Water-heater problems, alerts and safety boundaries

Water heater problems: no hot water, leaks and alerts

The first question with a water heater is whether it is gas, electric, a tank or tankless, because the checks are different. A tank that has no hot water may have a tripped breaker or reset button on an electric model, or a pilot, thermocouple or gas supply issue on a gas model, and a tankless unit that shows a code is usually reporting a flow, ignition, vent or sensor problem. Water around the tank is the one fault that needs immediate attention: find out where it comes from, turn off the water supply and the power or gas, and call a plumber, since a leaking tank cannot be repaired.

Heat-pump water heaters add a filter alert that clears when the air filter is cleaned, and they take longer to recover than a standard tank in efficiency mode. Temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit can scald, so check the setting. Draining sediment from a tank yearly keeps it efficient. Manufacturer codes for Rheem, Navien, A. O. Smith and others are on the error-code pages, with a note on what you can safely check yourself.