How Do You Fix A Tankless Water Heater Without Hot Water? | Kitchener ON

Tankless water heaters are one of the best appliances you can have in your home or office. You can install them anywhere and they work great. Not only are they very efficient, but they can also save you money by heating your water only when you need it. Like any other appliance, problems can arise after years of use or if something is not working properly inside your tankless water heater. Some problems have simple solutions and you can fix them yourself and some are more technical. Nevertheless, it is better to call a professional tankless water heater service to fix those issues. Let’s dive in and see what are those problems and how you can fix them.

When You Don’t Have Hot Water

Gas tankless water heaters have a pilot that turns on the fire and burners to generate heat, which is then transferred to the water as it passes through the unit to the faucet. When your tankless water heater is not heating water, the burners might not lit up when you turn on the hot water faucet to start the water flow. 

There can be many reasons why this can occur, including an electrical problem, a gas flow problem, damage or wear to the flow sensor that tells the unit when to activate, and an accumulation of dirt or dust affecting the pilot or burners. You must check if the electricity, water, and gas supply to the water heater are correct. 

Make sure the shut-off valve is not closed. You can examine for an electrical issue by inspecting your circuit breaker and looking for a visible pilot light or if it is battery operated, put new batteries. If your water heater trips its circuit frequently, there could be an electrical problem that will need to be repaired by your plumber.

The Fluctuation From Hot To Cold Water

Tankless heaters, like standard units, take a little time to heat the water. When the faucet is closed, it will stop heating the water until you turn it on again. If you have hot water flashing for a few seconds, it’s probably not a problem with your water heater, it’s a problem with the way you use it. Remember that the water heater stops heating the water when the tap is closed. 

This means that if someone else takes a shower before you do, it will take a few seconds for the water heater to turn back on. This will only happen once or twice while the device is heating up. The best thing to do is to let the faucet run for a few seconds before you start using the hot water, this will help you evade worry. However, if you notice that the temperature changes are occurring while showering or when no one else has used the faucet, call your plumber.

The Water Heater Does Not Turn On

Ignition problems are a nuisance. It should show a message that says something like “no power on”. This could be your gas supply, so naturally, before you continue, you’ll want to make sure you haven’t run out of fuel. The ignition system may also fail if the gas or water valves are not open or if those are partially closed. After checking your propane tank, gas, and water valves, your ignition block may be faulty. In many cases, the first three steps of checking will detect your ignition problem. If it is still blocked after that, you will need to call technical support.

The Calcium And Magnesium Build-Up

Whether you are using a generic or tankless water heater, you should be on the lookout for mineral build-up inside your water heater. Hard water, unlike soft water, is water with high mineral content, and the harder the water, the greater the potential for the accumulation of harmful minerals. 

Calcium and magnesium are the two most common minerals that cause tartar buildup. If you do not regularly check your water filter, debris can build up this far if it is not stopped by the water filter and build-up will occur. To resolve this problem, wash your water heater every six months with the cleaning chemical.

Auto Shutdown Problem

Each tankless water heater has a least and max flow rate, which shows the minimum and maximum amount of water, measured in gallons. If the amount of hot water you are requesting is less than your unit’s minimum flow, your unit will likely shut down as a safety measure. You see, if there isn’t enough cold water flowing through the heat exchanger, you run the risk of overheating. 

To not damage the heat exchanger and avoid getting burned with hot water, your tankless unit will shut down, giving you cold water during the showers. If this is a persistent problem, ask a tankless hot water repair service if you need to upgrade your water heater. However, the newer units offer higher flow rates. Very low minimum GPM, which means your unit will operate even when there is a low demand for hot water.