Water heater · Naples and Campania
Electric water heater not heating: what to check
The electric water heater is on but the tap gives cold water, or lukewarm for only a few minutes. Before suspecting a burnt-out element, there are a few simple checks you can do safely, even with us on a video call. If the fault turns out to be inside the unit, we already know which part to bring.
From €170 + VAT about 2 hoursReplacement: labour from €120, appliance not included
Before touching anything on the electric water heater, cut the power at its own switch or at the fuse box. Do not open the element cover and do not reset the safety thermostat yourself: you would be working close to live parts and water under pressure.
Recognise the problem
- The water is cold even after being switched on all night
- The water is lukewarm and runs out after a few minutes
- The indicator light is off even with the switch on
- The RCD trips as soon as the water heater starts to heat
- The water heater hisses or bubbles while heating
- An error code appears on the display
The most common causes
- 1
No power reaching it
A switched-off switch, a lowered RCD or a scorched socket is enough to leave the water heater cold. It is the first thing to look at and often the most common.
- 2
Thermostat set wrongly or faulty
The thermostat decides how many degrees to heat to. With the dial at minimum the water stays lukewarm. If the thermostat is broken, it does not give the element the go-ahead. Many water heaters also have a safety thermostat that, if it trips from overheating, must be reset by a technician.
- 3
Scaled-up or burnt-out element
The element is the part that heats the water. With hard water it becomes coated in limescale, works badly and eventually breaks. If it leaks current where it should not, it makes the RCD trip.
- 4
Limescale at the bottom
Limescale that flakes off the element piles up at the bottom and takes space from the water. The water heater warms fewer litres and makes bubbling noises.
- 5
Programming on digital models
Water heaters with a display can have time slots, eco mode or holiday functions. A setting changed by mistake looks like a fault.
What you can safely check yourself
- Check that the water heater switch is on and that the RCD in the fuse box is raised
- See whether the indicator light comes on when you power it
- Check that the thermostat dial has not been turned to minimum
- On digital models, check the menu for time slots, eco mode or holiday mode
- If the RCD trips, leave the water heater switched off and do not try again several times
Never open the boiler or the gas water heater, and always switch off the power before touching an electrical appliance. If in doubt, call us.
When you need a technician at home
- The RCD trips every time the water heater starts
- The light is on but the water stays cold
- The safety thermostat has tripped and needs resetting
- The element or thermostat needs replacing
- The water heater bubbles and heats only a few litres because of limescale
Element, thermostat or limescale: how to tell them apart
If the indicator light is on, the thermostat is asking for heat. If the water still does not warm up, suspicion falls on the element. If the light never comes on even though power is present, the problem is more often the thermostat or the safety thermostat.
An RCD that trips as soon as the water heater starts almost always points to an element with a leak: the sheath that protects it has broken and the water has reached where it should not. Switching off and on again does not solve it, and it is best not to keep trying.
Limescale is the thread connecting almost all of these faults. In Naples the hardness of the water ranges from about 16 to 67 French degrees depending on the area, and you can find the values for your neighbourhood in the analyses published by the water supplier. If they are high, regular checks on the water heater and a softener upstream help the element and tank last longer.
Replacing the element: what it involves
The element is replaced with the power off and the water heater drained. The cover at the bottom is opened, the flange is removed, the limescale is cleared from the bottom and the new element is fitted with a new gasket. While the tank is open, the magnesium anode is usually checked as well.
This is not a DIY job. You are working on an electrical appliance full of water, and the gasket has to hold under pressure. The part changes from brand to brand, so the photo of the rating plate on a video call saves us wasted trips.
If the tank is old, already rusty or leaking, a new element may not be worth the cost. In that case we tell you beforehand and look at replacement together.
Want to know what it is first? Show us
We ask you to show the fuse box, the water heater switch, the thermostat dial or display, and the rating plate. Together we rule out the outside causes: no power, thermostat at minimum, wrong programming on digital models. If the element or thermostat still needs replacing, we prepare the visit and deduct the €9.90 from the bill.
Video consultation, up to 15 minutes: €9.90 (€14.90 on Sundays), deducted from the bill if we then come to your home.
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Frequently asked questions
How long should a water heater stay on to heat the water?
It depends on the litres and on the power of the element, which you find on the rating plate. If the water is still cold after a night, time is not the issue. Either there is a fault or the power is not arriving.
Why does the water heater trip the RCD?
Almost always because of a leak from the element, meaning current going where it should not. Sometimes because water has reached the connections. Leave the water heater switched off and have it checked.
Is it better to replace the element or the whole water heater?
If the tank is sound, the element. If it leaks or is badly rusted, the money spent on the element may be wasted soon after.
How often should the water heater be serviced?
The manual for your model gives the interval, and it depends a lot on how hard your water is. With very limescale-heavy water, it is worth having the element and anode checked more often, because limescale builds up sooner.
Can the water heater be checked on a video call?
Yes, for everything visible from outside: power, light, thermostat, settings, codes. If the fault is inside, we can still work it out from the symptoms and arrange the visit.
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