Constantly Tripping Water Heater Breaker? Advice From A Plumber Near Me In | Bullhead City, AZ
Electric water heaters use dedicated circuits. Therefore, they are the only appliances connected to their breakers. The breaker may sometimes trip seemingly for no apparent cause or reason. However, a tripping breaker is always caused by something. Hence, don’t assume them. The breaker may trip randomly, and then you can reset it and continue using the water heater until the circuit breaker trips again. That is probably when you realize you might be having a problem.
Other times, the breaker might trip, and you’ll be unable to reset it; the only option is to call a plumber near me in Arizona to inspect the system and effect any required repairs. The water heater circuit breakers trip for a specific reason, and it could potentially be a risky situation that requires immediate attention. Even if the circuit breaker trips now and then, a plumber near me in my vicinity should come over, inspect, and repair it to avert the risk of causing an electrical fire. This article examines why the water heater circuit breaker keeps tripping.
What You Should Do If the Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping
Don’t flip it back if your water heater’s circuit breaker is frequently tripping. Doing this means the wiring might overheat and cause an electrical fire. This could damage or wear out your circuit breaker and also further damage the water heater. Your breaker might be tripping because of an underlying issue with the water heater, and that issue will not just go away unless a plumber near me in Bullhead City, AZ, repairs it. Hence, when the breaker trips, turn off the power to the water heater and contact a professional water heater repair technician. The technician will use their experience to determine the cause of the problem. After inspecting it, the professional might find either of the problems below:
Bad Thermostat
Water heaters feature a component called a limit, ensuring that the water temperatures don’t exceed 180 degrees. Whenever the water reaches this temperature, the limit switches trips. This feature prevents the water from becoming too hot that it might scald or burn you. The limiting switch can trip for various reasons, but a malfunctioning thermostat is among the most common.
Water heaters that have to heat elements also have two thermostats. The thermostats must communicate to ensure only one heating element is being used or heated at any time. If the malfunction of the thermostat may sometimes remain stuck in the “on” position. Hence, the heating element will remain on and heat the water continuously. This will result in overheating the water heater, which might result in other dire issues like an explosion of the tank.
Hence, whenever you notice the water coming from the water heater is scalding hot, have a plumber near me in Arizona inspect the unit and conduct the required repairs. The overheating water eater will overload the circuit because of drawing too much current. Hence, it is one of the reasons why the breaker might trip. The professional will test the thermostat using a multimeter or other advanced instrument to ascertain its overload.
Bad Heating Element
As mentioned above, most water heaters feature a lower and an upper heating element. These elements work in tandem to ensure that your water is adequately heated. These elements are particularly critical in large water tanks. When the heating element fails, the water will not be adequately heated and could remain colder than normal or lukewarm.
Whenever you notice that the water is not as hot as it used to be, that should be a sign that the unit has an underlying problem, and you should have it checked by a plumber near me in my locality. At times, the heating element’s casing might split, exposing the electrical section of the element to water. This short-circuiting of the heating element makes the circuit breaker or the limit switch trip. The element also might be short, making it remain on and heat the water continuously.
As a result, it draws a lot of current and overheats, making the limit switch trip. When a plumber near me in Bullhead City, AZ, comes to inspect the unit, they will be equipped with sophisticated tools like multimeters that they can use to test the heating element. Based on their findings, they might repair the unit or even advise that you replace the heating element if it is damaged beyond repair.
Electrical or Wiring Problem
The issue is likely external to the water heater if it isn’t a water leak, the heating element, thermostat, or internal wiring. It can be a defective or loose wire, a faulty electrical panel connection, or a worn-out circuit breaker. The plumber near me in Arizona will look for any loose or broken wires in the line’s wiring. They will have to replace the circuit breaker if it trips, but there are no issues with the line. Replace the breaker with one of the same rating if it is the issue. The technician knows the circuit will overheat if replacing it with a higher-rated breaker, allowing more current to pass through it.
Internal Wiring
The other reason why the water heater’s circuit breaker might trip is if it has faulty internal wiring. Whenever this happens, then it might not even heat the water at all. Hence, if you aren’t receiving heated water and suspect that the internal wiring of the system is to blame, immediately reach out to a plumber near me in Arizona for a thorough inspection of the unit. The professional will look for damaged wiring, loose connections, and any points where electrical power may be arced. If they determine you have an electrical wiring problem, the professionals will fix it to ensure it doesn’t trip the breaker.
Frequently Tripping Breaker?
Does your water heater’s breaker keep on tripping? Contact us at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Mohave County, your reliable plumber near me in Bullhead City, AZ.
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