No hot water? Here is what to check first
If you have no hot water, check three things before you call anyone: the breaker for an electric water heater, the pilot or gas valve for a gas one, and the thermostat setting on the unit itself. Those three account for most no-hot-water calls, and two of them you can reset yourself in about five minutes. If all three are fine and the water is still cold, the failure is inside the unit and it needs a look.
We handle plumbing calls all over the Dallas-Frisco area, and this is the one where a homeowner most often fixes it themselves once they know where to look. Here is the order to work through.
Start with the power or the gas
If your water heater is electric, go to your breaker panel and find the double breaker labeled for the water heater. If it has tripped, flip it fully off and then back on. A breaker that trips once can be a fluke. A breaker that trips again right away is telling you an element or the wiring has shorted, and at that point stop resetting it and call.
If your water heater is gas, look at the control valve near the bottom of the tank. Most modern units have a small window or an indicator light. No flame and no light means the pilot is out. Many newer heaters have a piezo igniter and a printed reset sequence right on the label. Follow it exactly. If the pilot lights and then goes out again within a minute or two, the thermocouple is failing, which is a common and inexpensive repair.
Then check the thermostat on the unit
The temperature dial on the water heater itself can get bumped, especially on units in a garage where things get moved around. It should sit around 120 degrees. If somebody turned it down, or if the dial is set correctly but the water is only lukewarm, one of the two heating elements in an electric unit has likely burned out.
That last symptom is worth knowing, because it is specific. When you get some hot water but it runs out fast, the upper element is usually still working and the lower one has failed. When you get no hot water at all, it is usually the upper element or the thermostat controlling it.
What the symptom is telling you
The pattern of what you are getting matters more than most people realize:
Water is warm but never hot. Usually a failed lower heating element on an electric unit, or a thermostat set too low.
Hot water runs out much faster than it used to. Sediment has built up in the bottom of the tank, taking up space that used to hold water. Common in North Texas because of hard water.
No hot water at all, suddenly. Tripped breaker, pilot out, or a failed upper element.
Hot water is rusty or smells. The anode rod is spent and the tank interior is starting to corrode. This one does not wait.
You hear popping or rumbling from the tank. Sediment again, and enough of it that the burner is heating through a layer of it.
When it is time to stop troubleshooting
Call somebody if the breaker trips more than once, if the pilot will not stay lit after a proper relight, if there is water anywhere around the base of the tank, or if the hot water is discolored. Water at the base especially, because a tank that is leaking from the body cannot be repaired, and the sooner you know that the less likely it is you come home to a flooded garage.
Age is the other factor. Most tank water heaters in this area last eight to twelve years, and our hard water pushes many toward the low end of that. If yours is over ten and it just quit, it is worth having the repair-or-replace conversation before you put money into it.
If you are at that point, our water heater services page walks through what repair and replacement actually involve, including the tank versus tankless decision.
The thing that prevents most of this
Sediment causes more water heater problems in North Texas than anything else. Flushing the tank once a year clears it out, and it is a straightforward job. If keeping track of it is the hard part, our membership plan puts the flush on a schedule along with your HVAC visits so it just happens.
Still cold? Give us a call.
If you have checked the breaker, the pilot and the thermostat and you are still out of hot water, we can usually get someone out the same day. You get a real diagnosis and a written price before any work starts, and if the honest answer is that the unit is not worth repairing, we will tell you that too.
Schedule water heater service or call (469) 285-4457.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I suddenly have no hot water? The three most common causes are a tripped breaker on an electric unit, a pilot light that has gone out on a gas unit, and a failed heating element. Check the breaker and the pilot first, since both are things you can reset yourself.
Why is my water lukewarm but not hot? On an electric water heater this usually means the lower heating element has failed while the upper one still works. It can also mean the thermostat on the unit was turned down. Check the dial first, then have the elements tested.
How long should hot water last in a tank water heater? A properly working 40 or 50 gallon tank should give you enough for back-to-back showers. If it runs out much faster than it used to, sediment buildup is usually the reason, and a flush often restores a good part of the capacity.
Can I relight the pilot on my water heater myself? Usually yes. Most gas water heaters have the relight sequence printed on a label on the unit. Follow it exactly. If the pilot lights but goes back out within a couple of minutes, the thermocouple is failing and needs replacing.
Is water around the base of my water heater serious? Yes. It can be condensation or a loose fitting, but it can also mean the tank itself has corroded through, which cannot be repaired. Shut off the water supply to the tank and have it looked at rather than waiting to see if it gets worse.