Water heater tanks at home usually are pretty reliable for long time use. Some of these problems can easily be resolved without having to call a repair man and be charged for the repairs. Here are some general troubleshooting tips that may help you try to repair your water heater.

Initial Steps

Before doing any troubleshooting on the water heater tank, make sure that you know the precautionary measures in order to prevent possible accidents. First of all, make sure that you turn off the power in the electric water heater by turning the circuit breaker of the water heater off.

It is also important to shut off the cold water supply going into the water heater tank. Another precaution is having a nearby hot water faucet open that would act as an outlet in case of pressure buildup during troubleshooting. It is also important to set the pilot control valve into the pilot setting.

No Hot Water Problem

When no hot water is produced by the hot water heater, the problem may usually found on a faulty gas pilot which provides the ignition source for the burner.

The problem may also be due to a faulty thermocouple. It checks the heat from the pilot flame is hot enough to sustain burning of the fuel going into burner or otherwise it shuts off the gas supply. The problem may also lie from a faulty thermostat or a faulty heating element.

Not Enough Hot Water

There are times when the water heater works but doesn't seem to provide enough hot water when needed. This can happen sometimes when the water heater tank may be too small to provide the hot water needs of the home. In this case, a larger water tank replacement may be in order.

In other cases, the problem may lie on faulty water heater components. A broken dip tube inside the tank may allow cold and hot water to mix unnecessarily in the tank.

A faulty electric heating element or a faulty heating element thermostat may also contribute to the problem. Inadequate hot water supply may also be due to faulty plumbing where cold and hot water connections may be crossing somewhere in the pipes.

Rusty Hot Water

Older water heater tanks may eventually produce rusty colored water. One reason for this might be due to the corrosion that may be occurring inside the water storage tank. It can also be a result of a faulty sacrificial anode rod inside the tank.

This rod helps prevent the rusting inside the tank by attracting the corrosive forces into it instead of the tank lining. In this case, a replacement of the sacrificial anode rod may help resolve the problem.