Hot Water Heater Controls

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   Gas forced air furnace and gas hot water heater controls were under water.?
   What has to be done to make them work again?

   • ANSWER:
     Replace them. No question. Do not attempt to use them

2. QUESTION:
   Is there a way to child proof the Hot Water Heater Controls?
   My son keeps getting into the garage and turning the knob either all the way up or off.
   The water heater is in the middle of the garage with no enclosure to lock. What I want to do something around the controls. Is there a way to childproof it. They have socket cover for electrical socket and they even have a cover for a power strip. What I am asking is if anybody knows of a way to close off the controls without having to enclose the water heater.

   • ANSWER:
     === logic says to take another look at the control and then determine the way to cover the control and prevent the little guy from access .... and sounds like he needs supervision and spanking ...

3. QUESTION:
   Can I reset the Pressure Relief Valve in my Hot Water Heater?
   Water is pouring out the Temperature & Pressure Relief Valve. The water heater had been set to "Vacation" mode for months. I turned it back to a normal temp setting and five minutes later water was pouring out through the relief valve pipe. I turned off the water to the hot water heater to control the water flow. Can I reset the valve or do I need to replace it? Can I do this myself?

   • ANSWER:
     The pressure relief valve can be manually opened but cannot be reset. The spring inside is set to open and should close back up when the pressure inside the tank has been alleviated. With that being said and not knowing the age of your water heater, I think you should replace your exercised relieve valve. Its not too costly and can be obtained from places like Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Upon replacement, make sure to shut off heating source, water source and drain tank slightly to level lower than relieve valve location. You might want to let tank cool slightly to prevent getting burned. Also, don't forget to get "pipe dough" to give a tight seal between the tank and the relieve valve. Good luck!

4. QUESTION:
   Maytag Series 9 Hot Water Heater Gas Control Replacement Instructions?

   • ANSWER:
     Don't particularly know what the Series 9 has to do with it, but if it's a standard water heater gas valve/thermostat, it just unscrews from the side of the tank. The thermostat portion of the unit goes into the tank, in the water, which is how it senses the temp. First, shut off the gas line, disconnect that black pipe from the valve, then disconnect the 3 lines coming out from the bottom, there will be a thermocouple line, a burner line in the middle and the right end will be the pilot feed line. Once they are all off, you can unscrew the valve from the tank, install the new one just in the opposite way and reattach the lines underneath. Reconnect the gas line, checking for leaks and then light the unit.

5. QUESTION:
   PLEASE!!!! how long does water heater take to make hot water if turned on but off for about an hour???
   my brother turned it off an hour ago, b4 dat lots a hot water, so i re lit pilot, its on, flaming, but NO WATER comes out of sink when hot water turned on, only cold when cold on....there are is a knob outside by garden hose, which controls hot water, but it wont do anything to influence hot water coming out at this time, but did before

   thanks for helping, need to get hardened soap OOOFFF ME!! TIME A FACTOR HAHAHHA.

   • ANSWER:
     If you aren't getting any water to come out (cold or hot) when you turn on the hot water faucet, you probably need to turn the hot water on. Your brother must have shut off the water valve on the water pipe the goes into your water heater.

     If this is the case, you shouldn't have your pilot light on and your water heater going. You might damage your water heater.

     You should also find out why your brother turned the water off. There may be a leak somewhere or some other problem that he is working on.

     If everything is OK, you should be able to turn the water back on by opening the valve, then re-light the pilot light, turn the burner on, and within about a half an hour you should start seeing warm water.

6. QUESTION:
   How do I light my hot water heater??
   My hot water heater isn't heating water. I took off the little metal panel at the bottom but I can't make heads or tails out of the stuff I see. There really isn't much to see either. I don't hear the gas, you know the sound you normally hear when it's heating. I also don't see a tiny flame. Shouldn't there be a tiny flame?? I looked on the top and bottom, yet I can't even find the name or model of the darn thing. It's wrapped in insulation that I have ZERO interest in removing either! It's relatively new, like maybe three years old and it's pretty large. About seventy gallons if I had to guess. There are two controls and a little red button that I can push down on when the top dial is on the "pilot" position. That same top dial has "off", "on" and "pilot". The lower dial has "warm", "hot" and "vacation." LOL, and please, no smart asses, YES I paid my gas bill!! :p
   Any ideas??
   OK guys, thanks for all the great advice! Unfortunately, nothing seems to work. All of your detailed instructions were really great and so easy to follow. It looks like I'm going to have to call someone to take a look at it. I saw that Ioerr said the part was inexpensive, but the hubby is deployed and I have a two year old, so I don't want to risk catching my face on fire or anything by trying to do it myslef. :p Can any of you guys tell me about what the repair person should charge for a repair like the one you've described? I can't count the times I've been overcharged for this king of thing since my husband was deployed. Your help is VERY much appreciated!
   "kind of thing, that is, not king. Oh, and who does these kinds of repairs?? Appliance repair people?

   • ANSWER:
     Turn the top dial to off, turn the lower dial all the way down to the lowest temperature, let it sit for 5 minutes or so. Sniff around for gas and call service if you smell it.

     Locate the pilot light. It's probaby under that metal plate you took off. There should be a couple metal lines going down from the top dial, through the plate and down under the tank. The pilot light will be attached to the thicker one. The thinner one will be the thermistor. It may be bad.

     You need a lighter or a long match or a long piece of burning paper or someting. Turn the top dial to pilot. Push down the button and hold it down. While holding down the button, apply
     a flame to the pilot light outlet until you see the little flame coming out of it.

     Keep the button pushed down for about a minute after the pilot is lit.

     If the pilot goes out after you release the button, you either didn't hold it down long enough or your thermistor is bad. If your button doesn't pop up when you release it call for service.

     If you decide your thermistor is bad you can buy a new one at the hardware store for a few bucks, or call service.

     If the pilot stays lit after you release the button, turn the top dial to on, and turn bottom dial to your desired water temperature setting. The burner will probably kick on. Replace the plate.

7. QUESTION:
   We need to run a pipe from the pressure control valve of a hot water heater out of the house...?
   it's a small 10 gal hot water heater under the wet bar in the daylight basement of a house we're in the process of buying. The seller won't fix it and we're wondering round about how much this would cost us to fix. Any suggestions?

   • ANSWER:
     Heather,
     The pressure relief valve is there to protect the water heater from exploding due to excess pressure. The line leaving the water heater should be a copper pipe, either 3/8",5/8" 1/2 or 3/4" diameter.
     You will need to determine the size of the pipe exiting the relief valve, and then you are off to Home Depot or local hardware store for some easy to install parts.
     If you are unsure of the pipe size just hold a piece of paper on the end of the pipe and then use a pencil to draw a line aroiund it. Then take the drawing to the store with you.
     You will need to buy a brass compression union ( either 3/8",5/8"1/2" or 3/4" based on your pipe measurement. You will also need some pipe to run from the heater to the outside of the house. Remember, the pipe will only get water if there is too much pressure and the valve opens up. Hardly ever happens with todays quality water heaters.
     If you take your manual and the measurements of the pipe to Home Depot and ask for a plumbing expert they will be able too hook you up with parts in less than 10 minutes. The pipe and fittings should be less than 25.00 total cost.
     Since the fittings I recommend are compression the only tools you will need are a tubing cutter if you have to cut the pipes you buy, and a crescent wrench or pliers to tighten the compression union.
     Hope this helps!

8. QUESTION:
   tankless gas hot water heater with electrical gas lighting.?
   I have a gas tankless hot water heater. the pilot frequently shut off. The gas valve control is controlled by water flow. When there is hot water runs, the water creates a pressure discrepancy at two sides of valve so the gas is on. I do not like this kind design because it is not reliable. about every three years the value needs replaced. It has been replaced twice by me and a plumber. I would like to replace it with a new tankless gas hot water heater with electrical gas lighting. Any suggestion.

   • ANSWER:
     just one of the reasons I always recommend people just keep their good ole reliable tank heater.

9. QUESTION:
   How do I turn my elec hot water heater on?
   Just moved into a rental and I don't have hot water. All I is see is one pipe leading to it that has a blue knob- should I just turn that to the left? There is also a temp control device on the top and I think it reads that a light should be on when when the heater is on. Would the home owner have turned off the power supply to it maybe. Thanks.

   • ANSWER:
     You need to call your landlord and have him come over to check it out. He may need to call an electrician.

10. QUESTION:
    How can I fix my Bradford White gas hot water heater?
    We have a Bradford White gas hot water heater that isn't working properly. We'torn it apart and cleaned everything and have seemingly figured out what is wrong with it but we aren't totally sure. What is happening is, a green control light comes on the pilot sparks and lights, then the pressure switch (TDI, Inc.) starts clicking and it shuts down. We have found that if we clamp off the pressure tube leading to the switch the pilot light will stay light and the water will heat, but then the vent gets really hot so we don't want to continue to do this because it's most likely not the safest thing. We are thinking that it is a bad pressure switch; but someone else told us that they rarely go bad and our vent could be blocked. We went outside and checked the vent and it appears clear. Should we replace the pressure switch or is it most likely something else? I don't want to hunt down a switch if that is not going to fix the problem. Also, is there any other way to check the vent?
    I checked the parts list for the model here http://www.bradfordwhite.com/images/shared/pdfs/partslists/43726A.pdf
    I see a flue baffle but not a flue damper. Would we see this if we remove the blower assembly from the top?
    Problem fixed today, it was the pressure switch. Took the old one off, put the new one on, works like a charm. A simple call to the tech folks at Bradford White affirmed our beliefs...thanks to Rickster (from Yahoo!) who suggested this. No need for the Master Plumber or the 0 bill.
    Just adding that I didn't mean to offend the Master Plumber that answered the question...wrote the details before I thought about it...anyways thanks for the reply and happy new year to you as well!

    • ANSWER:
      Your best bet is to contact Bradford white, and explain the situation to them. Please don't try and "fix" any controls, as this is very dangerous, with combustible gas appliances. They each have a specific job, and if one goes out, or malfunctions, it affects the rest of the heater. If your heater is more than 6 years old, I highly recommend purchasing a new model, with a warranty. Good luck, and Happy new year!

11. QUESTION:
    My hot water heater pilot light will not stay lit, do I need to replace the thermocouple of gas control valve?
    I have to manually light my pilot light with a lighter and the heater only runs for 5 - 10 minutes and then shuts off, but that is not enough time to heat 40 gallons of cold water.

    • ANSWER:
      I would try the thermocouple first (rather cheap to replace). However If the heater is shutting off after five or ten minutes likely your gas valve/probe assembly will need to be replaced. Water tanks genrally last about 10 to 15 years, if yours is getting up to that age I recommend replacing it.

12. QUESTION:
    Hot water heater pilot keeps going out only in summer?
    We live in Texas and for some reason only in the summer our pilot on the hot water heater goes out. We had a plumber come out and has replaced the thermocouple and temperature control but is still happening. Has this happened to anyone, if so please advice.

    • ANSWER:
      The cold air blowing through the air conditioner vent could be the culprit if one is near. That was the solution to a similar problem for me.

13. QUESTION:
    Electric hot water heater not working?
    My fairly new electric hot water is not working, a few days ago my breaker went out its working fine now but I suspect that may have something to do with the problem. Since then my hot water heater has not worked, the outlet is fine but the heater does not show its getting power. I tried looking for a pilot light or control panel but cannot find one. Any suggestions on what I can try to fix myself? thanks for any help xx

    • ANSWER:
      There is a reset button the water heater under the inspection cover. Try the breaker as others have suggested. then look for the reset button (red button) push it in it shouldn't take much pressure if you hear a click it was tripped. if that doesent do it turn off the power remove the leads from the elements and check with continuity tester. If one is open it will ned to be replaced. you will need a socket type wrench. turn off the main water supply and open a valve to relieve pressure than turn it off again. loosen the element and QUICKLY remove the old one and insert the new. Thread it up snug dont over tighten. You dont have to drain the |WH. for water to come out air has to get in. just like picking up liquid with a drinking straw. When the end is covered the liquid cant get out, when you uncover the end the liquid runs out. There will be a small amount of water that will come out have a towel ready to wipe it up. The longer it takes to get the new one in the faster the water will run out. reconnect the wires and restore service.

14. QUESTION:
    Hot Water heater question?
    my hot water heater is set to 120, all of my sinks in my bathrooms and kitchen are very hot (easily to adjust) my bathrubs are barely luke warm, even after i have let them run for over two mins. being upstairs. my house is 20 years old, and i am not aware of any renovations done to the plumbing. i also do not have temp controls from my electric comapny. i have been trying to figure this out without resetting the temp on the heater again. i have also heard there are "scald protectors" but i do not have those. can someone direct me to some research to help me out?

    • ANSWER:
      Twenty years is about right for scale and buildup in the shower valves to prevent proper operation. Try changing the cartridges in the showers or take them out and delime. While they are out check for buildup in the valve, perhaps at the opening to the hot water. Because of the lack of hot water does not mean you don't have scald guard valves, get the name off the valve and go to their website to try and identify the valve, or take the cartridge to a plumbing parts for identification.

15. QUESTION:
    are there any tricks to making my hot water heater perform better?
    i know i can moves the controls, but wanted to know if there is anything i can do to make the water hotter for longer.

    • ANSWER:
      A long time ago they used to sell hot water heater blanket or wraps, but I don't know it they are sold any more. Years ago the power company would give them to people with low incomes to help with their power bills.

16. QUESTION:
    where can i buy a control board for a whirlpool energy smart hot water heater?
    whirlpool model# EE3Z50RDO55V 80gallon

    • ANSWER:
      May sound too easy but have you tried calling Whirlpool?

17. QUESTION:
    Hot water heater not working, how to keep water safe from bacteria?
    My hot water heater quit yesterday due to an electrical problem (we believe it could be a mouse-chewing-wire issue or possibly a faulty circuit breaker) and since its the weekend it will be a few days until the electrician can come to check/repair it.

    I am concerned with the possibility of bacterial growth in the hot water heater tank. How long does it take to grow (temp outside where it is located will be 100+ degrees today) and is it safe to drink the cold-only tap water? or shower/wash dishes with cold water? We always drink our cold tap water but I am concerned it could somehow be tainted if bacteria grow in the hot water tank. The tap we use to get drinking water and wash dishes from doesn't have separate controls for hot or cold, just one handle to pull all the way to the right for cold.

    Once we have repairs do we need to flush the hot water and how do we do this?

    Last night I washed dishes in the last of the warm (hot) water - are they safe to use?

    When I realised there was a hot water problem I went to inspect the outside closet where the water heater is and saw a mouse run into the wall where the electrical wires go from the heater (the wires are encased in metal conduit but not sure how far the metal conduit casing or the mice go). The circuit breaker for the heater had tripped so I put it back and it tripped again twenty minutes later, I am assuming this means there is a short or something in the wires somewhere and called/left a message for the electrician.

    These are broad problems spanning electrical, bacterial, rodent, and plumbing areas, any help on any of these is appreciated. My internet searches turn up no answers other than advice to set your water heater at 140 F.
    Thanks for your answers! I am going to just use the cold water and try not to worry about it. Good point about power outages.

    • ANSWER:
      I think you are worrying too much. If you are concerned about the water in the heater "going bad" don't. Just run the water from the hot tap for a bit. It will be replaced with fresh water from the street. It's only a few days. Also, setting your water heater any higher than the recommended setting may increase your chances of getting scalded.

18. QUESTION:
    Water is very hot after you shut it off the first time. Why?
    When I give my son a bath, I turn the water on and it comes out at just the right temperature. After giving him the bath when I go to turn the water back on the water is scalding hot for about 10 seconds. My shower has three controls: "hot" "cold" and "rate of flow" knobs. I have only adjusted the "rate of flow" knob from "off" to the normal water flow. The hot and cold knobs were not touched.

    Also, in my bathroom sink, occasionally when you turn on the cold water you get warm water for about 15 seconds. Any ideas?

    BTW, the house was built in 1932 and the supply lines are a mix of copper and cast iron. The hot water heater is about two years old. Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      Kahuna and Coolness are right. Any home that has children living in it should have their water heater's thermostat turned down to 'warm' rather than 'hot' This will heat the water sufficiently for anything you will need it for, but you'll just run out of it a little faster due to using a higher ratio of hot water to cold water at the faucet.

      What I suspect is happening is something called 'thermosyphoning'. Like air, hot water wants to rise to the top and your old style bath faucet is allowing the hot and cold water to mix even when the faucet is not on. The cold water sinks back down to the basement where your water heater is and pulls hot water through the faucet manifold and into the cold water side. Eventually, both your hot water lines and cold water lines have hot water in them.

      Believe it or not, people pay plumbers a lot of money to make this same thing happen with pumps so they have 'instant hot water' in their showers that are far from the water heater. While it does save on water (you don't have to run the shower for 30 seconds before you get in), it does put an extra load on your water heater which wastes energy ($).

      Your problem can be remedied with the installation of a 'swing check' valve (one way valve) installed near, but not at the water heater on the cold side.. Another way would be to replace your old bath faucet.

      I would probably just tell my self 'I have an instant hot water system and I didn't even have to pay for it!'

19. QUESTION:
    once a car is warm does the car heater matrix have the hot water passing through it at all times?
    Does switching the heater control to cold just block off the warm air or does it divert the hot water away from the matrx

    • ANSWER:
      Years ago there were provisions to block the water going to the heater core, either mechanically or by vacuum. However almost all vehicles now are designed with water flowing thru the heater core constantly and by changing the temperature requirement blocks off the heated air.

20. QUESTION:
    what kind of cheap thermostat could I use to control a passive solar water heater for my hot tub?
    I want to build a batch heater or a passive coil system on a painted black corrugated metal backing. But I want to be able to stop the flow when the water gets to a set temp. It would be great to be able to just put in a car radiator thermostat but it would allow the water to get too hot.

    • ANSWER:
      Hello flagnsnarf:

      You may need to install a low-voltage transformer with a thermostat and a solenoid valve. An automotive thermostat has too high a temperature setting.

21. QUESTION:
    How do I bypass the automatic control unit on my hot water heater?
    This is an indirect hot water heater. Actually an Amtrol WH7L unit. The main automatic control unit failed and I'm currently unable to get a new unit for at least a couple days. I'm trying to find a way to bypass the thermostat and auto control unit and allow this unit to give us some hot water. Being as it is December in Western Jersey....cold showers are getting old real fast. lol Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
    This is an indirect hot water heater. Actually an Amtrol WH7L unit. The main automatic control unit failed and I'm currently unable to get a new unit for at least a couple days. I'm trying to find a way to bypass the thermostat and auto control unit and allow this unit to give us some hot water. Being as it is December in Western Jersey....cold showers are getting old real fast. lol Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

    Update: Thank you for the warning. lol However, I should emphasize that I'm a automotive tech with 10+ years experience and have a strong understanding of electrical systems. I'm just not 100% familiar with this system, nor do I have wiring diagrams. I was just wondering if there is a way to bypass the heat control unit.
    I've been looking for specs and diagrams on there. I'll search again.
    I think I've got something figured out here. I'll know in a little bit.
    Okay. I bypassed the thermostat on the water heater itself and wired it into the house heat thermostat. It's not like I've got HOT water now, but it's a whole lot better. lol I can atleast take a decently warm shower if I crank the house heat up to, oh, I don't know. 90. lol It'll do until I can a replacement control unit. Thanks to all who posted. Learned as I went here. Was interesting, so say the least. Thanks again.

    • ANSWER:
      It's not difficult to hot wire a water heater. BUT, If you make a mistake you are building a bomb. AND I MEAN A BIG BOMB!!!!!
      Live with the cold showers for a couple of days, and or heat some water on your stove until the part comes in.

22. QUESTION:
    how can i Replace Hot Water Control Valve on the Heater Hose, vw passat?

    • ANSWER:
      You have to drain coolant, remove hoses and cables from valve and the replace the valve, put hoses and cables back. Locate the valve at the back of the engine or even inside the dash. But check your hoses first, that might be the problem.

23. QUESTION:
    Can I eliminate the control panel and heater to my hot tub and just run cold water through it with the pump?
    I don't need the hot water or fancy electronic panel. It's scorching hot in south Texas and I just need to go in there and chill. It's an ancient panel that is broken and I don't want to buy another one. All i need is some cold water with jets running. How hard is it to do it. I've already pulled the panel and will be hooking everything up without the panel and heater and see if the pump will work rigged up. I can't see how this wouldn't work.

    • ANSWER:
      No reason you can't do what you proposed.
      Safety issues: Tub needs ground fault protection for all connected equipment.
      Don't put line voltage switching (switch for jets, lights etc.)
      within reach of tub. This is so you cannot be in the tub and switch something on.
      Your old control panel activated the pump speed to circulate the water through the filter and heater. If you don't have controls you will need a time clock to control this function.
      You won't be able to call it a hot tub anymore!

24. QUESTION:
    Hot water heater question once more...?
    OK, this is what I asked...
    My hot water heater isn't heating water. I took off the little metal panel at the bottom but I can't make heads or tails out of the stuff I see. I don't hear the gas, you know the sound you normally hear when it's heating. I also don't see a tiny flame.There are two controls and a little red button that I can push down on when the top dial is on the "pilot" position. That same top dial has "off", "on" and "pilot". The lower dial has "warm", "hot" and "vacation." LOL, and please, no smart asses, YES I paid my gas bill!! :p
    Any ideas??

    I got four VERY good answers, but now that I know I will need to have it repaired, I need to know about how much the repair should cost. My husband is deployed and I've been overcharged several times for houehold repairs since he left and I don't want to get ripped off again! Thanks again!
    Jack, you smartass, my husband is DEPLOYED. I can't exactly ask him while he's in the desert, now can I?? Besides, everyone who has answered has given me great advice except YOU. :p Now I know what a reasonable repair amount should be! Thank you to all who answered!
    Thanks to everyone who answered my question! I gave everyone a thumbs up!

    • ANSWER:
      Husband: Honey, why don't you just call the gas company and have them send over a certified trouble-shooter?

      Wife: I have a better idea!! I'll just get on Yahoo Answers and get some REAL professional advice!!

25. QUESTION:
    Is there a way to control water level in water heater?
    I have a 75 gallon water heater in the basement, but I always run out of hot water after a 10 minute shower. Someone told me that my water heater might not be completely filled. Is there a way to check or control the water level in the water heater?
    Thanks for the responses and link. The water heater is about 4 years old. I will flush the water heater as suggested this weekend.

    • ANSWER:
      The way most water heaters work is the input and exit pipes are at the top of the tank. When you draw hot water out of the tank, cool water instantly replaces the hot water.

      If the hot water wasn't full, you would not get hot water at all. You would get a bunch of air and hissing noise out of your sink as the hot water heater filled. Eventually, would would get hot water out of the faucet.

      If your hot water tank is 75 gallons and only provides 10 minutes of hot water, I suspect that the tank is full of sediment. I would shut the cold water supply off to the tank and put the pilot light in the "pilot" or off position and drain the tank out of the valve at the bottom of the tank. You may need ot drain and fill it several times to get all the sediment out.

      Here is a link that describes the process a little more thoroughly:

      http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infwaterheater/infdrainwh.html

26. QUESTION:
    Water heater / no hot water?
    I set my water heater at "WARM". It was working fine for a few years. Now the water does not get hot. It is just a little warmer the cold water. I notice that the burner does not turn on. When I move the dial to "HOT", then I can hear the burner working. Seem like the part that controls when the burner is turned on/off is not working properly. Please help. Thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      I take it the tank is gas fired.
      The thermostat is the little square box device where you adjust the temp.
      This "box"screws into the water tank ,and has a "probe" extending inside the tank ,and is surounded by water.
      This "probe" senses the water temp. , and according to the "temp, setting" will turn on and off the gas to the main burner.
      After a time --- this probe tip will become covered over with lime,etc(especially in hard water areas)
      This will "insulate" the probe tip from a accurate water temp. reading ---- there-by causing the thermostat to operate at a generally higher temp. setting. to get the same previous results.
      This may be the case with your tank ~~~~~ or the thermostat may need to be replaced,if faulty.
      Turn the temp. setting up some ------(do this first)
      Clean the probe tip off ------
      Replace the thermostat > and up (part only)
      Replace the tank ------
      These are your options
      Probably replacing the tank is your best option ---since ,as you say "It's a few years old". The bottom of the tank may be loaded with lime ,etc. also---probably so.
      Have a nice day ------------------------------.

27. QUESTION:
    Problems with a hot water heater?
    I have an electric water heater and within the past year we replaced an element and thermostat we changed the control box the other day and now we have no hot water can someone please tell me what can be wrong

    • ANSWER:
      Hi Michael,

      If you need a new water heater, read on this helpful reviews http://www.gewaterheater.net

28. QUESTION:
    No hot water in my house- How should I shower?
    Seriously... I have no idea what to do. The gas that controls the water heater was turned off or something, and we had someone come and "fix it", but it didn't work. Any ideas?
    I was asleep when the guy came. :S My brother let him in, and the guy did his job.

    • ANSWER:
      Why was the gas turned off? When it was turned on did the repair guy check to see if it had a pilot light and turned it on or is it pilotless (electronic ignition). In the mean time there is always Holiday Inn.

29. QUESTION:
    Plumbing question? Hot water heater?
    I have a hot water heater about 2 years old. The pilot light keeps going out. I have replaced the thermocouple about 4 times it last for about a month then goes out. My question is, should I replace the thermostat? Will this control the thermocouple?

    • ANSWER:
      Hi Kevin, This is Mike with The Home Depot.

      The thermostat is part of the gas valve. The gas valve controls the pilot light and burner. After placing so many thermocouples, it sounds like the gas valve could very well be the problem.

      Carbon buildup on the pilot light could also be a cause of the problem. Carbon buildup narrows the opening of the pilot, and prevents the pilot from receiving sufficient gas to stay lit.

      I have included two links below with information on how to clean the carbon off the pilot and how to change your gas valve and check other water heater functions.

      I hope this information is useful to you.

      Mike, The Home Depot Answer Man

      http://www.commonsense-home-repair.com/water-heater-pilot-light.html

      http://www.commonsense-home-repair.com/water-heater-gas-valve.html

30. QUESTION:
    Hot water heater help?
    I have a natural gas hot water heater with a burner that will not ignite.
    -Gas is on
    -pilot can be lit
    -can hear solenoid when thermostat is turned from vacation to hot
    -exhaust fan runs when solenoid engages but burner does not light

    There are two electrical 'devices' mounted to control unit, one looks as if it is a diaphragm with an adjustment knob and the other is just has cylindrical case. Both have two wires leading to them.

    I imagine there is an emergency gas shutoff but I don't know where or which to test.

    Any ideas?

    • ANSWER:
      You are not hearing the solenoid …..you are hearing the thermostat click.
      It is most likely your solenoid {cylindrical} located on the gas valve.

31. QUESTION:
    Water Heater mystery!?
    I recently purchased a new home with two stories and two hot water heaters. I assumed that one heater was for the upstairs and one for down, or perhaps they regulate a split up/down section of the house each. So to determine which heater controls which areas (so i can adjust appropriately) I turned one off and left one on. Here's the thing.... all the sinks in the house still produce hot water with only one unit on!

    Could it be that both units jointly heat all the water in the house? The one that I left on seems to be constantly heating now.

    Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      It is common to have two water heaters connected in series (one after the other) to increase th amount of hot water available for high water load needs. To test turn each off and you should still have hot water. If you don't use a lot of hot water you can shut one off and save some money. The other one can be turned on if the other quits. Nice standby.

32. QUESTION:
    Hot water boiler furnace?
    I asked this question once already, but I guess I didn't give enough info, so I am going to try this again. Bare with me because I honestly don't know anything about this, that is why I'm trying to get info on here. I am currently looking at buying a house that is heated with a boiler furnace. There are base board vents through out the house, and multiple thermostats to control the heating in the different "zones" of the house. I'm not sure if this also controls the hot water, or if there is a seperate hot water heater. My understanding is that there are lines that run along the base boards, hot water runs through them and some how heats the house?!?! Like I said, I really don't know, and I am just trying to get a better understanding of this system. ANY info on them would be much appriciated, such as cost to replace them, repair them, or service them. Common problems to watch out for, how they opperate, and if it would be better than a regular furnace.
    know to have it replaced with a regular furnace will cost some major money. And I also know that with this type of system, having central air installed will NEVER happen.

    • ANSWER:
      I can't tell from your description whether your system is hot water or steam. Usually, with baseboard radiators, it is hot water which means you do not have a "boiler", just a hot water furnace. It is heated by burning either natural gas or oil.

      The baseboard units "radiate" the heat carried by the water into the room. Each baseboard should have isolation valves and a small vent (operated by a key). You should bleed any air out of each radiator by opening the vent allowing any air to escape until water comes out of the vent. Start on the lower floors and work your way up to the upper floors of the house. Bleeding the air will maximize the efficiency.

      If you don't get water out, the system needs to have water added. Look for a supply valve near the heater.

      This heating system may or may not have a separate water heater for non-heating purposes (bath, laundry, kitchen etc.).

      Take a trip to your basement and get familiar with system. Get your gas or oil supplier or a plumber to walk you through the piping and valves.

33. QUESTION:
    rats or hot water heater noises? puzzled.?
    In a mobile home, I hear clicking, ticking noises by the bathroom and bedroom vents-they are adjacent to each other. I had a bad problem with rats-pest control came out for 2 months-caught 2. They had chewed up water lines and the over flow pressure tube from the hot water heater. I had the ducts/vents cleaned out by professionals, in case, some mice were making the noise I still hear by the vents-usually at 9 to 10am and 8-9pm at nite or so. I still hear the tick, tick noise. I had a contractor go under the mobile home and secure the vents with sheet metal and tighten pipes and anything that might rattle-down-now, the noise is even louder-thud, bang and tick, tick. The hot water heater is in a straight line about 10ft on the other side of the mobile home from the bathroom/bedroom. What could be causing this noise? could it be the hot water heater? The water faucets/shower are on the opposite side of the house from the hot water heater-its 12 yrs old,now and I have very hard water. Would a plumber be the one to call? Please help me. I've sealed all around my mobile home against rodents, plugged all holes and pulled all insulation out, secured everything-still here that noise. I still hear the noise about 10ft from where the hot water heater,near the bathroom/bedroom vents. Either its 'evil spirits', or....hot water heater making noises in the water lines? I've spent thousands trying to get back to 'normal'-from the rat damage etc. and I don't want to replace the hot water heater if I don't have to-but, I will-just to get some peace-if that's what the noise is coming from. Help! I've had a very bad time. What do you think it might be, please?

    • ANSWER:
      It sounds like the expansion and contraction of the pipes and heating duct surfaces. You really need to relax. I live in an old house and it makes all kinds of noises. Try putting on the tv or a mellow radio station or a fan as white noise and don't worry about the normal noises of living.If you see a rodent then that is one thing but don't freak about stuff that's not that big of a deal. Relax.

34. QUESTION:
    How can we get a hot shower?
    My husband and I recently replaced a 40-gallon gas hot water heater with a new one of the same size. We can't get more than five minutes of hot water out of it. We have tried different heat settings, but they just make the water hotter, not more plentiful. Are there environmental controls built into hot water heaters now that prevent more than five minutes of hot water? I can shower in 5 minutes, but can't do all the other things I need to do, such as wash and condition my hair and shave my legs. After one leg is done, the water is cold.

    • ANSWER:
      you may have a cross connection. A CC is where a fixture that has hot and cold water ie faucet washing machine etc and the water to both are on and cold (or hot) is crossing over to the hot side and being drawn into pipe going to shower. This is common in restaurants but not normal in homes. If you have a single lever shower faucet, replace the cartridge. I have had to do this at customers house. Only thing else I can think of is the dip tube in water heater is bad, but since it's new, I wouldn't think so. Do this test; try different shower, if ok then its not dip tube or turn on hot faucet in bathroom where problematic shower is. Does the hot water cool of within the 5 to 10 minute period? If so, it's the dip tube. Also the single lever cartridges have a adjustment that you can make so that water will get hotter that factory preset, but not knowing what brand, I can't tell you how.

35. QUESTION:
    Can hot water heaters be installed in non-temperature controlled environments?

    • ANSWER:
      yes you can although you should insulate the piping and add an insulation blanket on the heater itself

36. QUESTION:
    The pilot on my hot water lites, but goes off as soon as I let the pilot button go. What's wrong?
    I am living with cold water the last couple days. I can easily light the pilot flame holding the red pilot button down, but the pilot flame goes off as soon as I let the button up before I can turn the control from pilot to "on." I hold the red button down for 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3; it does not matter. As soon as I let the red button up the pilot flame goes out. What is wrong with my hot water heater?

    • ANSWER:
      try this before you replace anything, light it like you are doing but slowly release the red button. as slow as you can stand it. if it stays lit let it burn for a minute before turning the knob to "on". one other thing, make sure the flame is directly on the end of the thermocoupler.

37. QUESTION:
    Where do I hook up the furnace thermostat to the hot water heater?
    I have a Amtrol BoilerMate indirect hot water heater. I'm not sure where I'm supposed to hook up the wire from the thermostat. I've already messed up and ruined the control module in my furnace. I found a diagram for the hot water heater saying that the orange wires are for T-T. I'm assuming thats for the thermostat? Anyone know? But there are 2 orange wires and the wire from the thermostat is a red and white wire held together with a brown plastic coating. So is that where I hook it up? and if so does it matter which orange goes to which one because theres no difference. I could probably take the smart control apart more and see if it says anything where the orange wires connect to the microchip. Please help if possible. I'd really hate to ruin another furnace control module and out myself another 200. Thanks
    Calling a plumber is my next step.

    • ANSWER:
      It's a very simple set up. The t-stat is simple and the control board is simple. I have no answers for you but I'll tell you what you did wrong. You hot wired the transformer to the control board. I don't know how you did it, I wasn't there, but that's what you did. I've done it before myself. If you could provide a control schematic I could probably help. You really need someone familiar with the particular control circuit you are working with. Might be easier to call a tech.

38. QUESTION:
    I need a plumbing diagram for a solar hot water heater with a heat exchanger,circulating pump,and a heater?
    I need a plumbing diagram for a solar hot water heater with a heat exchanger( seperate and not in a tank ),circulating pump,and a heater,in a closed loop system,along with a tempiture control for the pump.

    • ANSWER:
      either go to the website for this model or go to the plumber section at home depot and they can help you draw a plan then buy the parts there or go to the local public library and the B&T section has these plans

39. QUESTION:
    I have no hot water and when i turn the boost on i get hot radiators!!!?
    Hello and please help. We have an immersion tank with the controls above it. We usually have hot water no problems, obviously we run out after two baths but thats normal right? Since yesterday we have no hot water and no indications on the controls. ( the controls are fairly old i suspect) I have the option with the controls to have a timer for water / heater or both etc or i can choose boost, on, timed or off. When i turn on the water to try and heat it up since we lost the hot water, the only thing that happens is the radiators get really hot even though i have not requested them on.
    I think that the control unit may be at fault. Is there a way of proving this before i shell out????? My kids are starting to smell so please help soon.
    Yours in sincere hope. The smelly family
    Thanks for all the great advice so far.
    I should probably add that my central heating system is fed by a back boiler behind the fireplace. This is usually controlled by a thermostat on the wall.
    For a while we had to use the controls under the fire to operate the heating as the thermostat did not have any effect. An engineer came out to us to investigate and wouldn't you know it, it worked as soon as he tried it after 2 or 3 yrs of it not working. Im sure lots of you now are screaming just replace the whole lot as it sound completely shot but i canny afford to.
    Hello again,
    does anyone know how to test the element in the immersion tank to ensure that its not the faulty component?
    Just thought i would add that the problem turned out to be a faulty element. I have no idea how the haeting comes on instead of the water though

    • ANSWER:
      Ah folly folly to pressy most boosty on immersioney for if all thruched up. besty practicaly standy chillblanse unde windy larap bucket loders of freazzy water all over same.

40. QUESTION:
    The most economical use of the temperature control for a water heater?
    I have an oil fired boiler which incorporates a 150 litre hot water tank. Do anybody know is it more economical to keep the temperature control for the water high or low?

    • ANSWER:
      I would say lower, but perhaps insulating the tank so that it holds it's temperature longer would be a more energy saving way.

41. QUESTION:
    Hot Water Booster Heater?
    I have a very common problem, it takes a long time for hot water to get to 4 spigots in my house. This annoys me. I'm aware of the under sink/vanity varieties that have a small resevoir and on demand heating, but I don't want a separate point-of-use spigot, I just want to "boost" the incoming hot water for a short time when I turn the tap. Those under the sink units make EXTREMELY hot water out of a separate spigot and that isn't what I want, I just want normal (@130 degrees F) hot water faster to the spigots furthest from the water heater.

    Is there an in-line solution to this problem? If there is, I've never seen one. I guess you could use one of those under the sink units and put a custom control thermostat on it, but does any company make what I'm talking about? On all of the under the sink units I've seen, you aren't supposed to hook up the hot water side to it, you hook up the cold water side. Help me out here!
    Nevermind, I found it. Cold or hot water inlet, 120 VAC. One problem though, it calls for a #10 wire. The bathroom I'm working in only has #12. Help me out on that, anyone?

    http://www.eemaxinc.com/EX3512T

    • ANSWER:
      Problem is that electric instant-hot heaters are power-pigs and want a 30A circuit which in turn requires 10-gauge wire.

      You have several solutions, the most elegant of which is to install a circulator on your hot water system and loop it, the least costly of which is to do as you suggest and install local instant-hots.

      You might also try shortening the path for hot water. I know in the house we are in now, the water heater was very near the water service and all the points-of-use were daisy-chained from there. So, the kitchen, last in line, took forever to get hot water. I cut out the bulk of the loop and installed a manifold system using a larger size pipe for the distribution. I think I took out well over 100 feet of 1/2" copper with several dozen fittings and replaced it with less than 30 feet of 3/4" copper and a few fittings. I also got rid of a bunch of vintage globe-valves which were replaced with ball-valves. Now the hot water gets to where it needs to pretty quickly.

42. QUESTION:
    Camper Water Heater Atwood model G6a-7, pilot ignition, only about 1/2 gallon is getting hot - HELP!?
    I light my camper's water heater pilot light and it fires up the burner. It will run for a few minutes and switch off. I go and run hot water and there is only about 1/2 gallon of hot water coming from the water heater tank. The unit was stored with an antifreeze solution when I purchased it. Can that stuff screw up the thermostat? I am not sure what the terminolgy is for the unit that controls the heat and the probe that goes into the tank, but my feeling is that something is telling the thermostat that the water is hot, when very little is. Do you have any ideas?
    also, in case you think i have not turned up the temp on thermostat, i have already tried every setting and the best the heater will do is heat the water in the top of the tank.

    • ANSWER:
      Silly question? whats the temperature set at? If its on warm that's all your gonna get. Also the thermocouple could be bad.

43. QUESTION:
    Had To Fix My Hot Water Tank, Now NO Hot Water!!!!? **Update**?
    Not sure how to just message you guys to tell you what your answers were, lol. anyway, To "Irv S"
    The Breaker Box Is The Switch Ones Not The Ones You twist Out lol. I Did Reset The Button On The Tank. Theres A Box Beneath The Breaker That Say Water Heater Control, Theres Two Switches Ones A Metered Rate Others A Flat Rate, If You Hold Them Down Past Off It Resets.
    The Wires Connecting To The Tank Do Have Power Going To Them And Where The Element Is Has Power As Well, Before I Started Fixing The Leak We Did Have Hot Water, Not Sure How Disconnecting Could Mess The Element Up?! ( If Thats The Problem?)
    Yes, The Tank Is It The Kitchen. Not Sure The Procedure To Take To Get It Working lol
    Power Off, Fill Tank, Connect Wires To Tank, Push Down On The Metered And Flat Rate Switches On Control Panel, Then Hit The Reset Button?!
    BTW Is There Anyway To Check The Element To See If Its Working Correctly?
    Thanks Again For The Help!!

    • ANSWER:
      Not sure what original post was all about, but maybe this will help you. Following are instructions on how to test a water heater element.
      1.Disconnect Electrical supply to unit.(turn off breaker)
      2.Remove covers , locate element(s)
      3.Elements are usually located directly above the thermostat. Use a screwdriver and remove one wire from the element terminal.
      4.Set your Volt-Ohm meter tp RX1 setting. test for resistance in the element
      5.Touch one probe to one terminal, then the other probe to the other terminal. You should see some reading on the meter. If no reading then the element is bad and needs to be replaced.

      Hope this helps

44. QUESTION:
    how do i set my hot water/storage heater TIMER.?
    ok i have just put in storage heaters, im on economy 7 set-up and the timer controls the Emerson tank as-well.
    Now the timer is the old style manual one, with a clock face, so do i just set the timer the same as the real time on my wall clock??? im so confused please help! many thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      If you know the name of the system you can google for instruction manual on line.

45. QUESTION:
    Hot water heaters burner only kicks on when i turn the tempeture dial up by hand.?
    burner quit turning on by itself. If i wash clothes & use up the hot water it wont kick on. but if i turn the temp. control knob up a little bit it kicks on then i turn it back down to hot it stays on until the next time i use the hot water up a little. I was wondering if i can maybe fix it by replacing the 5 dollar thermo coupler or is it the gas control valve or something else. PLEASE, can anyone help.........

    • ANSWER:
      The thermocouple is only there to prove the pilot and has nothing to do with temp. control.
      Sounds like a faulty control.
      Could be sediment in the bottom of the tank holding heat at the bottom and affecting the control. Try flushing out, otherwise replace the entire tank.

46. QUESTION:
    I need help with my Hot Water heater!?!?
    I have an A.O.Smith Power House Power Shot (Model # gpsh 40 200). I was cleaning around it yesterday and later noticed my hot water wasn't very hot. When I looked I noticed a small black hose near the top had come loose. I placed it back in the hole it came out of, hoping that would fix the problem but it didn't. I then noticed that the green light on the control panel was on the "warm" setting". I tried to use the buttons to raise the temp but it just stays there. The panel has 6 indicator lights and to buttons (Arrow Left & Arrow Right). Pressing the buttons has no effect. This is the readout with G being a green light, O being an Orange light and X being no light.

    G X O X X O
    I had already found the manual and the indicator lights point to a pressure switch problem but none of the provide solutions work. Guess its time to call the plumber...

    • ANSWER:
      turn the power to the unit off for 5 minutes. then turn it back on, maybe that will reset the unit.

47. QUESTION:
    My 1st floor hot water baseboard heaters are cooler than the 2nd floor heaters. Is there an adjustment knob?
    This is my first winter in an old house with hot water heat. The heating unit does not look as old as the house, or as old as the newest addition (50+ yrs old), and the old radiators have been replaced with baseboard heaters. Unfortunately, the upstairs heaters are so much warmer than the downstairs heaters. Is there a valve to control the amount of heat to the different heaters like there are on hot air ducts? I also noticed that my thermostat has to be set about 4 degrees higher than the temperature I desire. I have limited knowledge of this kind of thing, but also have a limited income. Did I mention the basement floor is half dirt? Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

    • ANSWER:
      You may well have a gravity feed boiler and that is why the 2nd flr. registers get hotter. If there is not a circulator pump on the system it would explain the problem. If your system still had radiators it would balance itself, but baseboard units dont act the same. Heat rises naturally and that would explain the diff between the 2nd flr. temp and the 1st flr temp. If there is no circulator pump, then have one installed. Your boiler is wasting a lot of energy without it.

48. QUESTION:
    How hot (what temp) does a spa water heater get?
    i just got a free hot tub from a friend, he said it had a leak but didn't knw where it was coming from, well i found it, it is coming from the vertical water heater core inside the control box. the welds on both the top and bottom had split... well instead of going all out and renting a welder i just put some jb cold weld on it. on the jb weld site it says it can only stand temperatures of 500 degrees so my question is how hot will this heater core get? also i should throw this in too, there are about 5 wires touching the heater that look like thats how it was installed so maybe the surface of it doesn't even get hot? i don't know.. any info is appreciated.
    heres a picture http://www.spasandmore.net/index.php?l=product_images&p=576

    • ANSWER:
      First that is a very cheap heater to replace. You should be able to find it for around 110. If the welds have failed it is certain the actual element is not far behind. The heater will heat up to 104 degrees. That's the US Federal law governing Hot tub heaters. It is very simple to replace and when you do, buy a new 12 dollar pressure switch to replace at the same time.

49. QUESTION:
    I have separate fired hot water tank leaking for 6 weeks I had 2 others that just let go any suggestions thank
    would it be that the tank is leaking by the temp control or the overflow where it enters the tank and has anybody have the Toyotomi OM-148 tankless hot water heater that is oil fired

    • ANSWER:
      INSTALL WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM BEFORE THE TANK.THE IRON IN YOUR WATER IS CAUSING PREMATURE FAILURE THROUGH RUSTING.YOU MAY ALSO NEED WATER SOFTENING UNITS.

50. QUESTION:
    Blue knob on outgoing pipes of water heater?
    There is a blue knob on the outgoing pipes of my water heater. It says Min 1-5 Max. It appears that the outgoing pipe hot pipe is tied into the outgoing cold pipe and maybe this knob controls the flow. I am having problems getting hot water in my kitchen sink but other faucets are getting hot water. Could that knob have anything to do with it.

    • ANSWER:
      Why would you hot water be plumbed into your cold water? That just sounds ridiculous. Can you post a photo of what youare looking at?