Purchasing a new water heater can be out of the question if your budget doesn’t allow for it. Whether you’ve recently had a financial emergency or you’re strapped for cash due to other home renovations, a seemingly broken water heater can send your stress level through the roof. Before you call an HVAC company about a busted water heater in a panic, you should know that there may be ways to relight a water heater if that’s the chief problem.
If the heating element has power but not heating capabilities, relighting the water heater may be the easiest solution. If you notice that the water is warm but not hot in your shower, relighting it can improve the temperature of the water. Of course, homeowners and non-professionals won’t be able to distinguish electric heater problems from a broken water heater. This is why it’s important to get professional help if you suspect your water heater needs to be relit.
Those with some experience in water heater maintenance may be able to complete the task on their own, but it’s still wise to at least consult with a professional who works in the field so you don’t damage your water heater. Read on to learn more.
It may be surprising to note, but indoor plumbing has been around since at least 2500 B.C. Since then, plumbing systems have definitely come a long way, but there are still many things that can go wrong in modern homes. Some problems you may have come down to your water heater. There are plenty of reasons to have to replace water heaters in the home, whether it’s a bad leak or it’s surpassed its years of wear and tear, but sometimes the solutions are a lot simpler than that.
Relighting Your Water Heater
Before you consider investing in a new water heater or relying on local plumbers to do the job, you should make sure the problem isn’t that your water heater light has turned off. The simplest sign that your water heater has gone off is that you’re not receiving hot water throughout the house. You can also check the small glass at the bottom of your water heater to see if the short flame is still on.
If this does seem to be the problem, this is a solution that should only take a couple minutes to fix. Gas water heaters generally have the same set up near the bottom, so the basic steps are applicable regardless of make or model.
The first step would be to set your water heater’s dial to Pilot Lighting, which should be the lowest setting on the dial. Then, you should press down on your gas control knob and switch it over to the Pilot mode. While it’s on Pilot mode, you should press down on it for a short time, ranging between 15 to 30 seconds.
After the gas control knob is on held on pilot, you should press down on the ignitor no more than 5 times. This should kickstart your water heater, but in the case it doesn’t work the first time, you can try theses steps again.
Once it looks like the pilot is on, you simply switch the control knob back to ON and then set the thermostat dial on your preferred settings. You should be able to hear a flame start up at this point. These steps should also be on your personal water heater’s manual, which will include more in-depth directions and safety precautions to consider
Assessing Other Problems
If the problem seems to be more than needing to relight your water heater, then solutions can be harder to come by. In some cases, home owners need to replace water heaters, as their lifespan of 7 to 15 years has been surpassed.
You should consider purchasing a water heater that fits within your budget or speaking with professional plumbers that can help you with your problem. In many instances, the solution may not be as simple as reigniting your water heater, and professionals will be able to better assess what exactly is going on with your system.
Remember to try these steps and read your water heater’s manual before setting yourself up to the task. In cases where you need to repair or replace water heater valves or the unit as a whole, speak to a professional that can help you keep your home as good as new.
