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Hot water is not just a luxury of modern times. People have been enjoying hot baths and showers for generations.
Though the first widespread residential hot water heater wasn’t invented until 1889, that didn’t stop people from heating water over a fire or using some other means to enjoy a hot bath.
Of course, nowadays, getting hot water for your shower is decidedly easier.
But what happens when you turn on your shower and there is no hot water? What happened to the water? Keep reading to find out.
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1. You’ve Used it All
Do you have guests over? If you have more people using hot water than normal, the problem may be as simple as that you have drained the tank. In that case, you just need to wait a while for the heater to warm up a new batch.
2. The Pilot Light Went Out
On a gas hot water heater, the pilot light can go out. This means that there is no spark to ignite the burner and heat up the water.
It also means you have gas slowly leaking out of your hot water tank.
Go take a look and see if your pilot light is burning. Keep in mind that some models don’t have a pilot light. Read the manual to determine if your tank has one and where it is located.
Once you’ve found it, turn off the gas and wait a few minutes for the accumulated gas to disperse. Then, turn the gas back on and hold a long lighter near where the gas comes out. If there are no other issues, it should ignite.
3. The Circuit Breaker Was Tripped
Of course, electric hot water tanks won’t have a pilot light to worry about. However, they do have circuit breakers that can be tripped. This can happen due to a power surge or the breaker could be old and need replacing.
Flip the breaker back to the ‘on’ position and if there are no other problems you’ll be set. Don’t forget you may have to wait a while for the cold water in the tank to heat up.
4. You Need a New Water Heater
We’ve looked at a few easy reasons why you may have no hot water and there are a few more that we haven’t mentioned. But, unfortunately, sometimes your hot water heater is just plain old and it’s time to change it out.
The average hot water heater only has about a 10-year life span. If your unit is getting close to that mark, you should start researching reputable companies in your area that offer water heater installation.
No Hot Water? No Problem!
Don’t worry if you’ve turned on the shower only to discover there is no hot water. It’s likely that the problem is one of the easy fixes that we’ve talked about here. Get your heater going again and you’ll have plenty of hot water in just a couple of hours.
Looking for more home advice and tips? Feel free to check out our other articles!
