A problem with your water heater affects the entire home, from your shower to your dishwasher. Your home water heater is essential to home comfort and convenience. Finding a quick and professional resolution to water heater repair problems is critical. Lew Plumbing & Heating’s plumbers install, repair, and maintain water heating equipment from brands such as Rheem, Rinnai, and A.O. Smith. This post covers questions homeowners ask about their water heating equipment.
Why Is My Water Heater No Longer Producing Enough Hot Water?
If your system suddenly begins to run out of water when you’re halfway through your shower, there is one of several culprits behind the problem. Potential reasons for a lack of hot water include:
- The control valve on a gas water heater is not working
- The heating element on an electrical water heater has burned out
- You have an older water heater, and sediment build-up is preventing the hot water from reaching your shower or bath
- The water tank is undersized to meet water demands within the home
Why Does My Water Heater Take So Long to Heat Up?
If you’re waiting several minutes for your water heater to raise the water to the right temperature, the problem is likely the type of heater in the home or the size of the pipes within the property.
- In larger homes with longer pipes, it can take the water longer to heat up than in smaller properties
- You may have volume-restricting devices on your home plumbing, which then restrict the flow of water, and the cold water requires a longer time to leave the pipes
- If you have a larger water heater, the heating elements or burner will need a longer time to heat the larger volume of water
- You may also have sediment in the water tank, which stops the rise of the boiling water
Why Does My Hot Water Have a Foul Odour?
Hydrogen sulfide gas in your water heater is the most common reason for foul hot water odours. The gas produces an odour that is usually only noticeable when you use hot water. The potential reasons for hydrogen sulfide gas settling in the water heater include:
- Sulfur-reducing bacteria feed off sulfates and turn sulfur into hydrogen sulfide. Untreated water can contain high amounts of SRB, which may require a plumber to use chlorine treatment to minimize the odour.
- You may also have a corroded anode rod, which causes the odour when its metal reacts with sulfates in the water and turns into hydrogen sulfide.
Why is My Water Heater Not Producing Any Hot Water?
The most common cause of a water heater not producing hot water is a tripped limit switch on the electrical panel or a failed heating element. Further reasons a water heater is not producing hot water may include:
- The thermostat is not controlling the temperature and requires repair
- The pilot light has gone out on your gas water heater, and there’s not enough pressure to heat the water
- You have a leak in the tank or a connected component, such as the pressure relief valve
Why Does My Water Consume So Much Energy?
A water heater repair problem can add hundreds of dollars monthly to your energy bill. Check for the following if your energy bills rise suddenly and you’ve narrowed down the water as the culprit:
- Your thermostat is set to a higher-than-required temperature
- The unit is old and failing due to worn components and requires more energy to reach the same standard of heating performance
- You have a water leak, which is consuming water and causing the heater to consume more energy to acquire the required temperature
- Your water heater’s anode rod is degrading, and sediment is building, which inhibits heat transfer and raises heating bills
Call Lew Plumbing & Heating for Water Heater Repairs
Get the answers to your water heater repair challenges. Lew Plumbing & Heating’s team has over 30 years of experience repairing water heating equipment. When you need a 24/7 water heater repair specialist, call our Vancouver plumbing and heating experts at 604-205-9436.
