Reasons Why You Don’t Have Hot Water

Are you arriving eagerly at the shower to commence your morning cleansing ritual? You expected the warmth of hot water to embrace you only to be met with the cold reality of no hot water.

If you have no hot water but have plenty of cold water, you probably have an issue with your water heater.

Before jumping to the worst-case scenario, it could be a simple fix. In this blog, we list several reasons why your water heater isn’t working, with tips on how you can help fix it.

Reason #1: Your Thermostat (Gas & Electric)

It seems simple, but perhaps your water heater thermostat got adjusted to the wrong temperature setting. Or you forgot to reset it after getting back from vacation. We’ve all done it!

Your water heater’s thermostat should be set to 120-140° Fahrenheit. This is the optimal temperature for having hot water throughout your home. It’s also the ideal temperature for preventing bacteria from growing in your water heater tank.

If the thermostat wasn’t set right, go ahead and re-adjust it. Give it some time to heat up your water. If the thermostat is set properly, keep reading to learn about other reasons why you have no hot water.

Reason #2: Your Pilot Light (Gas)

If you have a gas water heater, the water is heated by a gas-powered burner. The pilot light ignites the gas when your water heater heats the cold water.

At times, the pilot light goes out. If your pilot light is out, there should be instructions on the side of your water heater or in the manual. Follow those steps to relight your pilot light.

Once the pilot light is lit, give your water heater some time to heat up all that water.

Reason #3: Check Your Circuit Breaker (Electric)

If you have an electric water heater, check the circuit breaker. If the breaker is tripped, reset it to see if that restores power to your electric water heater.

Reason #4: Broken Components (Gas & Electric)

Finally, you might not have hot water simply because of a broken component. Water heaters are made of complex parts, including thermocouples, heating elements, and gas burners. If these, or any other component breaks, that’s likely the reason you don’t have hot water.

Call Us for Polite, Professional Water Heater Repair

If these suggestions haven’t worked, you should call a licensed plumber to help repair your water heater. At Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Wilmington and Brunswick County, our plumbers are licensed and experienced in repairing water heaters.

We’re also locally owned and operated by Mark Gonzales. Mark has over 15 years of plumbing experience and is a Board Director for the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractions Association of North Carolina. We know a thing or two about your water heater.

To schedule your water heater repair, call us or request an appointment online. We’ll be over ASAP to help get you hot water.