Taking cold showers might be good for bragging rights, but it’s kind of a horrible thing to do to yourself if you don’t need to. Even people who enjoy a cold shower every once in a while probably wouldn’t want that to be their only option when it came to washing up. If your water heater doesn’t seem moved by the muse of water heating to provide you with a warm shower, you probably have a problem. Read on to find out why your water heater output is low.
Clogged Burner Assembly
If you’re using a gas powered water heater, it’s possible that the burner jets in the system are actually clogged. This tends to happen due to carbon buildup on the jets in the assembly, which happens over time as a natural byproduct of combusting natural gas. The more clogged the jets become, the more likely they will be to fail to ignite when the system starts. No jets means no heat being created. Having a professional clean out your burner assembly for you should fix this problem.
Sediment Buildup
Another possible reason that your water heater isn’t providing enough hot water is that it has sediment buildup on the tank or heat exchanger. This is especially common in homes that have problems with hard water exposure. If the sediment buildup is bad enough, it will insulate the water in the system from the heat being generated. The system can be flushed out or scraped out to remove the sediment. You’ll need a professional technician to do it for you, though.
Thermostat Issues
The first thing you probably want to do when your water heater is having issues is to check the thermostat. It’s possible that the system is set incorrectly, in which case correcting the temperature should be all you need to do to resolve the problem. If the thermostat seems to be malfunctioning, though, you should call a professional to have a look at it for you. Please note, though, that if you don’t know what temperature your water heater is supposed to be set to, please don’t just crank it up higher. Consult with a professional or with the manufacturer to make sure the temperature range is set safely. If you set it too high, you could cause all kinds of other problems for yourself, including potential scalding.
Failure to Start
If your water heater doesn’t appear to even be on at all, then you should call for repairs immediately. It’s possible that you have an electrical issue that is preventing the system from starting, or the ignition system is out so the burner assembly can’t start. There are any number of different reasons why a water heater might fail to start up, all of which are going to need professional intervention in order to be corrected.
Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling provides comprehensive water heater repair services in Bucks County, PA. If you need help with your water heater, contact us today to schedule an appointment.