Your water heater is critical to keeping your home and family comfortable. From hot showers to a clean house, you need your water heater to work.

If your water isn’t getting hot, you need to understand why your water heater is failing. From minor mechanical issues to whole-system failures, here is what you’ll need to know when troubleshooting your home’s water heater.

Tankless or Storage Water Heater?

There are two main types of water heaters: tankless and storage. Both offer reliable hot water to residences throughout Charleston. 

Tankless water heaters offer a small footprint and an endless hot water supply. They work by heating the water as you need it. Because there is no reserve of hot water, the hot water can wait longer to reach the faucet. Tankless water heaters have a higher entry point cost than storage water heaters.

Storage water heaters heat water and keep it hot in a storage tank. Plus, when the tank is empty, you run out of hot water until the heater can refill and reheat the water in the tank. Storage water heaters have a lower entry cost than tankless water heaters.

Troubleshooting a Tankless Water Heater

Tankless water heaters are reliable and durable, but as they age, parts can begin to wear out, causing them to fail. Problems like overload to a blocked air supply are a few reasons your tankless water heater may fail. Here are some of the most common issues:

  • Blocked air supply or exhaust: Because your tankless water heater needs to be able to vent air, if the vent is blocked, it will not work. This is a built-in security feature to keep your appliance and home safe.
  • Mineral buildup: If you live in an area with hard water, your tankless water heater could fail because of mineral buildup. The minerals can cause the passage where the water flows to become smaller until no water flows through.
  • Ignition failure: If your tankless water heater seems to be working properly but won’t heat it, it could be an ignition problem. If your water heater can’t connect to the fuel supply properly, it cannot heat water.

Why Your Storage Tank Water Heater Is Failing

Storage tank water heaters have their reasons they may fail. From valve failure to a burst tank, here’s what homeowners should look for:

  • Leaking tank: A leaking tank could keep you from having hot water. The hot water escapes through the crack and isn’t there when you turn on the faucet.
  • High water pressure: If the water pressure setting on your water heater is too high, your water heater can fail. The extra pressure can also damage your tank and appliances using hot water.
  • Rust and corrosion: Rust on the inside of your water heater tank can cause it to fail. The valves and components can become frozen, preventing the water heater from working correctly.

Choose Preferred Home Services for All Your Water Heater Services

If you have no hot water in your Charleston home, you can count on Preferred Home Services to help. We offer comprehensive water heater services, from repairs to installations, and we service both storage and tankless water heaters. 

Let us help you keep your family comfortable and your home clean with water heater services. Our team of expert technicians is licensed, insured, and background-checked. We’ve helped over 60,000 customers and offer same-day services for your convenience. 

We’re committed to your complete comfort. For reliable water heater services in Charleston, SC, call Preferred Home Services at (843) 405-3601 or contact us online now!