There’s nothing worse than going to take a shower only to discover that you have no hot water. Your home’s water heater is central to your indoor comfort, but there are a number of things that can go wrong and cause you to experience cold water instead of hot. Below are some of the most common reasons why you might be losing hot water at home
Your Electric Heating Elements Are Bad
In a traditional tank water heater, water is heated via elements. These elements are the components that heat up inside of your water heater’s tank to warm the water from the bottom of the tank. Over time, water heater elements lose efficiency and can even burn out. They may also be affected by a buildup of minerals if your house has hard water.
The good news is that a qualified Indianapolis plumber, like those at Hope Plumbing. can easily diagnose this problem and replace bad heating elements. You should never attempt a DIY fix for a heating element that has gone bad, as these are electrical components and may cause injury if not handled properly by a qualified professional.
A Circuit Breaker Has Been Tripped
Your home’s circuit breaker panel is where your main electricity routing takes place. Your electric water heater has a breaker switch on one of the circuits located inside the breaker box. If you experience a surge of electricity, the breaker trips or breaks the circuit. It does this to protect the components connected to that particular breaker. If the breaker connected to your electric water heater is affected by a change in current, your water heater may no longer receive electricity. This, in turn, results in the heating elements not receiving power and no hot water.
While you can inspect your breaker box to see if your water heater breaker has been tripped, you need to have a plumbing professional assess the situation. If the breaker has been tripped, something isn’t right, and attempting to fix the problem yourself could lead to serious injuries. Even if you try to reset the breaker, the root cause of the issue still needs to be addressed or else you may end up facing the same problem again in short order.
The Pilot Light Is Out on a Gas Water Heater
If your water heater uses natural gas heating, the reason why you’re experiencing cold water may be that your pilot light has gone out. Depending on the installation location of your gas water heater, the pilot light may have a hard time staying on if it doesn’t receive proper ventilation. Additionally, drafty conditions can cause the pilot light to go out, resulting in no hot water.
Although the pilot light can usually be relit easily, it’s always a good idea to have a plumbing professional inspect the problem. While a pilot light outage may have a simple cause, there may be something more serious going on with your gas lines. Mechanical problems with the pilot light system and water heater itself may also be an issue, so you’re encouraged to have an experienced plumber check things out to protect your home and the safety of your loved ones.
Blocked Vents on Your Tankless Water Heater
Tankless water heaters offer a lot of convenience. Unlike a traditional tank water heater, a tankless water heater warms the water as you use it. This allows you to enjoy virtually endless hot water that’s warmed almost as soon as you turn on the tap. Unfortunately, tankless water heaters aren’t perfect, and even owners of tankless models can find that they face issues with not receiving hot water.
For tankless models, the reason behind having no hot water may be that an air vent is blocked. This can happen when dust and debris build up on or around the vent. If an air intake is blocked, this may also cause the unit to malfunction. Thankfully, an experienced plumber can inspect your tankless water heater and address the problem. Maintaining your tankless water heater, including draining it once per year, is vital to keep the unit working in top condition. A plumber at Hope Plumbing will be happy to inspect your system and provide solutions to keep you and your family comfortable all year.
Tank Capacity Is Too Small
Tankless water heaters are fantastic because they offer near infinite hot water as needed, but a traditional tank water heater has a limited capacity. What this means for your home and family is that once all the hot water has been used from the tank, your tap is likely to run cold. You may notice water getting cooler as the tank runs out of hot water, and once this happens, it can take an hour to two hours to get long-running hot water again.
Tank water heaters work using a system that replenishes water as you use it. The heating elements in the tank warm the water according to the thermostat settings, but this can only happen so fast. If you use hot water at a rate that’s faster than the tank can compensate, you may need a larger water heater. Some people encounter this problem as a household grows or as new requirements for hot water are added. Our plumbing company in the Indianapolis region is here to provide you with a range of water heaters if you’ve found that you need more hot water.
Your Water Heater Is Leaking
Another top reason why you might be losing hot water is that your tank or water heater components have a leak. Leaks can occur due to worn-out and aging components, physical damage, and pressure concerns. In fact, you may notice a drop in water pressure in addition to a loss of hot water if your tank or tank components have a leak. Leaks tend to create puddles or streams of running water near the tank location, which can be dangerous. Left unaddressed, leaks in your water heater can damage your home, cause mold growth, and potentially lead to fires and flooding.
To remedy this, you need to have your water heater inspected by a licensed plumbing professional. At Hope Plumbing, our experienced Indianapolis plumbers can provide a full inspection of your hot water heater, and we can quickly make repairs if you have a leak. We also provide water heater installation if the situation warrants a replacement.
Our Plumbers Are Ready to Help
At Hope Plumbing, our licensed and insured plumbers are known in the Indianapolis region for fast, friendly service. In addition to water heater repair and replacement, we also offer a number of other plumbing services, including drain cleaning, leak detection, trenchless plumbing repair, and septic tank services. We stand behind our work and guarantee your satisfaction on every service call.
In the Indianapolis region, trust the plumbing professionals at Hope Plumbing for comprehensive water heater services. If you’re experiencing no hot water in your home, we can find and fix the problem fast. Call Hope Plumbing today to schedule an appointment.
