Water heater suddenly scalding hot. It is a very bad situation to face when suddenly extremely hot water starts coming from the hot water faucet.
If the water is too hot then you can not wash the dishes or take a pleasant shower because it can burn you.
Normally, the overheating of the electric water tank is due to the leaking and damage of any component.
If very hot water is coming from the tank hot tank, then immediately repair it because firstly, it is a very swear risk for the young child or the old people in the home.
Secondly, a huge amount of electric bill is around the corner for you after a month because of malfunctioning of the hot water tank.
Finally, if you inspect the sudden change in hot water to very hot water in the tap, then the culprit behind this issue can be the faulty thermostat.
There is also the chance of minerals in the water tank due to hard water. All possible reasons for this issue are mentioned below, so continue reading to handle such a situation by yourself.
Water heater suddenly scalding hot
It should be a safety system on the hot water geysers which can prevent the people from scalding.
It could be from the damaged thermostat, the build-up of minerals inside the tank, or it can be due to the faulty heating element.
Here is detailed information and solutions about the malfunctioning of the hot water tank.
The pressure relief valve is jammed
The function of the pressure relief valve is to prevent the water tank from breaking out by releasing more build-up of water.
If this valve is cracked or jammed, then the geysers can not disappear the collected hot water and steam, so as a result, the extremely hot water starts coming from the faucet.
If such type of situation happens, then the first step is to switch the water heater to save your family.
Then contact the professional because it is very complicated to troubleshoot, and you can not do it without experience.
Build up of sediments or minerals
If you are living in such an area in which the amount of minerals is more in the water, then soon it will affect because it will increase the sediments in the pipeline and the geyser.
When the amount of sediments increases then, it starts creating problems because it affects the thermostat, the heating element to work not properly by changing the temperature inside.
It damages the tubes because the water runs through them. The only solution to this issue is proper maintenance of the hot water tank completely.
Clean the tank and pipes thoroughly to remove all sediments after one year.
The temperature setting is very high
A dial gauge is installed on the water heater to set the temperature of hot water. You can set the suitable temperature, which is normally 80- and 110- Fahrenheit. You can adjust it also at home.
If someone in the home by chance increases the dial of the temperature gauge then the water temperature will increase a lot. So, inspect the dial gauge and adjust the dial if it is high.
Thermostat is faulty
Sometimes the faulty thermostat is also the reason for a sudden increase in the temperature of the water. A thermostat manages the switching on and off of the heating element.
If the thermostat becomes damaged, then the heating element continues to do its work, but now there is no control of the temperature of hot water. You have the only option to replace the thermostat.
The heating element is failed
In electric water tanks, one or two heating elements are installed to heat the water. When this element is stuck on, then more hot water starts coming from the hot water faucet.
When the sediments or minerals increase in the bottom of the tank, then the lower elements stick and start overheating the water.
Firstly, remove the minerals from the tank and tubes, and then hire a certified plumber to install a new heating element in the water heater.
Conclusion
Water heater suddenly scalding hot. If the water heater is overheating the water, then the first step to do is to shut off it to save the family from burning hot water.
Then you can follow the above step to sort out the issue because most of the culprits behind this overheating of water are faulty thermostats or heating elements and an increase of sediments in the tank.
Clean the whole water heater after every year to increase its efficiency and life span.
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