What to Do When Your Hot Water Messes Up!

We all encounter problems with our hot water systems at some point in life. A lack of hot water is one of the worst things that can happen, especially when you are just looking forward to running a nice hot bubble bath. There is a big difference between having no water and having hot water to go missing to know what to do if your hot water seems to disappear. 

It could be something as simple as needing boiler repair, or it could mean an entire boiler replacement. Either way, if you know how to troubleshoot the issue, you're going to get much more familiar with your water heater and you won't run out of hot water. Let's take a look at some of the things that you can do below to make sure that you understand why your hot water seems to have run out.

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• Think about the size of your water heater. How much is your household currently using? There is every chance that your tank is not big enough and that means your hot water is running out because you don't have enough capacity for more hot water at a time. Nobody wants to have to deal with not being able to have a hot shower before work, so make sure that your tank is big enough in the first place.
• What is the thermostat doing? Your usual heater is usually set between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If yours is at the lower end, there's every chance that you could increase it and provide more hot water for your household. Never put the temperature of your water below 120 degrees, because this can actually cause bacteria and nobody wants to have a shower that leads to infection.
• Check the circuit breaker. If you have an electronic hot water heater instead of a gas one, there's every chance that the switch has been tripped and you're not getting the heat applied to that water system in the first place. Just like anywhere else in the house, the circuit breaker can short for many reasons, so make sure that you can just flip the switch back on to restore power to the water heater. If the heater is not an issue because of a circuit switch, you need to call an electrician.
• Is the pilot light out? So if you don't have an electric water heater, it should be gas and that means that the pilot light may be out. This light is what ignites the gas burners to heat the water in the tank in the first place and something as simple as a gust of wind can put it out. Re-lighting the pilot on a newer water heater can be as simple as pushing a button, but there are older units out there with a requirement for manual lighting. If this is yours, you might want to consider upgrading it because your boiler should be upgraded every ten years at least.