Tankless water heaters offer several benefits, including taking up significantly less space than storage water heaters. They also heat your water directly by passing cold water through an electric component or gas burner, delivering consistently hot water between two and five gallons per minute.
While these tanks are often more advantageous than traditional water heaters, tankless water heater repair services still see several issues. The good news is that most issues are easily fixable. Let’s take a look at some of the common problems and solutions.
Common issue #1: failure to ignite
Whether you have a gas burner or electric tankless water heater, you may run into issues where there’s no hot water coming out—meaning it’s clearly not doing its job. This could be for a number of reasons, but one of the more common problems is that it’s not igniting. This is especially common for gas burners and could mean that your propane tank is running low, or valves are not fully opened.
Still, there could be a bigger issue at play. Your ignition components may have failed, or there’s another underlying problem. If you’re unsure, it’s always a good idea to contact American Plumbing Service to have us come out and take a look.
Common issue #2: air supply blockage
Most tankless systems will let you know via their display if your air supply is not flowing properly. You’ll get an error reading, which indicates that your system’s combustion or venting components are not functioning the way they should. When you call us to explore your issue, we’ll check to make sure your system’s vent pipes are connected how they should be and are not damaged in any way.
One of the most important reasons (besides proper functionality) to check for blockages is to prevent any danger of fire. When vents are blocked, the material clogging your system may lead to a fire if not addressed early on. Removing the blockages is a relatively simple fix, but it’s one that can prevent potentially devastating issues.
Common issue #3: excess buildup
One issue that can be harder to spot is mineral buildup within your system. Hard water, which contains higher mineral content than soft water, brings with it a higher chance of mineral accumulation in your system.
If mineral buildup continues, this could lead to poor functionality of your system and may lead to additional issues down the road. When we inspect your system, we’ll take a thorough look to make sure your system is not experiencing mineral buildup. If we see that’s the case, we’ll remove the accumulated material and restore your system to optimal functionality.
Common issue #4: “cold water sandwich”
Despite its silly name, the cold water sandwich can be a real pain. If you’ve ever taken a shower shortly after another family member and gotten a surge of cold water after a minute or two of warm water, you’ve experienced the cold water sandwich.
The leftover hot water from your family member’s shower came out first while your tankless system had not yet warmed the water. Though this issue is annoying, there’s no way to remedy it. But that’s the good news: your tank is likely functioning properly, and this small annoyance is something to be aware of so you don’t think it’s a problem.
Trust American Plumbing Service to fix your tankless water heater
Whether you need your system inspected or you’re certain of the issue but need experienced professionals to fix it, book an appointment with American Plumbing Service today.
