Water heaters are typically reliable, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t occasionally prone to problems. However, it’s often hard to tell when something is wrong, let alone how to fix the issue, without professional experience. That’s why we put together a list of the 10 most common water heater problems and how to fix them.
Inconsistent water temperature and a lack of hot water are among the most common water heater problems. You can typically fix these issues by adjusting or replacing the water heating elements and thermostats in your water heater. Other issues, like rusty water and foul odors, are fixable if you replace the anode rod and flush the tank.
Don’t hesitate to call Queen B Plumbing for help if you notice your water heater leaking. That is one of the biggest water heater problems, and it can cause extensive water damage. Follow along as we highlight essential fixes to the 10 most common water heater problems.
What Are the Most Common Water Heater Problems?
1. Unsatisfactory Water Temperature
It’s understandably frustrating when your water gets warm, but not nearly warm enough. For example, you may run the water for a bath or shower and notice it only heats up to a certain point. Otherwise, the water may heat briefly then become tepid and repeat that cycle.
This typically indicates a problem with one of your water heater’s heating elements. Water heaters have heating elements at the top and bottom of the unit. Both heating elements are essential to evenly and consistently heat your water.
If your water doesn’t heat evenly, you may need to replace one of the heating elements. Otherwise, you may need to flush your water heater because of sediment buildup around the heating elements.
2. Not Hot Water
Tepid water is bad enough, but no hot water can feel like an emergency. If there’s no hot water, inspect the unit’s thermostat and heating elements first. For example, your thermostat may be set too low for the unit to heat the water in the tank.
The ideal water heater temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You can easily adjust the temperature if you shut off your water heater, let it cool down, and remove the thermostat panel. The thermostat panel is typically on the side of your water heater toward the bottom.
You will find two thermostats behind the panel: one for the top and bottom heating elements. Carefully adjust each until the temperature reads 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If that doesn’t work, you may need to replace the heating elements or your water heater altogether.
3. Water Discoloration
Water discoloration is understandably scary whether you’re showering or filling a cup of water. Luckily, rusty water is typically much less of a serious problem than it may first appear. Water heaters have a part called an anode rod that sits in the tank.
This key component attracts rust to itself to prevent rust buildup in the rest of the tank. Anode rods prevent corrosion that can otherwise damage your heating elements and cause serious leaks. However, they can only do this until a certain point in which they can’t attract rust anymore.
Once this happens, rust will spread throughout the water in the tank. This is when you will notice rusty water. You can fix this problem if you replace the anode rod and flush your tank to remove the remaining rusty water.
4. Water Leaks
Nobody wants to discover their water heater leaking as water damage is expensive to fix. Leaks are among the most common water heater problems, and they’re relatively easy to fix in many cases. That’s because water heater leaks are often due to loose connections.
Carefully check the outlet and inlet pipes for loose connections and tighten them as needed. Check the tank itself to see if tightening pipe connections doesn’t stop the leak. Unfortunately, the leak may be due to excessive corrosion within the tank.
You may need to replace the tank if the leak originated there. Heavily corroded tanks are prone to leaks which get worse over time. Look into professional water heater repair if your tank is leaking as it’s a difficult and sometimes dangerous problem to fix.
5. Loud Operation
Water heaters aren’t silent, but they shouldn’t be too loud. An overly loud operation can point to excessive sediment within your water heater’s tank. The sound you hear is likely sediment moving around and hitting the tank’s walls.
The only way to remove the sediment is to flush your water heater and clean it. Ideally, you should flush your water heater at least once yearly. Otherwise, you may need to flush it every 6 months if your home has hard water.
6. Dripping Pressure Relief Valve
The pressure relief valve is an important part of any water heater that sits at the top of the unit. Water can drip from this part indicating a problem that requires immediate attention. This component helps release pressure from your water heater to prevent the tank from bursting.
If it’s dripping, there’s a chance the pressure settings aren’t within the standard range. Call for help if you notice this, especially if you don’t have experience with water heater maintenance. Otherwise, you can tweak the adjustment screw until the pressure setting is within your unit’s recommended range.
7. Slow Performance
Does it take a long time for your water to heat up? This is yet another example of a potential problem with your water heater’s heating elements or thermostats. However, it may be a problem with your home’s layout and the distance between plumbing fixtures.
In that case, you may need a new circulator pump. That way, it won’t take so long for warm water to reach your faucets and other plumbing fixtures.
8. No Power
Water heaters can lose power due to connection issues and power outages. Power outages are the best-case scenario as you can adjust the circuit breaker to resolve the problem. Flip the switch to “off”, then back to “on”, and wait for the water heater to turn on.
Otherwise, it’s worth calling professional help to check the water heater’s connections. There may be a problem with the unit’s wiring and connections. Otherwise, it may be an electrical issue at your home.
9. Overly Hot Water
Overly hot water is a common and dangerous water heater problem. It typically happens because the thermostat is set too high. However, it can also happen because you have a faulty thermostat.
Never adjust a water heater that is overly hot as it can result in injury. Instead, call a licensed HVAC technician who is equipped to safely adjust the temperature without getting scalded. They can safely adjust or replace the thermostat.
10. Foul Odor
Water heaters aren’t invulnerable to bacteria, which can explain the foul odor you’ve noticed. Some bacteria can lower the sulfate level in your water heater’s tank. Once the sulfate level is too low, you may notice a rotten egg smell.
You can often fix this smell by increasing the temperature within the tank to as high as 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, you may need to install a new anode rod and clean the tank.
Call Queen B Plumbing for Quick Water Heater Repair
Water heater problems often happen at the worst times, leaving homeowners frustrated. That’s why the Queen B Plumbing team is already ready to quickly respond to water heater maintenance calls. Whether it be a leaky tank or discolored water, our team can diagnose and fix the problem. Call Queen B Plumbing at (908) 633-1333 for quick and reliable water heater repair.
