What you can safely check first
Before you call, a few checks take two minutes and sometimes bring the hot water right back.
- Check whether it's every hot tap or just one. If only one faucet or shower is cold, the heater is probably fine.
- On an electric heater, check the breaker panel for a tripped water heater breaker and reset it once.
- Make sure the temperature dial on the heater hasn't been turned down.
- On a tankless heater, write down the error code on the display and look it up in the owner's manual.
What might be behind it
More than one thing can cause this, which is why the plumber finds the cause first.
A tripped breaker or a burned-out element (electric). On an electric heater, a tripped breaker or a failed heating element leaves you with lukewarm or cold water.
A pilot or ignition problem (gas). On a gas heater, a worn thermocouple or an ignition fault keeps the burner from staying lit.
A tank at the end of its life. An older tank full of sediment heats slowly and runs out fast. If it's also leaking, a repair won't hold.
A tankless unit that shut itself off. Tankless heaters stop and show an error code when something is off, like scale buildup, low flow, or a gas or venting issue.
How we fix it
We identify the heater type and check the failed component rather than assuming the whole heater needs replacing. A gas, electric or tankless unit can lose hot water for different reasons. We explain the findings and compare repair with replacement if the tank or unit is failing.
Depending on the cause, the relevant services are water heater repair, water heater replacement or tankless water heaters.
Where we fix it
Our plumbing shop is at 910 Cable St in Conroe. We also serve the surrounding towns. Check our plumbing service area and ZIP codesbefore requesting a visit.