Tag Archives: water heater problems

How To Insulate Your Water Heater

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Do you want to save money on your energy bills? You should undertake water heater insulation. When your water heater is properly insulated less heat is lost in the air. This results to the water getting hot fast thus saving you power.

How To Insulate The Water Heater

You should measure your water heater in order to determine the size of faced fibreglass insulation that you should buy. You should also remember to buy duct tape to attach the insulation.

You should cut the insulation into tiny strips and wrap them horizontally around the water heater. You should use the duct tape to join the insulation strips.

To be able to control the water heater even while insulated you should cut out holes for the controls and faucets. You should leave at least 2 inches of exposed area around the flue collar. You should also keep the burner access free from insulation.

To ensure that the water heater is properly insulated you should carefully tape around any unsealed edges of the fibreglass.

Once you are through you should set the thermostat between 120-130 degrees. Any temperature higher than this will overheat the wires thus damaging your heater.

Water heater experts recommend that you should place a piece of rigid insulation under your water heater in order to save more on your power bills.

Helpful tips

Although, you can insulate your water heater if you have the right skills, it’s highly discouraged that you insulate the water heater if you have never done it before. For your water heater to be properly insulated, you should hire the services of certified water heater insulation professional.

When buying the insulation material you should be cautious and ensure that you buy it from a reputable home improvement store. To buy the insulation material at a lower price you should make your purchase during the warm months of the year.

When you are installing the insulation you should be cautious that you don’t cover the flue on top. You should also avoid covering the top of the water heater. You should remember that the insulation is combustible; therefore, you should keep it away from frame sources.

In addition to installing the insulation material on your water heater you should ensure that you regularly clean your unit. When it develops problems, you should ensure that it’s fixed by a water heater repair professional.

How To Trooubleshoot An Electric Water Heater

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Electric water heaters are a must have at home. The unfortunate thing is that they tend to develop problems. Hiring an electric water heater repair professional is good, but it takes time to find a good one and it’s usually expensive. Due to this, it’s wise that you learn how troubleshoot your electric water heater.

Electric water heaters tend to develop three main problems: lack of function, smelly water and loss of hot water.

Lack of function

This is when there is no electrical current reaching the water heater. You should start by taking a look at the circuit breaker and ensure that it’s on the “on” position. If it’s in the on position and still not working, you should take a look at the thermostat terminals marked “L1” and “L2.”

To have an easy time, you should use a voltage meter that will help you in knowing whether current is reaching the terminals.

Smelly water

Smelly water is another water heater problem and it comes from the decay of the anode rod. The rod is usually placed inside the water heater in order to prevent the tank from corroding. Bacteria accumulate on the rod thus causing the water to smell bad and have bad taste.

To troubleshoot water heater problem you should remove all the water from the tank and wash it with a solution of 3% peroxide. You should allow the solution to sit in the tank for two hours and then remove it.

Loss of hot water

There are many factors that can bring about this problem. For example, the problem can be brought by a faulty valve, wear and tear, and thermostat and heating element problems.

If the problem is coming from a faulty valve you should replace it. A clear sign that the problem is as a result of wear and tear is the flickering or non-functioning for the pilot lights.

You should take a look at the thermostat and heating elements and ensure that power is reaching them. If power isn’t reaching them, you should carefully remove the wires to the heating elements.

Conclusion

These are electric water heater troubleshooting tips. If you do all of the above and the problem doesn’t go away, you should seek water heater repair services. Here you only need to contact a water heater repair professional who will repair the equipment for you. You should note that there are some water heater problems that can’t be repaired; therefore, you need to buy a new electric water heater.

3 Types Of Water Heater Leaks

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It’s common for water heaters to leak due to a number of reasons. It’s good to note that there are many types of water heater leaks with the main ones being:

Condensation leaks

They are common with gas water heaters. The problem presents itself when you put the water heater on for the first time during the cold weather. The good thing with this problem is that it disappears when the water in the tank warms up.

If you notice water pooling or dripping on or near the water heater, you should dry it up and wait for some time. If you come back and find that the area is still dry, the problem was a condensation issue.

Pipes

Loose pipes are bound to leak if they aren’t tightly fitted to the water heater. The most common area where the leak originates is at the top of the water heater where the cold water supply line and the hot water exit line connect to the tank. It’s common for a leak to develop around the anode rod fitting on the top of the tank.

In rare cases, you will find that the thermostat is the source of the leak. If you have an electric water heater, the heating elements maybe the problem.

Tank

If your water heater is old or damaged, it’s bound to leak. You should note that it’s almost impossible to repair water heater leaks on the tank body—you need to replace the water heater.

Points to remember

You should repair a leaking water heater as soon as you can in order to avoid damaging your home and health. Even a small, slow leak has the potential of damaging your floors and sub-floors. Wet floor promotes the growth of mildew and mold which is harmful to your health.

Before you take a look at the leaking water heater, you should shut off power getting into the appliance. You should also shut off the water supply.

While there are some leaks such as pipe leaks that you can repair on your own, its wise that you hire a water heater repair professional who will not only fix the leaking problem, but who will also ensure that the water heater is safe to use after repair. A water heater repair professional also ensures that the water heater problem doesn’t recur.

Water Heater Repair: What You Need To Know About The Water Heater

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If you have a water heater in your place of work you need to take good care of it to not only avoid regular water heater repair Alexandria, but also keep your unit functioning optimally. To help you out, here are tips you should consider:

Water heater maintenance tips

There are some things you can do to keep your unit in top shape. Some of these things include:

Regular cleaning: There is no way your unit will function optimally if it’s dirty. At least once a year, drain the tank and get rid of any sediment that might be there. You can clean the tank on your own or hire a professional to help you out.

Undertake regular repairs: In addition to regularly pumping out the tank, you also need to fix the unit when problems arise. Most business owners ignore the minor issues that come with their tanks. This shouldn’t be you. Remember that when your tank develops problems, regardless of how minor they are, it functions inefficiently. To be on the safe side, hire a commercial kitchen appliances service professional to help you out.

Regular inspections: Repairing the water heater isn’t enough—you also need to regularly inspect it to identify the problems it might be having. At least once a year, hire an appliance repair professional to go around all the parts of the unit and fix any issues that might be present.

Tips on how to save money with your unit

If you have been using the water heater for a long time, you know that power consumption is a big problem. The cool thing is that you can reduce the amount of energy that your unit consumes using these tips:

Water heater blanket: The water heater blanket provides and an extra layer of insulation that prevents heat loss. As a consequence, you don’t keep on heating the water. The water sheet is usually cheap to purchase, and you can easily install it on your own.

Water pipe insulation: You also should consider insulating the hot water pipes that exit your storage tank. For great results, cover the first 4 feet of the pipe. Just like the blanket, the water pipe insulators are cheap and easy to install. When making the purchase, pay close attention to the size of the pipes. As rule of thumb, ensure that the pipes are of the right size.

Conclusion

These are tips to consider when using the water heater. To have an easy time with the units, work with experienced commercial kitchen appliance repairs professionals.