Hot Water Tank Maintenance

Most people do not follow any hot water tank maintenance instructions until one day cold water suddenly pours over them while taking a shower. If you have had a fresh shocking experience of taking a shower in cold water, you might be looking for ways on how to maintain hot water tank and how to solve some of its common problems. The present article presents an account on some of the general problems and respective solutions of a hot water tank.

Hot Water Tank Troubleshooting

Problem: The water is not getting heated up.
Solution: The water fails to get heated up when either the thermostat is not working well or the flame has gone out. Monitor the condition of the thermostat. Put on the hot water tap. Leave it running for a couple of minutes. The thermostat is designed in a way to recognize the requirement of heating up the water. If it is in good condition, the burner should light automatically. If the burner fails to get lit up, the thermostat has developed some kind of defect. It may be repaired or replaced depending upon the type and severity of the problem. When such a problem occurs, you cannot do much to repair the thermostat. You would most probably need to call a professional.

Problem: The water is getting heated up but not in the desired quantity.
Solution: The given problem may occur under certain circumstances. First, the thermostat is not at its proper setting. Second, there is a build up of deposits inside the hot water tank. Both these situations witness reduction in the capacity of the tank. Thirdly, there might be a breakage in the dip tube. It is made of plastic. Its function is to direct the flow of cold water towards the bottom of the tank. At the bottom the cold water where it gets warmed before mixing with the hot water already present in the tank. When the dip tube is broken, the incoming cold water mixes with the hot water even before getting warmed up. This lowers down the over-all temperature of the water. In order to take out the dip tube, remove the plumbing cold water supply. Then, carefully move the dip tube up out of the hot water tank. You may replace the dip tube.

Problem: There is slow recovery of hot water.
Solution: The most probable cause for the slow recovery of hot water through taps and other outlets is the buildup in the bottom of the heater. The obvious solution for this problem is draining hot water heater. Another major possible cause is insufficient combustion of air, which itself is caused by improper ventilation and improper burner operation.

Problem: The water is stinking.
Solution: You may often notice a smell, similar to rotten eggs, coming from the water in the tank. This smell is due to the presence and action of bacteria in the water. You can do a number of things to kill the bacteria and eliminate bad odor from water. The first option for doing it is to keep the water temperature above 130 degree Celsius. High temperature prevents the growth of a large number of bacteria. But you may not find this particular option feasible if you have small kids at home as even a small carelessness may result in major mishaps like burns and blistering. Another option to remove bacteria and smell from water is to add some amount of a chemical called hydrogen peroxide to the tank. Close the system up and let it remain so for some time. Run some water from each tap and outlet to check for the water smell. The odor is expected to go away with the use of hydrogen peroxide.

Problem: There is a popping noise.
Solution: This is a common problem with hot water tank, particularly with ones with gas hot water heater. The possible reason is the building up of scale in the bottom of the tank. It may cause all kinds of sounds and noises to occur when the water is being heated up by the hot water heater. Try to flush the tank. This will solve the popping or banging noise to a great extent. In this way, you would be able to solve this particular hot water heater problem.

These are some of the commonly occurring problems and their possible solutions of a hot water tank. Make the best use of the solutions given above, follow all hot water tank installation steps properly and do the maintenance regularly to avoid any untoward situation.