A water heater that keeps turning off can be a real annoyance. Not only can it disrupt your morning routine, but it might leave you wondering whether there’s something seriously wrong with your heater.
There are many potential reasons why your water heater keeps turning off, and some are more serious problems than others. In order to fix this irritating issue, you’ll need to get to the root of the problem and find out why it’s happening.
If you’re asking yourself, ‘why does my water heater keep turning off’, here are the most likely reasons, and the solutions you should consider implementing.
This is especially likely if your water heater is old, or has suffered water damage. Sometimes, even impact and general wear and tear from sediment build-ups or other causes can result in the appliance short-circuiting.
Unfortunately, this is not a problem you should try to fix yourself. Faulty electrics can be very dangerous, so if you suspect that your hot water heater is short-circuiting, you should call a professional to investigate.
2. Leaking Gas
If you have a gas water heater rather than an electric heater, the problem could be with the gas valve or supply. After all, if your heater is powered by gas and the gas stops coming into the heater for whatever reason, it makes sense that it would turn off.
The gas supply to your water heater could be caused by a number of things. A gas leak could stop the heart from working, or a broken valve could be responsible.
Either way, just as we don’t recommend tampering with damaged electrics, we don’t suggest trying to fix a gas-related issue with your water heater on your own.
Call a professional and let them know that you think there’s a problem with the gas supply to your water heater. They will ask you for details of the issue and can recommend steps to keep yourself safe until they can come and fix the problem.
3. Broken Thermocouple
A broken thermocouple is another common cause of water heaters turning off. When the thermocouple on your water heater is broken, it might interpret the pilot light as being off even when it’s on.
This means that your water heater may turn on just fine, but after a couple of seconds or minutes, it will turn back off again.
In order to fix this problem, you will need to replace the broken thermocouple with a new one.
This is best done by a HVAC professional with the correct tools and replacement parts, so get in touch with your local HVAC repair services today if you suspect a broken thermocouple is causing your water heater to turn off randomly.
4. Dirt And Debris
Something else to consider is that your thermocouple may not actually be broken – it might just be dirty, or clogged.
Dirt inside your water heater isn’t difficult to fix, for the most part. You should be cleaning your water heater once per year anyway.
It’s not just the thermocouple that can get dirty, but also the pilot light. If the pilot light is covered in dirt, it may turn itself off, causing the heater to stop working.
Unfortunately, if your thermocouple is clogged, this is a more serious problem. If you have debris clogging up your thermocouple, it won’t be able to sense the heat coming off the pilot light, and therefore, the water heater can turn off.
It is possible to unclog a thermocouple yourself, as long as you are careful. The process involves removing the thermocouple from the heater and gently cleaning the inside using either a piece of steel wool or cloth.
If you’re not confident in your ability to do this, however, it’s best to seek professional help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A Water Heater That Keeps Turning Off Dangerous?
Whether your water heater repeatedly turning itself off is dangerous depends on the root cause.
If the cause is an electrical fault such as a short circuit, or a gas supply issue, this could potentially be dangerous, especially if you’re interacting with the heater when it shuts itself off.
However, other causes of water heaters turning off, such as clogs, aren’t necessarily a safety concern unless the problem is allowed to continue and develop into a bigger issue.
What Should I Do If My Water Heater Keeps Turning Off?
Unless you’re 100% sure what the problem with your water heater is, and it’s something that you can safely fix by yourself, the first thing you should do if your water heater starts turning itself off is to call a plumber.
This is especially important if you have a gas water heater because any malfunction could result in a gas leak, which may have serious consequences for your health and safety.
If you think that your water heater is turning off because part of it is dirty or clogged, you could try cleaning the heater yourself.
However, before you do this, make sure that the heater is turned off and there are no other signs of either electrical faults or gas leaks.
Which Parts Of My Water Heater Should I Check For Dirt?
The main parts of your water heater that you should check for dirt are the thermocouple and the pilot tube. However, you could also check the flex tube and the main control valve, as these can also get dirty and clogged over time.
Final Thoughts
There are several reasons why your water heater might turn itself off repeatedly. The most common reasons are a dirty, clogged, or broken thermocouple, but it could also be due to a short circuit or a problem with the gas supply to the heater.
You can try cleaning your water heater to see if this solves the problem, but if you’re unsure what the problem is, call a plumber for an inspection.
Hi everyone! My name is Jason, and I am the founder of HeaterWise.com. Having run my own business as a Heating Engineer for 21 years, I have picked up a few things along the way.
I wanted to create Heater Wise as a place where anyone could come, from far and wide, to find the information that they need.
I hope you will join us here at Heater Wise, to get started on your own journey, to expand your knowledge, and make the best heating choices for you and your family.
