For most of us our water heater is something we take for granted and it never really crosses our minds. That is, until we wake up one day to a cold shower with no hot water. Then, it is suddenly apparent how important water heaters are to our daily lives.

If your water heater stops providing any hot water, or less than usual, or seems to be taking longer to heat up, it is important that it is checked out as soon as possible. If something is wrong and you need any water heater repairs, it’s always best to find and fix the problem quickly to help avoid something minor from becoming major damage.

There are a number of signs that your water heater is not working correctly. If you notice any of the following issues, you should call for service immediately. Waiting could allow a larger problem to develop and end up costing you a lot of money.

The most obvious sign that you almost certainly need water heater repairs is if it isn’t providing enough hot water or it is taking an excessively long time to warm up. This can be caused by several different things including a messed up thermostat, thinning of the insulation inside the unit, build up of sediment on the base of the water heater, or another issue.

Another common water heater problem is it not turning on when it is supposed to. After you use your hot water or after it has been sitting around for some time the temperature of the water in the tank drops below a certain level. When this happens the burners are supposed to turn on to heat it back up. If this doesn’t happen, you may need it repaired.

Of course, there are also warning signs of major issues that will likely require emergency repairs. For instance, if your water heater is leaking from anywhere, you should call for repairs right away! If you are lucky it could be something as simple as a loose connection. However, it might be a crack in the tank itself, which could result in a major mess if not repaired immediately. So it’s vital to fix it ASAP.

Other issues you might encounter would include strange sounds from the water heater, gas pressure changes, or a whole host of other things that may need taken care of immediately. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

If you have an issue that seems to be minor or your unit simply isn’t producing enough hot water, and nothing else appears to be wrong, we have listed some steps below that might help you solve the problem yourself. Otherwise, it’s important to get professional help, since a small issue can turn into a very large problem quite quickly.

If you have a water heater emergency or major issue please contact us immediately. If not, the following tips may help you take care of it on your own:

* Check your breaker box. If the breaker has been tripped for any reason, you won’t have power to the water heater. This is a potential reason why it wouldn’t be working.

* Open the service panel on your unit and make sure the wires are all securely connected. If you aren’t sure, use the owners manual for reference.

* Make sure there isn’t any oxidation around the wire connections. Rust, lime, and calcium can build up at these points and cause issues with the power.

* If you are a “do it yourself” type, you can replace the heating elements. There is usually an upper and lower unit. Your local hardware store should have the parts you need.

* If you do replace the heating elements, we advise you to also replace the thermostat since they often fail after a few years. These are relatively inexpensive and fairly easy to replace.

We do not typically recommend taking the DIY route, but in some cases it can be done. For all other water heater repair needs, you can contact us!