April 19, 2023

Water heater symptoms

A water heater with a heating element that fails often or a pilot that won't stay lit can leave you without enough hot water or no hot water at all. Fix the problem by using our symptoms and troubleshooting advice to pinpoint the cause of the failure. Order water heater repair parts by using the search bar at the top of the page then follow the step-by-step instructions in our electric water heater repair guides to restore your hot water supply.

water heater

Symptoms common to all water heaters

Choose a symptom to see related water heater repairs.

April 19, 2023

Main causes: thermostats need adjustment, water heater capacity too low, bad heating element, thermostat failure, excess…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: loose water pipe fittings, leaky drain valve, bad temperature-pressure relief valve, leaky heating element,…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: water supply needs chlorine treatment, anode rod too reactive…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: lack of power, no gas supply, thermostat limit switch tripped, bad element, bad thermostat, gas valve failu…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: broken heating element, thermostat failure, excessive tank sediment, tank size too small, burner valve asse…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: thermostat temperature set too high, thermostats need adjustment, faulty thermostat, shorted heating elemen…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: faulty pressure relief valve, water is overheating…

electric water heaters

Choose a symptom to see related water heater repairs.

April 19, 2023

Main causes: excessive tank sediment, high voltage supply…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: thermostats need adjustment, bad heating elements, faulty thermostats, tank sediment build-up, broken dip t…

gas water heaters

Choose a symptom to see related water heater repairs.

April 19, 2023

Main causes: lack of combustion air, ventilation draft, bad thermocouple…

Effective articles & videos to help repair your water heaters

Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your water heater.

Wiring schematic symbols explained video

Wiring schematic symbols explained video

Learn some of the most common symbols found in a wiring diagram and what they mean.…

Using a wiring schematic to trace a current video

Using a wiring schematic to trace a current video

Find out what’s wrong with your appliance by following a circuit.…

Easy DIY water heater repairs

Easy DIY water heater repairs

Read about some water heater repairs that you can easily do yourself.…