Guide: plumbing
No hot water? Check these before you call.
Start with the simple things: the breaker for an electric water heater, the pilot light or error code on a gas one, and whether the hot water ran out because of heavy use. If those are fine, or the tank is leaking, rumbling or smells of gas, call a plumber. Water heater repair and replacement is plumbing work.
Connects you to an independent plumbing company. Home Service Lab does not perform the work and does not set the price.
Quick checks, safest first
- Is it every tap or just one? One cold faucet points to that fixture or its mixing valve. Every tap cold points to the water heater.
- Electric heater: check the breaker. A tripped breaker for the water heater is a common cause. If it trips again after you reset it, stop and call.
- Gas heater: check the pilot or the display. Many newer units show an error code or a blinking light. Follow the relighting steps on the label only if you are comfortable doing it.
- Check the setting. The US Department of Energy suggests 120°F for most homes. A dial turned right down will feel like no hot water.
- Look at the base of the tank. Water pooling under the heater means the tank or a fitting is leaking. Turn off the water supply to the heater and call.
Smell gas? Leave the house, do not switch anything on or off, and call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
Signs it is a plumber job.
Water around the tank, rust-colored hot water, popping or rumbling from the tank, a breaker that keeps tripping, or a pilot that will not stay lit. Tank water heaters also wear out with age, and a plumber can tell you whether a repair is worth it.
In many cities, replacing a water heater needs a permit. Ask the plumber whether the permit is included in their price.
Questions
Common questions
Who do I call when I have no hot water?
A plumber. Water heater repair and replacement, gas or electric, is plumbing work in most places.
Why did my hot water run out so fast?
Heavy use, a thermostat set too low, or sediment built up in the bottom of the tank. If it keeps happening with normal use, have a plumber look at the heater.
Being straight with you
We connect the call. We do not do the work.
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Local pages
Plumbing in your city.
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