When you think of needing hot water heater repair, you may think of leaks or total damage to the tank itself. However, there are actually multiple issues that your water heater can experience that lead to the need for repairs. Here are a few of the signs your heater may be having an issue and what to know about each sign.
Pilot Light Issues
One of the most common problems with gas hot water heaters deals with the pilot light. For instance, you may notice you have no hot water. If so, it's likely that the pilot light has gone out and needs to be relit. With that in mind, this is generally a simple fix you can handle on your own. However, if the pilot light continues to go out often, there may be deeper issues with your hot water system. A continuous pilot light issue should be dealt with by a professional plumber. Keep in mind, pilot lights going out can leak gas and you may also have higher risks for your health, such as carbon monoxide. If this is the issue you are having, you should turn off the gas and contact your plumber immediately.
Water Temperature
You may have the issue of the water temperature being too hot or too cold. You can reset this by adjusting the thermostat on the water heater. Though this may sound like a simple fix without any issues, there can be some problems that occur. For example, you may find yourself having to reset the thermostat once or more often per week. You may find that you have bursts of either cold or extremely hot water during showers and bathing. These issues show a possible problem with your thermostat and the need for a gas hot water heater thermostat repair.
Drain and Flush
Sometimes the repair services you need deal with dirty water or noises you hear within the tank. This means that the water you have in the tank or the tank itself have become contaminated. If this is the case, you will need to have your hot water heater drained and flushed. This ideally should be done by a professional that can inspect the heater during the drain and flush process and determine what is causing the dirt or noise and if further repairs should be done.
These are just a few of the signs your gas hot water heater may be having an issue. If you are experiencing any of these signs, contact your local plumber. They can perform an inspection and discuss the repair options with you. They can also discuss upgrading your hot water heater if that is an option that would solve one or more of your issues. Contact a plumbing contractor to learn more.
