At some point in your adult, you may probably have to deal with the occasional issues on your water heater. Thus, it would be handy to know the basic do-it-yourself tips on how to do a proper water heater repair.
When you know how to repair a water heater, you wouldn’t have to deal with not having hot water. This is especially beneficial if you don’t have access or get in touch with your local plumber right away to fix the water heater problem.
Routine Maintenance Can Help Avoid Water Heater Repair
A water heater is a piece of machinery. And like any other machine, your trusty water heater needs routine maintenance.
If you keep noticing that you are constantly running out of hot water or there’s no hot water altogether, the thermostat may not be in working order anymore.
Fortunately, most problems at home can be remedied with a simple DIY routine – and that includes a water heater repair.
When you go the DIY route, you can save money and time with simple fixes. If the plumbing problem, you obviously need to call a professional to fix the issue or risk adding more to the damage.
However, if all you need to do is replace the water heater thermostat to repair your water heater, we’ve outline simple DIY steps for you to follow.
Please remember always to use caution when you’re around or handling electrical wires.
How Do I Know When to Get a New Thermostat?
This is a valid question. After all, you wouldn’t want to be rummaging through the water heater equipment if nothing can fix yourself.
If the water heater is not working as it should, it’s usually always because of a faulty thermostat. Many homeowners should be able to fix it if they know what to do.
When it comes to thermostats, water heaters have two. T
he first one is at the top, while the second one is at the bottom.
It’s not very likely that the two thermostats will not work at the same time.
However, it’s highly recommended to replace both the water heater thermostats even if only one starts to die.
If it’s the top thermostat that’s not working anymore, the entire equipment will no longer wastewater. On the other hand, if it’s the lower thermostat that begins to fail, the water will only get lukewarm until it runs out quickly.
If you access to the manual of the equipment, read through it to know what you are about to deal with. If you don’t have it anymore, don’t fret.
You can go to the manufacturer’s website and search for your water heater’s model and brand. Usually, the manual is available to download from the website.
How to Do a Water Heater Repair by Yourself
The first thing you have to do is to test and check the two thermostats. You will need an ohmmeter/voltage or a multimeter. These devices can check if the thermostats are actually broken.
Before you buy a new water heater to replace the broken one, you have to make sure you’re buying the correct device.
While most thermostats are easily interchangeable, it would be best if you take the broken one with you to the hardware store.
You can show it to the store clerk to make sure that you’re buying the right piece of equipment. Generally, water heater thermostats are reasonably priced, so you don’t have to worry about a costly water heater repair.
Here are the quick steps for a DIY water heater repair.
- Shut off the power.
- Open the tank. Use a screwdriver.
- Remove the old thermostat. You don’t need any special tool for this removal.
- Install the new thermostat. This step should be easy if you follow the procedures that come with the new thermostat.