A household went an entire month without hot water, then replaced its water heater in the hopes of fixing the problem. There was just one very big issue: the brand-new heater did not seem to heat the water either.
The story originates from Reddit user u/ashu1605, who said that they live with a parent who owns the home. The user posted to r/askplumbing on Aug. 5, saying both the old and replacement water heaters left water throughout the home freezing cold.
Their Reddit post soon gained traction on outlets such as The Cool Down, which writes that users began debating if the expensive replacement might not be the root cause of the problem.
The plot thickens and becomes more bewildering, as u/ashu1605 wrote that a light on the heater was illuminated to indicate it was receiving energy. The user went on to wonder if the issue could be electrical. However, Redditors believe it is an installation or component issue, specifically.
Online Users Consider A Potential Installation Mistake
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I live with a parent who owns a home and is difficult to deal with. Water heater stopped heating water a month ago and they replaced the water heater but it still doesnt actually HEAT the water, what could be the culprit?
by
u/ashu1605 in
askplumbing
Sometimes, one error in installation is all it takes to have a ripple effect across the whole system. The Cool Down reports Reddit users noting that it is important to restore power before the tank is full and all air has been let out.
Others, however, have had trouble pinning down an exact cause because an exact cause proves elusive. “Hard to say with no information,” noted u/LITTELHAWK. Others asked for additional clarification, especially about where exactly the frigid water is throughout the system.
Information is key since, The Cool Down warns, diagnosing the problem can lead to a solution that only makes things worse.
Salvation And Warm Showers At Last
The original user engaged in a back-and-forth with u/Tanooki_Plumber that unearthed the answer at last. After u/ashu1605 shared a photo of the water heater, u/Tanooki_Plumber noted that the gas appeared to be turned off, and even circled the important knob in a photo reply.
They then directed the distressed resident to turn on the gas, then follow the corresponding instructions to relight the pilot for their water heater.
This turned out to do just the trick, as after a few more queries and answers, u/ashu1605 was able to announce, “it worked and saves us hundreds.”