
    In my vacation home I have a water heater that is 8 yrs old and has not been used more than 100 hours at 160 degrees in the 8 yrs. We leave the pilot on all the time. My problem is when I heat the water to 160 and turn on any hot water faucet or shower the pressure drop to 20 to 40 psi while the cold water in the house is at 90 psi.
    what is the problem and can I fix it myself?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-18 21:05:34 Don  - Gas hot water heater
    In my vacation home I have a water heater that is 8 yrs old and has not been used more than 100 hours at 160 degrees in the 8 yrs. We leave the pilot on all the time. My problem is when I heat the water to 160 and turn on any hot water faucet or shower the pressure drop to 20 to 40 psi while the cold water in the house is at 90 psi.
    what is the problem and can I fix it myself?
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-20 07:06:50 Ru  - No hot water
    We are in a apt and yesterday we didn't have power for about 20 min and power came back but half power.After that we are not getting hot water.
    What do we have to do to fix it ?
    Thanks
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-31 12:35:59 kiddd66
    Hi there,

    I have an electric hot water tank that went out. i changed both thermostats and elements to make sure it was fixed. it worked great for about two months. Then teh other day there wasn't enough hot water for my daughter to shower. Any thoughts? Thanks,
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-08-31 12:40:41 kiddd66
    Hi there,

    I have an electric hot water tank that went out. i changed both thermostats and elements to make sure it was fixed. it worked great for about two months. Then teh other day there wasn't enough hot water for my daughter to shower. Any thoughts? Thanks,
    ReplyQuote
  • |2010-09-01 08:39:00 Charlie
    My water heater will run hot water for about 10 minutes, then the hot water cuts off, whats wrong with it? Please help!!
    ReplyQuote
Write comment
Your Contact Details:
Comment:
[b] [i] [u] [url] [quote] [code] [img]   
:D:angry::angry-red::evil::idea::love::x:no-comments::ooo::pirate::?::(
:sleep::););)):0
Security
Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.
 
Do It Yourself
© 2010 DIY, Do It Yourself Home Improvement - DIY-HQ
Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU General Public License.