As the COVID19 virus rages on we are all being reminded about how important water is in our lives. Several water companies around the country have halted their policy of shutting off water to families who are behind in their payments. However, it isn’t just important that homes have running water. It should be hot enough to clean dishes and hands. If the water coming from your water heater is lukewarm, you need to have the issue looked at immediately. Depending on whether you have a gas or electric heater, here are some common reasons why the water coming from your unit may be failing to heat up properly.

Electric Water Heaters

Some of the most common reasons that your electric water heater may be under-performing include:

• Bad heating element: On average, water heaters last for approximately 10 years. After that time, it is not uncommon for the heating element to fail due to simply aging. When it does, one option is to simply buy a new element. If you choose to replace the element yourself, we advise that you completely turn off your water heater first. Of course, if your unit is a decade old or more, you should seriously consider replacing it completely.
• Bad thermostat: The thermostat controls the lower and upper heater elements in electric water heaters. A defective thermostat can quickly cause a hot water problem to develop. Repairing or replacing the unit will usually help solve your hot water issues.
• Tripped breaker: A tripped breaker will be pointing in a different direction from the ones that are on. If the breaker that supplies power to your water heater has been tripped simply turn it off and back on again quickly. If this happens often or if the water heater still will not come back on, then you should call an electrician.

Gas Water Heaters

There are a number of reasons that your gas unit might not be heating water. These include:

• The pilot light is out: When the pilot light is off your unit will not be able to heat the water in it at all. It may seem rather obvious, but the pilot light should be the first thing you check if the water from your gas unit is not hot enough.
• A gas leak: Gas in its natural state is odorless. In order for consumers to be able to detect its presence, a product called mercaptan is added to it. This product has a rotten egg or sulfur smell to ensure its detection when there is a problem. If you smell gas around your unit, you should switch off the gas valve and call your local gas company.
• Leaking water tank: A problem that can cause both electric and gas heaters to lose water heating power is a leaky tank. When there is a leak in either of these kinds of units, you could run out of stored hot water quickly or not have any at all.

A water heater can stop dispensing hot water for many different reasons. Stay alert and be ready to have your unit repaired or replaced when problems do develop. We sell 100 gallon gas water heaters for commercial use and other commercial gas water heater sizes for small and mid-sized businesses.