Water heaters are an essential part of any home, helping to maintain the temperature of your water. When the GE water heater isn’t working, it can leave you without hot water, which means no warm showers or baths. One of the most common causes of a GE water heater not working has nothing to do with the heater itself and is instead an issue with the power supply.
A GE water heater that won’t work may have any issue with the power supply. This is usually caused by a tripped or bad breaker.
The easiest way to check if this is the issue is to look at your breaker box and see if one of the breakers has switched to the off position. If no breaker has been switched off, check to ensure the breaker is still in good working order. A digital multimeter can determine if the breaker is receiving voltage. Replacing any bad breakers you find as soon as possible.
GE Water Heater Not Lighting
GE water heaters can be complicated appliances with various different parts working together to keep your water hot. When one of these parts fails, it affects the heater’s entire performance.
If your GE water heater won’t light, the issue is the igniter. Without a working igniter, the burner would not light. Unfortunately, if the igniter has failed it will need to be replaced.
GE Water Heater Light Will Not Stay Lit/Keeps Going Out
If the GE water heater will not stay lit and keeps going out, then it cannot do its job properly, and your water won’t get hot. The issue is usually caused by a faulty thermocouple.
When the GE water heater light won’t stay lit or keeps going out, the issue is usually the result of a bad thermocouple. In order to fix this issue, the part will need to be replaced.
The thermocouple is an important piece of the appliance that works by sensing heat coming from the pilot. Once it senses the heat, it lets the fuel run to the burner. When the thermocouple goes bad, it will shut off the fuel from the pilot and the burner.
GE Water Heater Not Heating
The whole point of having a water heater is to heat your water. So it’s only natural to become frustrated with the appliance when it cannot do the only job it was designed for. While the issue is stressful, when the GE water heater won’t heat, the issue could be as simple as a buildup of debris on the pilot.
A GE water heater not heating is usually caused by a bad pilot light. The pilot light is needed in order to keep the water heater burner on and heating the water. When the pilot light goes out, so will the hot water.
While pilots can sometimes go bad and require replacing, a buildup of carbon deposits is the most common cause of pilot light issues. With the water heater turned off, use a stiff brush to scrub the pilot, removing any carbon buildup or other debris that could interfere with the pilot’s ability to do its job.
GE Water Heater Not Hot Enough
Even if the GE water heater is heating your water, it may not be reaching the desired temperature. While this is annoying, it is usually an easy problem to fix.
When the GE water heater is not hot enough, simply turn the water heater’s temperature settings up to reach the desired temperature.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on April 7, 2022.
Before you adjust the temperature of the water heater, make sure to turn off the power to the appliance. Then remove the access panel and insulation (as well as the safety guard if your model has one). Make sure not to touch any electrical terminals or wires.
The thermostats should be set between 115 and 125 degrees. Adjust the thermostat to the desired temperature and then replace the items you removed to gain access to the thermostat. Turn the power back on to the water heat and check the temperature.
GE Water Heater Igniter Won’t Spark
In order for the GE water heater to heat the water, several things have to happen. One of the first things is that the igniter needs to spark. Without this small spark, the heater cannot light its pilot and the burner won’t kick on to warm the water.
When the GE water heater igniter won’t spark, point the blame at the spark electrode. This part of the water heater creates a spark which lights the pilot. If it malfunctions or dies, it won’t produce that much needed spark to light the water heater.
There is, unfortunately, no easy solution to make the spark electrode work, and it will require replacing.
GE Water Heater Won’t Drain
Many people are not aware that water heaters should be routinely flushed and drained. In fact, most experts recommend flushing and draining water heaters every year to help reduce sediment buildup and keep the appliance functioning properly. But what happens when it’s time to flush your water heater but it just won’t drain?
A GE water heater that won’t drain is usually suffering from a clogged drain valve. Over time, sediment begins to build up in the water heater tank. If the tank isn’t regularly drained, these sediments will clog the drain valve and reduce the water heater’s efficiency.
Before you attempt to unclog the drain, make sure to follow proper safety precautions. The water inside the tank is probably hot and you could scold yourself if not careful. One way to prevent scalding is to turn off the water heater and let it sit for up to 24 hours. This will give the water inside the tank a chance to cool down.
After you have turned off the power on the water heater, attach a water hose that runs to a floor drain (or outside the house), and then leave the drain valve open. Turn off the hot water faucet inside the home and then wait an hour.
If the tank still doesn’t drain on its own, close the drain valve, remove the water hose, and place a bucket near the drain valve. Open the drain valve and then insert a wire coat hanger into the drain. Move the wire around several times to try to work the clog free.
ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on April 7, 2022.
Once the clog is free, turn the drain valve off and attach the water hose. Open the drain once again and let the water inside the tank finish draining. Keep in mind that the sediment can often clog the drain again before the tank has finished draining. If this occurs, just repeat the unclogging process with the wire coat hanger.