Common Gas Water Heater Problems
When you work in the office at a good plumbing service company, it’s useful to know how to help customers troubleshoot problems over the phone. At Water Heater Rescue it’s important to us to try and find a solution that homeowners and tenants can possibly undertake themselves.
The following are some common gas water heater problems. We’ll explain what you can fix yourself and when it’s time to call for help.
Is your heater producing only warm water? It may be time to replace the dip tube. The dip tube might have fallen in the tank, broken off or become split. If any of these have happened, cold water will mix with hot water near the top of the tank resulting in warm water only and very short showers! We recommend you call a plumbing expert or using services like water heater repair.
Ice shower? You’ve got the most important board meeting of your life and you want to look and smell your best. You step into the shower to the shock of only ice cold water! YIKES! WHAT NOW? You might have to visit a plumbing company website such as https://deansplumbing.net/service-areas/dayton/ or similar, but before that make sure to try some home remedy! Best put on your housecoat, or at the very least throw a towel around you and do a bit of investigating. If you have any brand other than John Wood, check the thermocouple first. (You’ll need a special device to do this. Our plumbers always carry them on hand!) If the thermocouple reading shows more than 5 millivolts (a millivolt is one thousandth of a volt) it’s time to replace the gas valve. Call one of our Red Seal Certified Technicians! If the thermocouple reading shows less than 5 mV, it’s time to replace the thermocouple. Although we never recommend an un-ticketed person work with gas, a handy and highly experienced individual, once having turned the gas off, can replace the thermocouple themselves.
John Wood heaters have their own set of circumstances concerning no hot water. Some older model tanks have a left-hand threaded thermocouple, so you’ll want to get the serial number of your tank so your plumber from a company similar to stithplumbingandhvac.com/service-areas/plumbing/johnson/ can obtain the correct burner for replacement. For newer models that show a reading of more than 5 mV, check to see if there is a safety switch. If there is, call our plumbing experts to replace the switch and clean the underside of the tank from dust and debris. If the thermocouple reading shows less than 5 mV, our plumbing technician will replace the thermocouple and brush the underside of the tank. If there is no safety switch, we recommend you clean the underside of your tank and re-light the pilot light. Did it relight? SUCCESS! If it didn’t re-light, it’s time to call Water Heater Rescue to replace the gas valve.
Temperature & Pressure Valve Issues? You’re going to want to call in the experts if you have water coming out from the temperature and pressure (T&P) valve. You’ll be able to find a plumbing repair company on a website like siriuspac.com/heating-repair-service/ though. The plumber will check your water pressure, and if it is more than 75 PSI, it will be recommended to replace your Pressure Relief Valve. If the PSI reading shows less than 75 PSI, the plumber will replace your T&P valve.
So now you know a little more about what you can and can’t fix yourself when you have a gas water heater. While there aren’t a lot of gas water heater repairs that we recommend to DIY, there are a few, and what feels better than fixing a problem yourself and saving some money in the process?
How we feel when we help you fix your plumbing problem!
Call the experts at Water Heater Rescue for that water heater repair you just can’t DIY!
