No hot water? What to check first
No hot water in the shower is one of the most common calls we get. A few safe checks can tell you whether it is a tripped breaker you can fix in a minute or a part that needs a plumber.
A licensed Master Plumber on every job
Why do I have no hot water?
No hot water usually means the heater is not getting power or gas, a safety device has shut it off, or a part has failed. Electric heaters often have a tripped breaker, a tripped high-limit reset or a failed heating element. Gas heaters often have a pilot that went out or a failed thermocouple or gas valve. Tankless units usually show an error code.
- Check the breaker or gas
- Look for an error code
- Note any smell or leak
- Call before taking it apart
First: is it the whole house?
Run hot water at a few faucets. If one faucet or shower is cold but others are hot, the heater is fine and the problem is that fixture, often a shower valve cartridge or mixing valve. If every tap is cold or lukewarm, the problem is at the water heater.
Electric water heater: safe checks
Check the breaker
Find the water heater breaker in your panel. If it tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and call.
Check the reset button
Many electric heaters have a red high-limit reset behind an access panel. A tripped reset points to a thermostat or element problem.
Wait an hour
If the reset or breaker was the issue, a full tank takes about an hour to heat.
Call if it repeats
A breaker or reset that trips again means a failed element, thermostat or wiring. That needs a plumber.
Gas water heater: safe checks
Smell for gas first
If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas company or 911 from outside. Do not relight anything.
Check the gas supply
Make sure other gas appliances work and the valve on the heater's gas line is open.
Look for the pilot
Many older heaters have a viewing window. If the pilot is out, follow the lighting label on the heater exactly, once.
Call if it will not stay lit
A pilot that goes out again usually means a failed thermocouple, a dirty pilot, a draft or a bad gas valve.
Tankless water heaters
Tankless units display an error code when something is wrong. Write it down before you call, because it tells us a lot. Common causes are scale buildup in the heat exchanger, a clogged inlet filter, venting problems, and a gas line too small for the unit, which shows up as hot water that turns cold when two fixtures run at once. Our tankless water heater repair page covers the details.
Not cold, but not enough
Hot water that runs out fast or is only lukewarm usually points to:
- Sediment filling the bottom of the tank
- A failed lower heating element
- A broken dip tube mixing cold into the hot
- A thermostat set too low
- A tank too small for the household
- A shower mixing valve that needs adjustment
When to stop and call
Stop and call a plumber if you smell gas, see water around the heater, see scorch marks or melted wiring, or the breaker or reset trips again. Water heaters combine electricity or gas with water under pressure, so repairs beyond the checks above are a job for a licensed plumber. We diagnose the problem and give you repair and replacement prices side by side.
No hot water: common questions
Why did my hot water suddenly stop?
Most often a tripped breaker or reset on an electric heater, or a pilot that went out on a gas heater.
How long does it take a water heater to heat back up?
Usually about an hour for a full tank. A tankless unit heats on demand.
Why does my pilot light keep going out?
Usually a worn thermocouple or a dirty pilot assembly, sometimes a draft or a failing gas valve.
Why do I have hot water in one bathroom but not another?
The heater is working. The cold fixture likely has a worn cartridge or mixing valve.
Is it worth repairing an old water heater?
If the heater is under about 8 years old, a repair usually makes sense. Past 10 to 12 years, compare it with replacement.
Can you come the same day?
Often, yes. Call 864-438-0525 and we will give you the first available time.
Ready when you are
Tell us what's going on.
A Master Plumber will find the cause, explain it in plain terms, and put your options in writing before any work starts.
- A licensed Master Plumber on every job
- Serving the Upstate since 2010
- Written prices, every job