The Reasons Why Hot Water Heater Keeps Tripping Breaker

When you have a water heater that keeps tripping the breaker problem, of course, it will cause you some nerves. A leaking water heater is not good because it will flood the floor, and it will probably cause some damage to the floor and the water heater itself. Therefore, you need to know why this problem happens and how to stop it. The information is written below. Let’s check it out.

Why Hot Water Heater Keeps Tripping Breaker and Leaking?

There are some reasons, in fact, so many reasons why the water heater keeps tripping the breaker. It can be anything. The causes below are the most common ones. You should be able to analyze every single one of them.

To make sure you are not causing any further problems, it is better to identify the cause and call professional plumbers to fix things.

hot water heater keeps tripping breaker

Burnt out Heating element

The water heater breaker is getting hot and becomes malfunctioning that uses the heating element on the system is burnt out. It is happening because probably the water heater has been used for a long time, and the heating element is just running out of time. They have to be replaced so that you can have the heater back to normal.

Bad Thermostat

The thermostat is the main element of the whole thing. If this part breaks down, you won’t find any possible way to make the heater back to normal. That’s why once the thermostat goes bad, you need to replace it. Find the right professionals to do your water heater thermostat replacement, and the problem will be solved soon.

Read also: How to Replace Water Heater Element without Draining

Broken Breaker/Electrical Wiring

The breaker itself can cause this whole problem. Check the breaker, and probably there is something wrong with it, like the breaker being broken. If so, of course, the electrical wiring will all be damaged, and the leaking is just unavoidable.

Loose Wire/ Short Circuit

Sometimes the problem is caused by loose wiring in the system. Check it as loose wiring is not only causing the leakage, but it may also trigger the short circuit. This is dangerous because it can lead to a house fire.

Worn out Breaker

Last but not least, you will have to recheck your breaker to see whether or not it has worn out. If it has, well you need to get its replacement as soon as possible. If you do not do this, it is a very slim chance to fix the damage after all.

Now you have understood the causes of the leaking. If you are not too good at DIYs and have minimum knowledge of plumbing, it is not suggestible to fix the leakage on your own. There will be wires and electricity here and there, which may cause further damage. You need to call up professionals and let them do it for you. Therefore, you do not have to fix a water heater that keeps tripping the breaker first hand.

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John Burns is an experienced author and expert home improvement advice. With years of practical experience in the field authored several informative articles on various aspects related to home improvement, including installation, maintenance, and repair.