Ever hop into the shower only to get blasted by a stream of freezing water?

if you bump into any of these issues?

You have awater heater problem.

My water is cold

The most common problem you’ll encounter with a water heater?

No hot water when you need it.

If you’re fortunate, you could solve this problem on your own.

You’ll have to call in a professional.

How you fix the problem depends on whattype of hot water heateryou have: gas or electric.

If your thermostat isn’t set in this range, adjust it.

you’re able to then wait 30 minutes to see if your hot water has returned.

If it hasn’t, you’ll have to take further steps.

Check the pilot light

If your home has a gas water heater, check the pilot light.

If it’s out, relight it.

Your water heater should have instructions on its side explaining how to do this.

If it’s not, you might need to replace or adjust the thermocouple.

3. reset your water heater

If your water heater is electric, try restarting it.

Turn your heater off, wait two to five minutes, then turn it back on.

Wait 30 minutes to see if your hot water has returned.

The breaker dedicated to your water heater might have tripped.

Check to see if this breaker is in the “off” position.

If it is, flip it back to the “on” setting.

If these simple steps don’t work?

My water is lukewarm

Maybe your morning showers aren’t ice-cold.

They might just be lukewarm, another problem you may be able to resolve on your own.

First, check to check that that your water heater’sthermostat is set to at least 120 degrees.

If your thermostat is set properly and you have a gas heater, check the pilot light.

It should be burning blue.

If it’s instead burning yellow, there isn’t enough air coming to the flame.

Call a professional to fix this problem.

My water smells

Maybe your problem has nothing to do with the temperature of your water.

Typically, this is brought on by hot water sitting in your tank for too long.

To double-check the problem is coming from your water heater, turn on your cold water only.

Before your trip, turn the gas or electricity off to your water heater.

Cold water can sit in your tank without building up the bacteria that cause a foul odor.

If you’re fortunate, the leak could be the result of a loose or damaged drain valve.

You also use the valve to drain sediment from the unit.

If you notice water dripping out of this valve, try tightening it.

The valve might only be loose, and a tightening might solve your problem.

If the valve isn’t loose and it’s still dripping, it is damaged.

You’ll need to call a plumber to repair or replace it.

If the water leak isn’t coming from your drain valve, you probably have a more costly problem.

The water tank itself might be damaged enough so that it has sprung a leak.

And sometimes, you’ll need to replace your entire hot water heater.

And if you want to save money to cover the problems that inevitably pop up with a water heater?

Consider investing in asolarortanklesswater heater.