Gas Hot Water Heater Troubleshooting Tips

A gas water heater provides plenty of hot water for your entire family’s daily needs, so you probably give it little thought—until it breaks down. Knowing a few troubleshooting tips may help save you money and aggravation, since a few problems are easily remedied with minimal skills. Gas water heater installation require safety precautions, though, so always turn to a professional for anything you do not feel comfortable tackling. 

Safety First

Natural gas or LP Gas is dangerous in the hands of amateurs. If you have any hesitation about working on gas hot water heaters, contact a professional HVAC contractor immediately. If, of course, you smell the tracer chemical in gas (the rotten egg smell), turn the gas valve to OFF and immediately evacuate or air out your house. Contact your natural gas utility. 

Before investigating your gas water heater, turn the gas pilot control valve to the setting marked pilot. This prevents the burner from igniting gas while you are poking around. 

Pilot Light

Gas hot water heaters often use a pilot light, which can easily go out. This is the first item to check when you have no hot water. Modern water heaters provide safety features, such as a thermocouple, to prevent gas flowing when the pilot light is out. You access the pilot light by removing the metal cover at the bottom of most gas hot water heaters. 

• If the pilot light is out, you should see instructions on the side of the heater to relight it safely. 
• A pilot light may mean a defective thermocouple, which is beyond most homeowners’ abilities to replace. 

No Pilot Light? No Worries!

More modern hot water heaters may forego the pilot light altogether, and provide you with a spark ignitor or glow plug. Here again, if you are uncomfortable following your owner’s manual for repairs, contact a reliable HVAC contractor such as H&H Heating & Air Conditioning. 

Thermostat

Check the heater’s thermostat—120 degrees is an energy-efficient minimum—and confirm the desired setting. To test, turn on a hot water tap in the house and let it run, checking to see if the water heater’s burner ignites in response to the call for more hot water. Adjust the thermostat up and down to see if a different setting triggers the ignition. 

No Ignition?

If after checking the pilot light and thermostat, you still have no ignition, the thermostat could be defective. This is beyond your late-night tinkering abilities; call a professional serving your area. 

Not Enough Hot Water

Hot water heaters do not last forever, and changes to your family can increase demand for more water.

• A common problem is a small water heater ideal for two, but as your family expands, the water heater becomes too small. 
• Another cause of inadequately heated hot water is a weak burner flame. The gas should be burning beautiful blue with just a feathering of yellow at the tip.  

While some issues with  gas boiler installation, replacement & service or hot water heaters are within most homeowners’ skill set, knowing when to call a professional could be the best skill of all. Contact H&H Heating & Air Conditioning today for hot water heater inspection and repair in Malvern, Chaddsford and surrounding areas.