Do you find that your ‘hot water’ is only lukewarm? The satisfaction of a hot shower or bath after a long day is hard to beat, but when you step into your shower and realise that the water is only lukewarm or all together cold, the disappointment is hard to shake off. We’ll look at some of the most common causes of a broken hot water system, some of them are dead simple to fix that you can do it yourself and save having to pay for a professional plumber to come out and fix it.
Why is my gas hot water system not working like it should?
Before you jump right into calling a licensed hot water plumber, you might want to try troubleshooting your hot water heater issues yourself.
Several things can be responsible for the lack of hot water in your house.
Firstly, it is important for you to know if your hot water system is gas or electric. If your hot water system is gas, you’ll notice that there should be a gas pipe, a burner, pilot light and a hot water storage tank. Otherwise, you probably have an electric hot water system.
The lack of hot water indicates that your gas water system is not producing heat, or there is a problem with the distribution of heat.
Other things you may notice from checking your hot water system is:
• The burner is unable to light up
• Smell of a gas leak
• There is a clicking sound
• Water seems to be leaking
What could be the problem?
3 Common culprits of a broken hot water system
The moment you realize that something is wrong with your heating system, you should watch out for these three common culprits.
1. The pilot light is out (gas hot water systems)
If there is no hot water, the most common cause of this is a switched-off pilot light. Alternatively, your gas may be off. Should this be the case, you can try reigniting the pilot light by following the gas system instruction manual. If you have a gas stove, check to see that your gas stove is working, this will show you if you have a problem with your gas system all together or whether the problem is just your hot water system.
2. Broken Thermostat
Probably the 2nd most common of the 3 reasons for a faulty hot water system is a broken thermostat. If you can’t find any leaks of gas or water then chances are it is your thermostat or your cut off switch that is broken. This is fairly good news because thermostats are cheap to replace however you’ll want to call a licensed gas fitting plumber to have a look at your hot water system and fix it or replace the thermostat.
3. Leakage
Another common problem are leaks. There could be a gas leak in one of the gas pipes, water inlet valves or pressure relief valve. The location of the leak will help you determine how severe the leak is, and the repair cost. Best to have professional plumbers take care of hot water system leaks. Water leaks are also common, especially where nuts and bolts are loose, you’ll notice a small amount of leaking water pooling near your hot water tank.
What to do when your hot water system lets you down?
Nobody wants to be in a situation where they can’t access hot water easily. We understand the frustration that comes with hot water issues. Nevertheless, here is what you do in such situations;
• Try to be calm, and check if your entire house is affected or just some parts (gas system).
• Check if the pilot light is off and try to ignite it using the instruction manual.
• We recommend that you call a licensed plumber near you to find the problem and fix it ASAP.
If you are a resident of Ipswich and in need of professional plumbing service, call us to arrange for one of our plumbers to come fix your hot water system at an affordable cost. We offer emergency after hours plumbing services across Ipswich too, so if you find yourself without hot water whatever time of the day or night, give us a call.
Looking for a plumber?
to fix your hot water system ASAP? If your located in the Ipswich area call us now for prompt emergency plumbing
