If you’re wondering why the water in your shower is cold even if your water heater is on, one thing is for sure; your water heater has an underlying problem that you need to repair immediately. 

To give you more idea why the water in your shower is not heating up even if your heating appliance is on, we have curated a list of the most common reasons. Knowing these reasons can help you resolve any issue in your water heater so that you can look forward to using warm water again. Let’s get started! 

1. The Storage Doesn’t Have Enough Water

This reason will only apply if you have a traditional water heater with a tank. The conventional water heater with a tank requires to have enough water in the storage to function. This type of water heater is like a kettle—it needs to have water inside, and the hot tap must be turned on for the water to heat up. Once it’s warm enough, your heater will then send hot water to you. 

To check if this is really the problem with your water heater, try not to open it for at least ten minutes. Afterwards, turn it on again and see if the water becomes hot. If the lack of water in the storage is the problem, your water heater should be fine after ten minutes since it has already recovered enough water. But, if this happens frequently, you may need to replace your water heater because you and your family will only experience constant inconvenience since you need to wait before the water heats up. 

2. Your Water Heater Has a Poor Gas Supply

Poor gas supply is a problem that is only applicable for water heaters that use gas to function. Obviously, if you don’t have enough gas supply, your appliance definitely cannot heat your water. Typically, this problem occurs because there’s a blocked fuel line, someone turned off the gas supply, or the gas ran out. 

You can call your plumber to repair this problem. It’s either they will fill up the gas on your water heater, or they will remove any blockages that restrict the smooth gas flow. 

3. The Pilot Light in Your Water Heater Is Out

Your water is not heating up, maybe because of an extinguished power light. Review your water heater’s manual and check how you can set your water heater into pilot mode. Then, check if your water heater has a flame by opening the inlet valve and removing the bottom cover of the heater. Just be careful while doing this because it’s quite dangerous and may lead to a fire.

If your water heater has no flame, call your plumber right away because it means it requires a replacement. But, do note that some water heaters use glow plugs or spark igniters instead of pilot lights. Before checking the problem, read your manual first, so you can know which one to check. 

4. Your Water Heater Has Defective Heating Elements 

It’s normal for a water heater to break down, especially if it’s already outdated or overused. If you have a water heater that’s been with you for long and it cannot heat up water anymore, it might have defective elements. If this is the case, replacing your water heater is the best option because you may only face more costly repairs. 

Conclusion

Once your water heater cannot produce warm water adequately, it’s best to call a professional plumber to check the problem and assess if your water heater needs repair or replacement. It will also be safe if they will be the ones to check since they have the knowledge and experience handling water heaters. 

If you are looking for the best plumber to check your water heater, Candu Plumbing is what you’re searching for! We offer professional plumbing services in San Fernando Valley, including hot water heater repair, installation, and maintenance. Contact us today!