Hot water systems have become, to a certain degree, a must-have in most homes. When it comes to hot water systems, you have the option of having continuous flow water systems in which the water is heated as you use it, or storage tanks in which water is heated while in the tank before it is supplied to the relevant points of use as the kitchen sink or shower. Also, the water system may be connected to your electric system, or to your gas supply system. This article will focus solely on the hot water systems connected to an electrical supply.
If your hot water system connected to an electric supply is having problems, chances are you are confused on who to call; a plumber or an electrician. Most licensed plumbers will have adequate training to enable them to handle problems such as piping, heating elements and wiring. However, there are instances when you will need an electrician to handle your hot water services. This article gives the specific cases when you will have to call your electrician.
When the hot water system keeps tripping the circuit breaker
This problem is prevalent when you have a continuous flow hot water system. It occurs when every time you switch on the system, the circuit breaker trips. However, when you reset the circuit breaker and switch on the system again, it trips almost immediately or after a short while. Some of the causes include a burnt heating element, a bad thermostat or a wiring problem. It is practically impossible and dangerous to keep resetting the breaker because it might overheat the wires leading to a fire. Therefore, it becomes necessary to call an electrician.
When there is a blown or overheating water heater fuse box
A blown or overheating water heater fuse box will deny you hot water completely. Sometimes, when the heating element is defective, the amount of hot water that you receive will be limited or the water will not heat adequately. However, when your taps fail to release hot water at all, the culprit is usually a blown or overheated fuse box, and the problem can only be solved by replacing it. Only an electrician has the necessary knowledge, skills and tools to do that.
Loose wiring in the water heater system
You can tell the wiring in your water heater system has a problem if the reset button of your system keeps tripping. It may be caused by a shoddily done installation of the system. Such a problem calls for an electrician.