When Do You Need Tankless Water Heater Repair? | San Antonio, TX
Nowadays more San Antonio, TX, homeowners are installing tankless water heaters because of how well they perform and how reliable they are, but sometimes it can happen that things start going wrong, and they find themselves in need of tankless water heater repair in San Antonio, TX. In many cases, they missed the signs that something could be amiss and by the time they realized something was wrong, their water heater had stopped working completely. If you have a tankless water heater in your home, do you know what to look for to determine if you need tankless water heater repair? Below we point out a few of the most common causes for tankless water heater repair, as well as how you can prevent them from happening so you don’t find yourself getting shot by a jet of ice-cold water on a winter day. Let’s take a look.
The Heating Elements Gave Out
There are two types of tankless water heaters, those that use natural gas as their source of power, and the ones that depend on electric power to function. Oftentimes, when an electric tankless water heater stops performing correctly, the culprit is the heating element, which can be broken or worn out. Calling for tankless water heater repair, will ensure a San Antonio, TX, professional is able to evaluate your water heater to determine whether all connections and circuits are in good working order and that the only cause of the problem is the heating element. While a broken heating element can be easily replaced, it is imperative that a tankless water heater repair expert take a look at your entire unit to prevent any other issues in the foreseeable future, allowing you to enjoy hot water once again.
Sediment Has Built Up On Parts of Your Water Heater
One of the biggest problems with hard water in San Antonio, TX, is the accumulation of sediment and scale throughout your home’s entire water system, including your tankless water heater. Even though the most damage by hard water is usually reserved for storage tank water heaters, tankless units are not exempt from the buildup of sediment or scale on their different parts, including the heating elements, corroding them and causing your tankless water heater to malfunction and, eventually, fail. One of the most effective ways of preventing this issue is to schedule a regular maintenance program with a reputable tankless water heater repair expert, who can remove any sediment or scale building up in your water heater before it causes any serious damage that can lead to more expensive repairs.
The Gas Burner Is Not Working
Tankless water heaters that are powered by natural gas can have problems that are similar to those suffered by their electric counterparts. In this manner, instead of having trouble with the heating element, the problem can be found in the gas burner. A tankless water heater repair professional will be able to identify the issue and perform any necessary maintenance or repairs to ensure you have hot water flowing through your home again in no time at all.
Keep in mind that if you are the DIY type, working with natural gas can be dangerous in many ways, and can lead to severe injuries and even death. So, if you don’t have any formal training, your best bet will always be to call in a licensed professional to get the job done safely.
While these are some of the most common reasons for tankless water heater repair, there are several issues that could appear over time, especially if you don’t have a regular maintenance program in place to keep your unit in good working order. The following tankless water heater problems should never be ignored or left to fester because they can lead to much more expensive repairs or the loss of your entire water heater. Let’s take a look at what they are and the signs of potential trouble.
Your System Is Overloaded
One of the first things you should consider when you switch from a storage tank water heater to its tankless counterpart is its water capacity. Because tankless water heaters are designed to supply hot water on demand and to be more compact than traditional water heaters, it’s easy to overload them. If the hot water demand on your water heater is too high, such as when several hot water fixtures are running at once, you run the risk of overloading the water heater. For example, you have the washing machine running, while somebody is washing the dishes in the kitchen, and you are taking a shower. If the capacity of your tankless unit is not high enough, one of those fixtures is going to end up getting only cold water instead of the hot water it is demanding.
When a tankless water heater is overloaded, it can turn itself off to prevent any major breakdowns, in which case you will have to reset it and avoid demanding too much of it in the future. However, if you can’t avoid the conditions that lead to continuous overloading of your water heater, you should start thinking about getting an additional unit or upgrading to one that offers a larger capacity. Yes, it may seem like a huge expense, but the truth is that it may actually end up saving you money over the long term. A reputable tankless water heater repair service will be able to offer several different options to cover your hot water needs, so make sure to give them a call to see how they can help.
A Cold Water Sandwich Is Not Something You Want For Lunch
Because of the way a tankless water heater works, it is highly likely you have experienced a “cold water sandwich” at one time or another. If you aren’t familiar with the term, consider yourself lucky, because it can be very unpleasant when it happens. Keep in mind that tankless water heaters work on demand. This means that they only produce hot water when you need it, as opposed to storage tank water heaters that store a supply of hot water. Let’s say somebody in your home took a shower and now you are getting ready to take one too. The first water to come out of your shower head will be nice and warm, but in a few seconds you are getting hit by ice-cold water that sends you straight into a corner of your shower stall. Soon after the nasty surprise, the water will start warming up again. What happens in his situation is that because tankless water heaters don’t have the ability to store hot water, they will only heat up the water in the pipes for as long as the shower is on. Once the first person taking a shower is done, and they shut the water off, the heater will stop working. This means that while some hot water will be left in the pipes, no more water will be heated until the shower is turned on again. Then there will be a short waiting period until the new demand for hot water reaches the shower, and before it does, cold water will come out. While there is no way to prevent this situation, and there’s nothing a tankless water heater service can do about it, talking to a tankless water heater repair expert in San Antonio, TX, will help you decide of you need to upgrade to a higher capacity unit or you can simply let the water run for a few minutes before you get in the shower and end up shivering in a corner.
When Your Water Heater’s Exhaust Gets Blocked
A good portion of tankless water heaters feature a display screen that allows you to visualize any error codes that tell you what may be happening when things go wrong. Such is the case of a blocked air supply or vent, which can cause problems with the water heater’s combustion or exhaust cycles. A professional tankless water heater repair service will take a look to see whether the clearances are correct, or if there are any leaks or holes in your exhaust pipes, and if they are adequately connected. They will also verify that no objects are blocking the entrance of air into your unit, and that no birds, vermin, or insects have made their home in your water heater. Once all blockages have been removed, they will reset and test your unit to verify everything is working as it should.
Scheduling a good maintenance program with your tankless water heater repair expert will ensure these problems are avoided before they become a fire hazard that could put your family and property in harm’s way.
Failure to Ignite
Once in a while it may happen that your tankless water heater fails to ignite. The most common reason for this issue is your San Antonio, TX, home’s gas supply, so make sure your gas tank is full before you call for tankless water heater repair. As we have mentioned before, whenever you are dealing with issues in a gas powered system, make sure you call a tankless water heater repair service that has the knowledge and expertise to handle the problem and don’t put your family in danger by trying to fix it yourself.
The tankless water heater repair expert will inspect your system’s gas and water valves in search of the problem. They will also verify if the ignition pack is fully functional or if the problem is located elsewhere. In many cases, the problem will only require some adjustments, but in others, the replacement of certain parts may be necessary, which is why a good maintenance program should be followed to avoid these unwanted issues in the future.
The Flame Fails Constantly
A flame failure is not a common event in a well-maintained tankless water heater, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. The problem begins when it starts happening constantly, even when your gas tank is full. Some of the reasons for this could include a malfunctioning regulator, problems with your vents, and electrical issues, among others. In this case, as with any other issues with your water heater, your best bet is to call a tankless water heater repair service to inspect your unit and repair the problem before it becomes a hazard to your family.
One of the most valued features of tankless water heaters is that they require very little maintenance and are known as being extremely efficient, but that doesn’t mean you will never have problems. A regular maintenance schedule performed by a reputable tankless water heater repair professional will ensure you avoid running into trouble when you least expect, or want it.
Warning Signs to Look For
Similar to any other appliances, tankless water heaters tend to give you signals that something can go wrong soon. Below you will find some of the most common warning signs that will allow you to identify when you should call a tankless water heater repair service in San Antonio, TX, to inspect and repair your unit before the situation becomes even more complicated.
- The pressure of your hot water starts dropping
- The water is not hot enough or simple feels lukewarm
- The unit keeps shutting down
- Some of the other appliances in your home, such as the dishwasher or your washing machine have started acting strange and not performing normally.
- You find a leak in your water heater or find mysterious puddles underneath it
What Should You Do If Your Tankless Water Heater Stops Working?
Tankless water heaters are extremely effective and break down much less than traditional storage tank units, but that doesn’t mean you won’t run into trouble from time to time. If your tankless water heater has malfunctioned or failed outright, it may be time to contact bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio, the foremost tankless water heater repair service in the area, for help. So, don’t wait any longer and give bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio a call today!
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