Tag Archives: water heater repair services

How To Insulate Your Water Heater

water heater repair

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

water heater repair

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.