
No Hot Water
If you smell gas anywhere near the heater, leave the house first and call from outside, and don't go back in to try the pilot again.
When this becomes an emergency
- Hot water at the kitchen tap but nothing warm at the shower.
- A pilot flame that won't stay lit through the night.
- Rusty water coming out of the hot side only.
- A puddle spreading from the base of the tank.
What a pro does
Where the water heater lives shapes the whole visit in Louisiana. Basements are rare, so the tank is usually in an attached garage, a utility closet or up in the attic, and an attic install over finished ceilings changes the urgency of a slow leak completely. The plumber starts by separating fuel from tank. On gas he's checking the pilot, thermocouple and venting; a heater in a sealed closet needs combustion air, and a blocked flue on a humid still day will drop it out over and over. On electric he's testing elements and the upper and lower thermostats. Sediment is the other recurring cause, and it comes down to what's in the water. Some towns here draw hard groundwater that leaves a mineral bed in the bottom of the tank, insulating the burner from the water above it and making the heater rumble as it fires. Draining and inspecting the anode rod tells the plumber how much life the tank has left. If the shell itself has rusted through there's no repair for that, and honest advice at that point is replacement rather than parts.
Frequently asked questions
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