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Plumbing

No hot water: what may be causing it and what to check

When the hot water stops, the cause can be as simple as a switch or a run of dull weather, or as involved as a fault in the heater, its controls or the pipework. Many homes in Cyprus use a solar hot-water system with an electric backup, so it helps to know whether the water is completely cold or just lukewarm, and whether it is one tap or all of them. Anything involving electrical covers, safety valves or the heater itself should be left to a professional.

How this usually shows up

  • Only cold water from every hot tap
  • Water that is warm but never properly hot
  • Hot water that runs out quickly
  • Hot water at some taps but not others
  • Hot water that has slowly got worse

What may be happening

These are possibilities, not a diagnosis. Someone needs to see the problem to know which applies.

Electric backup switched off or not working
Many solar systems rely on an electric element for cloudy days and evenings. If it is off, or has failed, the water may stay cool.
Not enough sun
After several dull or rainy days, a solar system may not heat the water fully without its backup.
A power problem
A tripped breaker, or a loss of power to the heater or its controls, can stop it heating.
A fault in the heater or its controls
Possibilities include a thermostat, a failed heating element or a control fault. These need a professional to check.
A problem in the pipework or valves
A closed or faulty valve, air in the system or scale in the pipes can reduce or block the hot supply.
A problem with the cold supply
Hot water depends on water coming in. Low cold-water pressure, an empty storage tank or a pump fault can affect it too.

What you can safely check

  1. Check whether the cold water is normal, and whether the problem is at one tap or at all of them.
  2. Note whether the hot water is completely cold, lukewarm or just running out quickly, and at what time of day.
  3. If your system has an electric backup that you normally switch on and off yourself, check it is set as you normally have it, using only its normal switch.
  4. Check whether other things in the property have power. It tells you whether the electricity to the whole property has been lost.
  5. From a safe distance, look at the tank and pipes for drips or wet marks, and note what you see.
  6. Take a photo of the heater or its control panel, and of any label with the model. It helps us understand your system.
Please do not
  • Do not open covers on the water heater, its controls or the electrical board.
  • Do not touch or adjust thermostats, heating elements or wiring.
  • Do not tamper with safety or pressure-relief valves. The water from them can be scalding hot.
  • Do not keep switching a breaker back on if it trips.

When to get professional help

  • The water is still cold after the backup has been on, as normal, for a while.
  • The breaker for the heater trips again.
  • Water is dripping or running from a safety valve or its discharge pipe, or the tank or pipes are leaking.
  • You notice a burning smell, smoke, sparking or water near electrical parts. Keep clear and call 112 if there is any danger.
  • The heater makes unusual banging, hissing or gurgling noises.

How BB Cyprus can help

Send BB Cyprus a request telling us what type of system you have, if you know it, and what the hot water is doing. Water heaters, solar systems and hot-water pipework are areas we deal with. We review it, phone you back and tell you the appropriate next step. You get a written quote before any work starts.

This is part of our plumbing work.

BB Cyprus, also known as Bits&Bobs Cyprus, handles home repairs and property maintenance in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca. You do not need to know which trade you need.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Every property is different, and electrical, refrigerant and pressurised-system work should be done by a qualified professional.