April 19, 2023

DIY water heater repair

Water heaters are often forgotten until there's no hot water or the water gets cold halfway through a shower. If your water heater doesn't heat quickly enough, doesn't heat at all or your hot water smells like rotten eggs, Sears PartsDirect's troubleshooting guidance can help you narrow down and fix the problem.

When the hot water disappears, follow the steps in our no hot water video to figure out what's wrong. If your water is too hot, watch our water too hot video to figure out what the cause might be. Both videos will point you toward what part to replace and our DIY repair guides will walk you through the repair step by step

If you see an error code, look it up on our water heater error code charts and then follow the steps to find out what part to replace. To find out how to drain the tank on your electric water heater or get answers to common questions, check out our articles and videos. To find the owner’s manual or a complete list of replacement parts for your water heater, search for your model number.

Water Heaters

Symptoms common to all water heaters

Choose a symptom to see related water heater repairs.

Main causes: thermostat temperature set too high, thermostats need adjustment, faulty thermostat, shorted heating element
Main causes: faulty pressure relief valve, water is overheating
Main causes: broken heating element, thermostat failure, excessive tank sediment, tank size too small, burner valve assembly failure
Main causes: lack of power, no gas supply, thermostat limit switch tripped, bad element, bad thermostat, gas valve failure, bad thermocouple
Main causes: water supply needs chlorine treatment, anode rod too reactive
Main causes: thermostats need adjustment, water heater capacity too low, bad heating element, thermostat failure, excessive tank sediment
Main causes: loose water pipe fittings, leaky drain valve, bad temperature-pressure relief valve, leaky heating element, cracked tank

Articles and videos common to all water heaters

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

October 24, 2022

Easy DIY appliance repairs that anyone can do

Easy DIY appliance repairs that anyone can do

Get advice on simple DIY fixes for appliances that you can safely do on your own.

April 10, 2020

Cleaning your appliances after a drinking water advisory

Cleaning your appliances after a drinking water advisory

Find out how to clean and flush household appliances once a boil water advisory is lifted.

August 01, 2015

Easy DIY water heater repairs

Easy DIY water heater repairs

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