Repairing your water heater can be a daunting task, but it’s important to do it correctly so you don’t wind up with bigger and more expensive problems down the road. Here are six mistakes you should avoid while repairing your water heater.
1. Not knowing your product
The first mistake that most people make is not knowing what the problem is, and trying to solve it by spending money on parts they do not need. When you are looking for water heater problems, one of the first steps should be to figure out which part needs to be replaced (or repaired). You can also look under the warranty of products. A lot of models come with warranties, so you might as well use them. Have a trusted professional help you if you’re new at this game.
2. Shutting off power or gas supply
If your pilot light goes out, it’s usually because there’s no gas coming into the heater itself; instead, it just goes straight up the chimney without igniting.
If the power is off and you see that there’s no gas in the system, then there’s a problem with the gas valve (it usually turns off if there isn’t any water pressure). Turn on your furnace and make sure it lights up. If it doesn’t, check the circuit breaker box to make sure that electricity is getting to your water heater; if your electric service panel has fuses, look for blown ones. You can also just replace a faulty circuit breaker or fuse yourself. Once everything looks okay at the main source of power, go into your furnace and manually light the pilot light with a long matchstick or lighter. If it lights up, turn on the gas supply again slowly and leave it on for about fifteen minutes. Turn off the gas supply and watch to see if your pilot light stays on; turn the gas supply back on again if it goes out.
3. Not making sure furnace is still working
The second mistake you could make is simply assuming that your furnace is working when it isn’t, which could lead to further problems down the road as well as a serious safety hazard for you and your family. In order to ensure that everything is safe, go into your furnace room and check your breaker box or fuse box yourself instead of taking someone else’s word for it. This way, you will know exactly what the problem is and how to solve it much faster than if you try to fix a broken heater with a broken furnace because everything seemed fine to your friend.
4. Not knowing how to light it
You should not assume that you know how to light your heater because there are so many different types of furnaces out there, and some might be more complicated than others. The best thing you can do is read the instruction manual if it came with one, or call a professional if you’re having problems lighting the pilot light on the water heater yourself. You could also just look up “how to light my water heater” on Google or YouTube for step-by-step instructions that will walk you through lighting your particular type of furnace safely and effectively.
5. Overloading it
Water heaters are made to handle certain amounts of pressure, depending on its psi (pounds per square inch). If you overload your water heater, it could rupture during the middle of the night while everyone in your house is sleeping.
To avoid overloading, look at the bottom or back of your water heater for its “maximum capacity” to see how much hot water it can provide one moment before it reaches maximum capacity. Once you know this number, turn off all taps throughout the house – including ones that are rarely used like showers and tubs – after all appliances have been turned off in order to keep from heating up too much water in a short period of time. You should also take shorter showers instead of long ones (less than ten minutes) and open dishwasher doors right away so they don’t heat up inside for longer than they need to. Do the same for your washing machine by opening its door right away after it has finished filling up with water. You can even turn off the hot water supply at the main source that goes into your house if you’re going to be gone for a long period of time or won’t be needing any hot water during the day.
6. Letting sediment build-up
Sediment can fall from pipes and settle on various parts of a water heater, including the bottom, as well as inside the tank itself which lowers its energy efficiency and might lead to further problems down the road such as corrosion. In order to avoid this, you should have your gas lines checked every few years because sediment build-up could cause clogs and problems with the gas line, and you should also use a special type of filter called an “in-line water heater and tank enhancer” (search online for this specific brand) that will block sediment buildup before it happens.
If you follow these six simple rules while repairing or replacing your water heater, you can avoid the most common mistakes people make while dealing with one – every household should have at least one in case there’s ever an emergency such as a burst pipe or leaky roof. Water heaters aren’t too difficult to maintain and fix if they break down, so long as you know what to do and take care of them properly. The best thing anyone can do is to become educated on their own home appliances and how they work before there is a problem they might need to fix.
Conclusion:
We know how frustrating it can be to fix a water heater. That’s why we created this article, including the mistakes you should avoid while repairing your water heater and helpful tips on what to do if there is an emergency situation. If you need help with your home plumbing needs, call us today! Our experts are available 24/7 for any of your plumbing emergencies.
Author Bio:- Laura Harnes
Laura is a marketing manager at All Star Plumbing & Restoration. With years of experience in the plumbing industry, she loves to create awareness about the causes, problems, and repair solutions of water damage and slab leak. She shares expert tips to lower utility bills and keep your AC, heater, and other appliances in optimum condition leading to longer lifespan.
Check all the recent articles and know everything about water damage repair, slab leak repair, tools to remove clogging, and HVAC appliances installation, maintenance, and repair.
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