If you live in Midtown your days may start out on the road fanning out across Encanto Village and Phoenix on the way to work or school. You could hit a roadblock to your plans and not just on the interstates. If your hot water suddenly disappears, the morning for you and your family may suddenly slow way down.
Showers can have to be put on hold and breakfast can be a bit of a chore until the hot water returns. But how do you get it flowing again? You should immediately contact Rooter & Plumbing Service serving Midtown and greater Phoenix. Before you go spending thousands of dollars on a new water heater, let our plumbers inspect your system. A low-cost repair may do the trick to get your water heater back on track in a jiffy.
Water Heater Common Issues in Midtown
Water heaters can keep pumping out hot water for a decade or more before having major issues. They do have smaller components that can fail but can be easily replaced. But before you do anything there are a few simple checks that might get the hot water back immediately.
You can do some of these checks yourself or let our professionals take a quick look:
- Checking the Breakers – One thing you can easily do is open your breaker box and inspect your circuit breakers. The breaker for the water heater may have flipped off during a surge. If it’s been flipped, flip it back and monitor your tank to see if it returns to full operation. If you use a gas-burning water heater remember that it still uses electricity and a breaker can still be an issue.
- Relighting a Pilot Light – Pilot lights occasionally go out on gas water heaters. It could be a random occurrence and it only needs to be relit. It may also mean that another part on the water heater is broken and the pilot light won’t relight until it’s fixed. You can attempt a relight yourself if you have experience working with your water heater. If you feel uncomfortable doing this or you can’t get your pilot light relit, give us a call.
- Temperature Adjustment – Water heaters have a temperature gauge that controls how hot the water gets inside the tank. If for some reason you need hotter water, you can usually access this thermostat by removing a panel. Always test the water later, after it’s had time to warm up, to make sure no one gets scalded. If the water doesn’t warm up, the thermostat may need replacing.
Bigger Water Heater Issues
Our plumbers won’t automatically jump to the solution of installing a whole new unit until we’ve determined if an easier fix will do the job. We will go over every part of the water heater, including the pipes running in and out of the tank and the wiring. We may find that a new water heater wouldn’t even fix your issue.
Here’s a look at some of the more serious issues we may find and can repair:
- Leaking Tank– A leaking water heater can be signaling a few things. If the leak is coming from a pipe going into or out of the unit it can usually be patched. If the tank itself is leaking there’s generally no repair to be done. You’ll probably need a new unit and we can help you with that choice and the installation.
- Electric Water Heater Problems – Heating elements inside the tank can stop working, but these can usually be replaced. The thermostat that controls the heating elements may be bad. A new one can be installed.
- Gas Water Heater Problems – Control valves allow gas to flow into the unit. They have a safety mechanism that prevents a problem from building to unsafe levels. It can be taken out and replaced. A thermocouple sensor monitors the pilot light and lets gas from the gas control valve through when it’s functioning. If it’s gone bad our plumbers can put in a new one.
- Tankless Water Heater Problems – Tankless units can have their own issues. They need to be flushed of mineral buildup every six months to a year. This may fix any problems you’re having. They can also have ignition issues and need a replacement part. There are other components to check and we can do that for you and make sure you have hot water flowing again as soon as possible.
Water Heater Consultation in Midtown
An ice-cold hot water heater can quickly turn your day from good to bad. To get your household back in a good mood, call Rooter & Plumbing Service for a fast, hassle-free inspection. We’ll be ready with a repair or an installation depending on what’s needed. Let’s get your morning and your family back on track.
If you are dealing with cold water when it should be hot anywhere in Midtown and greater Phoenix contact us today.
