You never really think about having hot water and how much it affects your daily life until suddenly you don’t have any. When it suddenly stops working, it can really throw off your routine and have you scurrying for answers. But before you call in a professional boiler service, there is some troubleshooting you can do on your own.
You can go through a checklist of possible reasons and check each one. It may be something simple that you can fix yourself. Or, you might find out that you do need to call in a professional like these gas engineers Wimbledon has available. In this article, we will go over several things to do before you call a pro.
1 – Check the thermostat
The first thing you should check when you have no hot water is the thermostat on your water heater. Sometimes, the issue is as simple as the temperature setting being too low. The thermostat controls how hot the water gets, and if it’s not set correctly, you might end up with lukewarm or cold water.
Take a look at the thermostat dial on your water heater. Sometimes your thermostat can reset to another temperature if you lost power or there was a power surge that affected your boiler.
The recommended setting for most households is around 120°F (49°C). If you find that the thermostat is set below this, try adjusting it to the proper temperature and wait a bit to see if the water heats up.
If the thermostat is already set to the right temperature and you still don’t have hot water, then it’s time to move on to the next step.
2 – Check for power
After checking the thermostat, the next thing to look at is whether your water heater is getting power. Whether your heater runs on electricity or gas, problems with the power source can stop it from heating water.
If you have an electric water heater, go to your circuit breaker or fuse box. Check if any breakers have tripped or if any fuses have blown.
For gas water heaters, make sure the gas supply is on. Check the gas valve on the heater to see if it’s fully open. Also, look at the pilot light to see if it’s lit. If it’s not, you’ll need to relight it by following the instructions on your heater.
3 – Check the age of the boiler
Like any appliance, water heaters don’t last forever. If your unit is getting old, it might be more likely to have issues that could affect your hot water.
If your heater is older than eight or ten years, then it may be that it is time to replace it especially if your hot water issues are happening more frequently. Even if you manage to get it working again, the same problem could come back soon. A new water heater can save you the hassle of frequent breakdowns and might even lower your energy bills since newer models are more efficient.
