There’s nothing quite like a hot shower to start your day off right. But what do you do when there’s no hot water coming out of the shower? Getting frustrated isn’t the answer – before you start hitting all the buttons on your thermostat and trying to figure out how to light your pilot light, take a deep breath and relax. We’re here to help.
In the points below, we’ll walk you through the possible reasons why the hot water’s not working in the shower, and what to do when there’s no water coming out of the hot tap (or your shower’s not getting hot).
There are several potential reasons why your shower might suddenly lose its hot water supply. Here are some of the most common culprits:
Your water heater isn’t big enough
If you have a small tankless water heater or an undersized traditional water heater, it might not be able to keep up with demand – particularly if multiple people in your household are trying to use hot water at the same time. In cases like this, you might need to invest in a larger water heater. This is a common culprit for no hot water in the shower over the holidays, when people have family and friends coming to stay with them so the household is bigger than usual.
Your pilot light has gone out
If you have a gas-powered water heater, it uses a pilot light to ignite the burners. If this pilot light goes out, your burner won’t turn on – and your water will stay cold. Fortunately, relighting a pilot light is relatively easy; simply follow the instructions in your owner’s manual.
Your power has gone out
This one should be fairly obvious, unless you were under the impression that your shower operated on gas. If an electrical outage has caused your power to go out, your electric water heater will stop working – the good news though is that once power is restored, your water heater should start up again automatically.
Your thermostat is set too low
Most modern water heaters have an adjustable thermostat that allows you to control the temperature of the water coming out of your faucet or showerhead. If this thermostat is turned down too low, you might not get as much hot water as you’d like. Try turning it up incrementally until you find a temperature that suits you.
You have a leak
A leak in your home’s plumbing can cause your hot water supply to dwindle more quickly than usual. If you suspect that there might be a leak somewhere in your home’s plumbing, shut off your main water valve and call a plumber right away.
Your neighbours are using too much hot water
In apartments or other multi-family dwellings, each unit shares a central boiler or other type of heating system. If your neighbours are using too much hot water, it can diminish the amount of hot water available to you. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about this one except wait for them to finish their showers!
Is it time to call a professional plumber?
If there’s no hot water coming out of your shower, don’t despair – there’s likely an easy fix. In most cases, adjusting your thermostat or relighting your pilot light will do the trick. However, if those solutions don’t work or if you suspect there might be a leak in your home’s plumbing, it’s best to call a professional plumber right away.
At Simoes Plumbing, we’ll make quick work of getting your hot water up and running again in no time. From gas heating and solar hot water to blocked drains, waterline services and other residential plumbing solutions; we’ve got you covered. Give us a call for efficient and reliable service today.
