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Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc. Blog

Troubleshooting a Water Heater with No Heat

water-heater-failureCould you imagine your home without the conveniences of modern plumbing? Or how about without any hot water? Hot water is necessary, for cleaning, cooking, and perhaps most importantly—comfortably showering! So of course, it can be disconcerting to turn your shower on only to discover it’s freezing cold.

Naturally, this is not one of those problems you can just wait on, which is why our team is here. But in the meantime, keep reading to find out a few reasons why your Janesville, IA water heater isn’t producing any hot water, and what you may be able to do about it.

What Causes a Loss of Hot Water?

One of the most common reasons that your water heater might not be producing any heat is due to a burner or pilot light failure—if you have a gas-powered water heater. The burner unit below your tank contains the gas jets that ignite to transfer heat to the water within the tank.

If this burner gets too dirty or corroded, then it won’t be able to successfully draw the oxygen it needs to ignite, and eventually the jets won’t come on at all. Another cause for malfunction in a gas-powered heater is a faulty gas control valve—this can cut off the gas supply to the burner, and no heat will be generated.

If you have an electric water heater, then failure of its heating elements within the tank can also lead to a loss of warm water. Don’t ignore any drop in heating—it likely means that one of the elements has burned out. It could also be the case of a tripped circuit breaker—so be sure to check your electrical panel.

What Can You Do?

The first thing to do when you notice your water heater isn’t producing heat is check your power source. Even modern gas furnaces use electronic ignition systems to light the burners—therefore a tripped circuit breaker can impact both types of water heaters. Keep in mind, however, that if the circuit breaker keeps tripping, your problem is likely not with the water heater at all, but rather with your electrical system or electrical panel.

If you do have a gas-powered water heater that fails to produce hot water, check the pilot light. To do this, you’ll have to remove the cover and look inside the heater. The pilot light is typically pretty apparent, so noticing whether or not it’s lit should be relatively easy. Your system should have come with manufacturers’ instructions on how to relight it, but don’t hesitate to give our professionals a call if you need assistance.

Keep in mind that a water heater that is producing some warm water but is not heating up as hot as it should, or is not providing as much hot water as it once used to, is not a properly functioning water heater. Be sure to contact our professionals once you notice a problem with your system so that the issue can be addressed and resolved as soon as possible.

Your comfort is our promise! Contact Dalton Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc. today for your water heater service appointment.

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