Tankless water heaters are efficient and have fewer moving parts than tank-style water heaters. Because of this, they frequently last longer and need fewer repairs. However, you may need Houston water heater repair for tankless water heaters occasionally. Just like any other piece of equipment, things can wear out or break. If this happens with your tankless water heater, repairs are generally simple and affordable with the right plumber on your side. Let’s go over some common tankless water heater issues and how to fix them.
Houston Water Heater Repair for Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters are becoming more and more popular compared to tank-style units. They offer better energy efficiency for your home, unlimited hot water, and you don’t have to worry about eventual tank corrosion. Tankless water heaters work by heating water as it flows through the pipes. This offers many benefits, including fewer parts that can malfunction and fail. Of course, this doesn’t mean that your tankless water heater will never need repairs. However, they may need less frequent repairs than with a tank water heater.
There are some common issues that you might encounter with tankless water heaters. Some of these issues may have simple fixes you can perform yourself. In other cases, you may need an experienced Houston plumber to troubleshoot and repair your tankless water heater.
Houston Water Heater Repair: Tankless Water Heater Shuts Off in the Middle of My Shower
You’re enjoying a nice, warm shower when halfway through you’re hit with a rush of cold water. The water heater has turned off and you have no idea why. If this happens to you, it may be due to minimum water flow requirements. In other cases, it might be that your water heater doesn’t have enough capacity for your home.
Minimum Water Flow for Tankless Water Heaters
The most common culprit is that you’re not meeting the minimum flow requirements. With any tankless water heater, there is a certain amount of water that needs to flow through the unit to produce hot water. Otherwise, the water heater generally shuts itself off to help prevent damage from overheating. This is usually the cause of the water heater working fine and then just shutting off in the middle of use.
If you’re experiencing this issue with your tankless water heater, there are a few things you can try. Since it’s not a malfunction or a failure, you won’t necessarily need Houston water heater repair services. Instead, you need to increase the amount of water flowing through the water heater. If you have water-saving fixtures, these could be limiting the water flow. You might consider swapping them out for less eco-friendly fixtures. However, we generally recommend replacing the unit with a newer version for this issue. Newer tankless water heaters typically have a lower minimum flow capacity and if your unit is older it’s likely time for an upgrade anyway. Replacing the unit generally means better energy savings and performance and you can keep your low-flow fixtures.
Not Enough Capacity for Your Needs
In other cases, your tankless water heater may turn off because it’s overloaded. If you’re taking a shower while running the dishwasher and the washing machine, it might be that your water heater can’t keep up. Usually, this means you don’t have the capacity needed for your home. Some units will shut themselves off to help prevent damage from overloading. To prevent this issue, avoid using multiple hot water applications at the same time. More permanent fixes include upgrading to a tankless water heater with higher capacity or installing a second unit to provide more hot water for your home.
Houston Water Heater Repair for Discolored Water from a Tankless Water Heater
When you turn on your faucet, shower, or other plumbing fixture, you expect clear, clean water. If you find yourself with cloudy or discolored water, it’s normal to be concerned. In some cases, this may be another issue, but if you find that this only occurs when you use hot water taps, you may need Houston water heater repair for mineral buildup.
Minerals in hard water can start to collect on the internal parts of your tankless water heater. Over time, this buildup can lead to other issues, including discolored or cloudy water. To fix this issue, generally, all you need to do is flush the tankless water heater with a descaling solution. Most manufacturers recommend doing this at least once every six months to help prevent mineral buildup. However, you may need to do this more frequently if you notice signs of mineral buildup in your water heater. If your water is particularly hard and you’re dealing with frequent mineral buildup in your water heater, you might consider installing a water softener to reduce the number of minerals in your water.
Houston Water Heater Repair for Low Water Pressure from a Tankless Water Heater
If you have low water pressure only when you try to use hot water, typically that means you have a blockage on the inlet or outlet pipes. Commonly it is mineral buildup from hard water on the pipes causing the problem. Your Houston plumber can clean out the blockage to restore normal water pressure in your home if this is the issue.
Leaks can also cause low water pressure from your tankless water heater. Typically leaks come from corroded pipes or loose plumbing connections near the water heater. If this is the source of your water pressure problems, our plumbers may need to replace the pipes or tighten the connections between the pipes.
Repairs for No Hot Water from a Tankless Water Heater
If you aren’t getting any hot water, you may need Houston water heater repair. There may be many reasons why you don’t have any hot water from your tankless water heater. One common issue is a burnt-out heating element if you have an electric water heater. For natural gas tankless water heaters, the burners may be dirty or clogged. In other cases, it may be a failed ignition, which typically will cause an error code you can read on your water heater. Because there are so many potential causes of getting zero hot water, it’s typically best to call in a professional for tankless water heater repairs.
One thing you can try before calling for Houston water heater repair is to double-check the fuel source for your tankless water heater. For instance, if you have an electric water heater, make sure that you have power in the rest of your home and also check the circuit breaker. It may be that the circuit breaker flipped and simply needs to be switched back on to restore power to your water heater. For natural gas water heaters, double-check that you have natural gas. It’s more common than you might think that service gets shut off because someone forgot to pay the bill. It doesn’t hurt to double-check before calling a plumber.
Santhoff Plumbing: Your Trusted Houston Plumber
When you need an affordable, experienced plumber in Houston, call our team at Santhoff Plumbing. We offer quality services for everything from emergency water heater repairs to plumbing installation for Houston bathroom remodeling projects. Our team of plumbers goes above and beyond to ensure you are completely satisfied with our service. As a family-owned and operated company, we are committed to providing you with the best plumbing service in Greater Houston. Schedule a plumbing service call now or call us 24/7 at (713) 360-2185 for emergency service.