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No hot water? What to do in Edmonton, step by step

The taps run cold and the hot water tank isn't heating. Rule out danger first, then do only the check that is safe for your kind of tank.

Call 780-652-1462

Call or send a request any time, day or night. Calls are answered by an automated assistant and transcribed. Calls are answered in English.

A local plumber will call you back as soon as possible. If this can't wait, call other plumbers too.

What to do right now

  1. Smell gas? Get out first

    If you smell gas, don't relight anything. Get out and call from outside.

    ATCO's instructions are to leave right away, leave lights and appliances alone, and call ATCO or 911 once you are outside. ATCO's gas emergency line is 1-800-511-3447.

  2. Gas supply off? Call ATCO, don't relight

    If your gas supply is off, call ATCO's emergency line. ATCO says not to relight appliances yourself, and to wait for instructions from an ATCO technician.

  3. No hot water, pilot light out: follow the label only

    If it won't light, stop and leave it for a professional. Don't turn the temperature up to get hot water back.

    GE Appliances' manual for its gas water heaters says to turn the gas control knob by hand only, never with tools. If the knob won't turn by hand, it says not to try to repair it. Some tanks light the burner automatically, and the same manual says not to try lighting those by hand.

  4. No hot water, electric tank: check the breaker

    Look at your electrical panel for a breaker that isn't fully on. If the floor is dry, switch that breaker all the way off, then back on. EPCOR says to use one hand and stand to the side of the panel. If the breaker keeps tripping, call an electrician.

  5. Has the tank been under water? Don't use it

    Don't use a water heater that has been under water, even partly. The GE manual says to have a qualified service technician inspect it and replace any control that was under water. Alberta's flood advice says the same for water heaters: a certified technician examines them before use.

  6. Tank leaking? Shut the water off if you can reach it dry

    Close the main water valve if you can reach it without stepping into water near anything electrical. EPCOR says to check the furnace room, near the water heater.

Hot water and steam running from a black kitchen faucet into a sink.
Hot water running from a kitchen faucet.

No hot water from hot water tank: what is going on

Hot water tanks run on natural gas or on electricity, and the safe checks differ. A gas tank has a gas control knob and a lighting label on it.

EPCOR lists the hot water tank among the fixtures a homeowner maintains and repairs. It is not EPCOR's to fix.

No hot water, gas water heater: when it is urgent

  • You smell gas. Get out, then call 911 and ATCO from outside.
  • The tank is leaking. Shut off the water if you can reach the valve dry.
  • The tank has been under water. Don't use it until it is inspected.

If none of these apply, do the check for your tank type and send a request.

Hot water tank repair, Edmonton: what a professional does

Alberta lists plumbing and gasfitting as compulsory certification trades. Alberta says the restricted activities of those trades must be done by a certified journeyperson, a registered apprentice working under one, or someone with a recognized trade certificate. Ask for the certificate, and the price, before work starts.

Alberta's Permit Regulation needs no plumbing permit to change a water heater when the piping design stays the same. In a single family home it needs no gas permit for a water heater swap, as long as the gas piping and venting design don't change. Installing, altering or adding to a plumbing system does need a permit.

No hot water, what to do: how a request works

You can call or use the form any time, day or night. A local plumber will call you back as soon as possible. If this can't wait, call other plumbers too.

Renting? Tell your landlord or building manager now. They may have their own emergency line, and they may need to approve the work.

Questions

Is no hot water an emergency?

It is if you smell gas: get out, then call 911 and ATCO from outside. A leaking tank needs the water shut off. A tank that has been under water must not be used until it is checked.

No hot water but the pilot light is on?

Follow only the instructions on the tank's label. Past those, leave the burner and the gas control to a professional. Don't open the burner area.

What would cause you to have no hot water?

On an electric tank, a tripped breaker is one cause you can check yourself. On a gas tank, the gas supply may be off, or the burner may not be lighting. A tank that has been under water can have damaged controls. If no water comes out at all, see frozen pipes.

No hot water: plumber or electrician?

EPCOR says to call an electrician if a breaker keeps tripping after you reset it. The tank itself is a job for a plumber.

Can frozen pipes cause no hot water?

If no water comes out of any tap, hot or cold, EPCOR says a frozen service line is likely, as long as there is no known water main break nearby. EPCOR's emergency line for that is 780-412-4500.

No hot water and the water heater is leaking?

Shut off the main water valve if you can get to it dry, as in the steps above. Keep clear of the panel and outlets if the water is spreading. Then send a request for a plumber.

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Call 780-652-1462

Calls are answered by an automated assistant and transcribed.