A Navien tankless water heater can be a great investment for homeowners. It offers optimal efficiency alongside endless amounts of hot water. Unfortunately, just like any other appliance in your home, your Navien tankless water heater can experience an issue or two over the course of its lifetime.
No Hot Water
Tankless water heaters have an internal flow sensor that’s responsible for monitoring the flow of water through the device. Whenever the sensor senses that water has started to move because you turned on your hot water faucet, it will signal to the burner or heating element that it’s time to turn on. Unfortunately, if your sensor is faulty, it can prevent your tankless water heater from heating your water. This problem may be solved by opening and closing the pressure relief valve on the outlet side of the water heater. In other cases, the flow sensor may need to undergo replacement service.
Randomly Turning on and Off
One really frustrating issue you may experience with your Navien tankless water heater is that it randomly turns on and off. It’s very common for the unit to display an error code of 003. This code typically signals a problem with the ignition components. However, if your plumber doesn’t find an issue with the ignition components, the problem is likely a faulty control board. Unfortunately, replacing the control board with a new one will be a necessity to restore the overall performance of your tankless water heater.
Odd Noises
It’s very normal for your tankless water heater to make some noise while operating. However, if it starts to produce odd noises, it’s a real cause for concern. The tone of the noise will give you some necessary insight into where the issue may lie. For example, a vibrating noise will usually mean that there’s a loose component inside your tankless water heater. Some other causes of odd noises include a faulty water line vacuum, a defective pressure valve, or a dirty flow sensor that is messing with the optimal flow of air and gas.
Pilot Light Keeps Going Out
If your Navien tankless water heater relies on gas to create heat, it may use a pilot light. This light is meant to remain lit around the clock and ignite your burner when it needs to create heat. The pilot light may go out for numerous reasons, including poor ventilation, a faulty gas valve, an interruption in the gas supply, an overly dirty burner, or even a damaged flow sensor. It’s best to rely on a plumbing professional to determine and remedy the root cause of this issue.
Keeps Tripping Circuit Breaker
Your tankless water heater should have its own dedicated circuit to ensure no overloading. It isn’t uncommon for a circuit breaker to trip from time to time if there’s a power surge due to a nasty storm. However, if your circuit breaker keeps tripping, it could signal one of two problems. The first is that water is leaking onto the wiring for your unit and causing the circuit breaker to trip. The other culprit is a faulty internal electrical problem with your tankless water heater. If you don’t visibly see a leak, unplug your water heater and see if the circuit trips. If it doesn’t, then you have a problem with the electrical portion of your water heater.
Leaking Water
Another obvious sign that your tankless water heater needs repair service is that it’s leaking water. In some cases, it may be a slow dripping leak, while in others it could allow a large amount of water to blast out. In most cases, the fault lies somewhere in the connections for your water supply lines. They may have corroded or become loose over time. It’s best to shut off the water supply to your water heater until a professional can repair it.
Excess Fuel Use
For the most part, your family’s usage of hot water isn’t going to vary too much throughout the year. After a few months of usage, you should have a decent idea of how much fuel your tankless water heater uses on a regular basis. If you notice that your system seems to be using an excessive amount of fuel, it’s an indication that something is amiss.
Trustworthy Tankless Water Heater Repair Service
TYCO Plumbing offers tankless water heater repair service for the Brighton, CO community. We can also assist with all your other plumbing needs, including kitchen and bathroom plumbing, drain clearing, leak detection, water softener and filtration systems, gas piping, sump pumps, and hybrid heat pumps. Contact our staff today to book your next service consultation for your Navien tankless water heater.
