It’s so uncomfortable to go without a functioning hot water heater in the winter. What do you do if your hot water heater isn’t working and just needs a simple reset? But not everybody knows how to reset a water heater. Choose one of the following methods for fixing your problem, depending on the type of water heater (gas, electric, or even tankless).
How to Reset an Electric Water Heater
If this is the issue, it occurred because the switch was tripped. It simply needs to be reset. If you do not know how to do it. All it requires is a little know-how, no skill necessary. The first place to look is the reset button!
Where Is the Reset Button?
Do you know where your water heater is (attic, garage, basement)? Once you’ve found the water heater, the reset button is typically located on the upper thermostat. If it’s not there, it’s likely somewhere on the lower part of the water heater. Some units have a button in each location. If you need further direction, try this helpful Homeowner Repair video.
Reset Button on Water Heater Doesn’t Click
What do you do if the water heater reset button doesn’t work? You might have a faulty thermostat. If it keeps tripping the reset button, the cause may be the high limit switch. What’s happening is that the thermostat is not properly managing the heat. The high limit switch trips when the faulty thermostat allows the temperature to get to a dangerous level. You don’t want your kid to wash his/her hands with boiling water, so this feature is a must. The switch will keep getting tripped until you get a new thermostat. It’s also possible that you have a grounded element causing the water to overheat. Learn how to test a water heater element.
Other Causes of the Issue
Although a bad thermostat is the most common cause, it’s not the only one. It’s possible that your wiring is loose or compromised in some way. You also might have a short in one or both of the heating elements. Last but not least, you may just be having electrical problems with the home itself, and the problem isn’t specific to the water heater.
How to Reset a Gas Water Heater
Relight the water heater pilot. It’s that simple. However, you may find with newer models that there is a thermal switch to reset.
How Long for Water Heater to Heat After Reset?
Once you’ve reset the system, you have to wait for hot water (unless you have an on-demand unit), but for how long? It depends on the size of the tank, but with any unit, you should be able to get in a hot shower with gas water heaters within 30-40 minutes and with electric tanks, about 60-90 minutes.
How to Reset a Tankless Water Heater
On-demand solutions also have thermal safety reset features. If you need to reset your tankless water heater, it’s likely that you’ll need to remove the cover to access it. Each manufacturer will have different instructions, so we recommend consulting your owner’s manual to address this problem.
Turn to the Plumbing Experts
Thank you for visiting us at PlumbersStock.com. If you have any questions remaining about your project or related products, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Remember, we carry the best names in the business, including Bradford White, Takagi, Stiebel Eltron, and more. Shop around for discount water heater parts, as well as accessories.
Related resources:
How to Light a Hot Water Heater
How to Turn Off a Water Heater
Tips to Drain a Water Heater
Turning on a Water Heater
How to Turn Up Water Heater
What Temperature Should Water Heater Be?
About the Author
Nathan is a product expert and has worked for PlumbersStock since 2012. Like many in the company, he's a graduate of Southern Utah University. He enjoys spending time with his family, the gym, being in the mountains, reading, movies, music, watching sports, and playing CoD online with his little brother.
