Ok so heres the details: We got a bad flood and my basement got flooded, now I cannot turn on the hot water heater how can I fix that?
2007-08-24 14:01:23 · 3 answers · asked by bluesky31986 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It may be best to just replace it. The insulation got wet and it is holding water and most likely shorting out the wiring. Even if you clear the fault and get the heater to work, it is not going to hold the heat with wet insulation.
If you still want to try and fix it, I'll try and help. Turn off the breaker and start tracing the wiring and drying everything you find. Look at the thermostat, the heating elements, and any other electrical component you can find. Once everything is dry and put back together go ahead and reset the breaker and see if it trips. If it holds in, then the water should start heating up. If you get this far, then go to a home supply store and buy an insulation blanket for the water heater and slide that around the heater. This may help you save some money until the heaters insulation eventually dried out. good luck.
2007-08-24 14:11:11 · answer #1 · answered by Fordman 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Chances are it is ruined. If you want to try though, make sure the insulation is dry, drain it completely and put in new heating elements. Connect the wiring and turn on the breakers. I would recommend that you have a licensed plumber look at this first. A water heater is cheap compared to replacing a house after a fire.
2007-08-24 21:11:20 · answer #2 · answered by kba1a 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Fordman is right. Dry it out and also look for a reset button on the thermostat after it's dry. Your thermostat could be filled with water also.
2007-08-24 23:35:25 · answer #3 · answered by John himself 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋