5 Most Common Tankless Water Heater Problems

Tankless water heaters are a great investment for your home or business.They can last for over 20 years with regular maintenance and use less energy to keep your home supplied with hot water. Although uncommon, issues can arise if something isn’t working properly within your water heater.

Here’s a list of the 5 most common problems with tankless water heaters:

1. Cold Water Sandwich

If your take back to back showers in your household, you might be familiar with the cold water sandwich. This means that when you turn on the shower, hot water comes followed by cold water, and then the temperature of the water slowly rises.

This happens because when the first shower ended, some hot water was remaining in the pipes on the way to the shower. When the second shower began, the initial warm water you felt was the trapped water.In most cases, this will happen just while the unit is warming up. The best thing you can do is let the tap run for a few seconds before you start using the hot water. This will help you avoid discomfort. However, if you notice the temperature changes happening throughout your shower or happening when the tap hasn’t been used by someone else, call your plumber.

2. Mineral Buildup

Whether you use a storage tank or a tankless water heater, you need to be aware of mineral buildup inside your water heater. Water naturally carries minerals, so as you use the heater, the minerals can start to build up inside the lines and system. Once there is a significant deposit of minerals inside your unit, you will notice that when water comes out, it smells and has a yellow look. When having this problem all that you need to do is flush your heater, but if you are not sure how to properly do it, make sure to call a plumber. If you live in a place where there is hard water (rich in minerals,) then you can install a water softener to get rid of as many minerals as possible. This will ensure the efficient use of your tankless water heater and other appliances that run with water.

3. System Overload

Depending on the capacity of your tankless heater, you can overload it if there are too many simultaneous hot water appliances going on at the same time. Your water heater may struggle to supply the hot water needed or shut down altogether if it becomes overloaded. When this happens, you should reduce the demand for hot water by limiting the number of appliances that you are using simultaneously. Another option is to reset you unit. However, if your tankless water heater frequently becomes overloaded, you should consider upgrading to a unit with a higher capacity or adding a second unit. Although a second unit might seem like a large investment, it can actually save you money in the long run since you’ll use less water while waiting for hot water to arrive and less gas to heat the water.

4. Exhaust Blockage

Tankless systems are designed to make it easy to troubleshoot issues. When something is wrong, the display will at least give you an idea of what’s going on. The most common error message is a blocked exhaust notification.This means your water heater is having issues with either combustion air or venting.Tankless systems need access to fresh air when they’re running. They also need to be able to vent to the outdoors when they’re actively heating the water. If the exhaust is blocked, they can’t get the air they need to maintain the heat.

If you’re getting an error message about the exhaust, make sure the channel is open. Inspect all vent pipes for dust bunnies and objects that could be blocking the vent. Outside your house, make sure any openings are free and clear of debris. If you can’t find anything blocking the vents, schedule an inspection with your plumber.

5. Ignition Failure

Tankless water heaters provide hot water on-demand. But sometimes, you’ll notice that the water just won’t get hot no matter how long you leave the tap running. When this happens, you likely have an issue with the fuel source. If the water heater can’t get fuel, it can’t ignite and warm your water up.Often, this issue is caused by the gas supply, so check to make sure your propane tank is full before you do anything else. If your gas valve or water valves are not fully opened, this could also cause the ignition to fail. Check and open gas and water valves fully. If these steps do not resolve the ignition problem, then either your ignition pack has failed or there’s a bigger problem. If everything looks like it{s supposed to, but you still have problem with your tankless water heater, make sure to call a professional plumber.

Having a Tankless Water Heater Problem, But Unsure the Exact Problem?

Tankless water heaters are generally low maintenance and very efficient, but problems can still happen. If you find yourself in any of these situations, or your tankless unit is constantly having problems, make sure to call Professional Plumbers Denver at 720 390 2652. We are a bonded, licensed, and insured plumbing company that offers affordable and quality services to the Denver metropolitan area.