No hot water on a cold Maine morning is miserable, but it's usually not an emergency unless the heater is leaking. The cause depends on what kind of water heater you have. Here are the common causes for each type, the checks that are safe to do yourself and when to call. For repair help, see our main page on plumbers in Portland, ME.
First: is anything leaking?
If water is pooling under the heater, close the cold-water valve on top of it and turn off its power or set the gas control to off, then call. A leaking tank goes to the top of the list. See water heater repair.
Electric water heaters
- Check the breaker for the heater. A tripped breaker can be reset once; if it trips again, call.
- Many electric heaters have a high-temperature reset button behind an access panel, but live wiring sits behind it, so it's safest to let a plumber check it.
- If the hot water runs out quickly rather than not at all, a heating element has often failed.
Gas and propane water heaters
- Check whether the pilot is lit, if yours has one. The relighting instructions are on the heater's label.
- Make sure the gas supply is on, and for propane, that the tank isn't empty.
- If you smell gas, don't try to light anything. Leave and call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
Boiler-fed hot water
Just over half of Maine homes relied on heating oil in 2023, and many make hot water from the boiler through a coil or an indirect tank. If you've lost heat and hot water at the same time, the boiler is the problem. Check the emergency switch, the thermostat and the fuel level, and read the boiler no-heat checklist.
Tankless water heaters
- Look for an error code on the display and check the manual for what it means.
- Check that the gas or power supply is on.
- Very low flow, like a trickle from one faucet, may not be enough to turn the heater on.
Hot water at some faucets but not others
If the kitchen has hot water but the shower doesn't, the heater is probably fine and the problem is that fixture, often a worn cartridge or mixing valve. See faucet repair. If the hot water is lukewarm everywhere, check the temperature setting. The US Department of Energy says 120°F is enough for most households.