February 9, 2024

Learn Why Your Water Heater Keeps Turning Off

By Asher B In blog No comments

It’s the end of a long day, and you’re enjoying a relaxing shower in your luxurious bathroom when the water goes cold. Suddenly, you’re thrust back to reality, scrambling to adjust the temperature.

Unfortunately, this scenario happens too often, and we regularly receive panicked calls at Boss Plumbing from Los Angeles area customers asking why they are running out of hot water.

The question you should be asking yourself is, “Why does my water keep turning off?”

There are many reasons this could be happening.

As Los Angeles’s premier licensed residential professional plumbers, we can help you find the answer and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Why Won’t My Water Heater Stay On?

1. Bad Gas Valve

If your water heater is powered by natural gas, a constant flow of it is required to keep the pilot light lit. It’s the job of the gas valve located in the water heater to distribute gas to the unit.

If the valve is not working or is damaged, the water heater pilot light cannot be lit, and you won’t have water.

Alternatively, if the gas is leaking, the water heater may turn off. This is an emergency and requires a licensed professional gas plumber, such as one from Boss Plumbing. Never try to repair a faulty gas valve. Doing so may put yourself and your family at risk.

2. Clogged or Dirty Thermocouple or Pilot Light

If your water heater keeps turning off, have you considered if there’s dirt or debris in the system?

A clogged thermocouple is perhaps the most common of all the water heater problems we incur.

A thermocouple is designed to sense when your pilot light is lit by generating an electrical current in the presence of heat. It will shut down the natural gas supply to the burners if it doesn’t sense heat.

Your pilot light can also get dirty from dust, soot, and general grime. This will restrict the flow of oxygen required for it to stay lit. Eventually, the flame will extinguish. You can relight the pilot light, but it will only be able to remain lit if you clean it properly.

3. Dirty Air Inlet Screen

The purpose of the air inlet screen is to allow enough air in to keep a water heater’s primary burners on.

If your gas water heater won’t stay on, your pilot light remains lit, and your thermopile is operating, the likely cause is a clogged air inlet.

A dirty air inlet screen must be professionally cleaned, whether clogged with dust, pet hair, or lint. This procedure is part of a regular water heater maintenance plan that Boss Plumbing suggests for all our customers.

4. Faulty Thermocouple

If your thermocouple is neither dirty nor clogged, it may be broken, so your water heater keeps turning off.

A faulty thermocouple won’t prevent the water heater from turning on in a case like this. It just won’t operate for long before it turns itself off.

In a situation like this, a professional plumber from Boss Plumbing can easily replace the thermocouple and have hot water service returned to your home.

5. Leaking Tank

Leaking of any sort is never a good thing, which could be why your water heater won’t stay on.

Whether you have an electric or gas water heater, as it warms, the water volume expands, putting pressure on the seams of the tank. If your water heater tank is old enough, it could crack and cause water to slowly or, worse, quickly leak onto your floors.

This type of water heater repair is usually quite urgent and will require a complete replacement of your water tank, which Boss Plumbing is trained to do.

6. Defective Electrical Components

Perhaps your water heater keeps turning off due to faulty electrical components. Your electric water heater may not operate properly because it’s short-circuiting, whether due to water damage, wear-and-tear, or impact.

Our Boss Plumbing professionals have extensive experience repairing, maintaining, and installing water heaters. We can determine if a faulty heating coil or thermostat is the cause of the problem.

This is not one of those water heater problems we recommend homeowners should try to solve themselves.

7. Sediment Build-Up

From hissing and crackling to sizzling and rumbling sounds from your water heater, this appliance can become quite vocal when it needs repair.

These sounds indicate heavy sediment build-up in your gas or electric water heater.

This results from living in an area of Los Angeles with hard water. The mineral deposits from this type of water can settle inside your tank and create several problems, including preventing your water heater from staying on.

Yes, homeowners can flush out their water heaters with over-the-counter products. However, unless you are incredibly familiar with how your tank operates, we suggest you call an expert such as Boss Plumbing.

8. High Humidity

Though it doesn’t happen often, we sometimes get extremely sticky or humid days during a Los Angeles summer.

The greater the humidity, the more likely your water heater will sweat (like the rest of us). That accumulated water can drip onto the thermocouple, causing it to stop functioning.

Can I Repair My Water Heater?

Unless you’re extremely handy, if your water heater keeps turning off, don’t try to repair it yourself. Call us at Boss Plumbing. Our experienced plumbers can help you troubleshoot your water heater problems by asking pointed questions. Together, you can decide if your water heater problems warrant an emergency visit or if there’s something you can do in the meantime to alleviate the issue until we can visit you.

Too often, we’ve gotten calls from homeowners in a panic because they decided to repair the water heater themselves and have caused more damage than before.