Voltage fluctuations, an electrical feed still offline, and a faulty wall socket are three reasons why a gas water heater doesn’t work after a power outage.
Gas water heaters are designed to work at a steady voltage range.
This is usually 110-120 volts (USA) or 230 volts (UK/NZ/AUS).
Problems begin to occur with components inside the water heater when the voltage is exceeded. Unusual voltages are a fairly common occurrence before power outages. Contact the local company which manages the power lines for more details about the power outage.
Gas Water Heater Fault Finding
A gas water heater uses less electricity than an electric one but can still be damaged during an outage.
An instant gas water heater is typically plugged into a wall socket but could be hard wired under some circumstances.
This wall socket is protected by circuit breakers in the switchboard including MCBs and RCDs. MCBs are designed to shut off power in the event of a short circuit fault or overload fault while RCDs will shut off power when an electric shock or ground fault occurs (provided the current meets a certain threshold – typically 30 milliamps within 30 milliseconds).
Neither of these protective devices will protect the gas water heater from high voltage fluctuations which are common alongside power outages and lightning strikes.
To protect against these power surges, surge protectors are used. Surge protectors work by diverting power away appliances and discharging it to earth (safely). This thereby protects any appliances which would be otherwise fried.
This is typically appliances containing electronics such as TVs and WIFI but possibly even washing machines, dryers, and microwaves.
A surge protector can be found in devices such as multi boards. These multiboards will protect whatever appliance is plugged into it. Surge protectors can also be installed to protect the entire home. These will be found in your switchboard.
Let’s look at three reasons why the Gas water heater isn’t working.
Gas Water Heater Not Working After Power Outage – Reason #1
Voltage Fluctuations Damaging Gas Water Heater
Likelihood: High – A common occurrence before power outages in my experience.
Fixable? For an instant gas water heater, probably not.
A gas water heater is designed to work at a steady voltage. When it becomes exposed to a high voltage it can result in damage to circuits inside. In this case it might not be possible to fix the gas water heater.
Gas Water Heater Not Working After Power Outage – Reason #2
Lost Incoming Electrical Feed
Likelihood: High – if you have two or three phase power.
Fixable? Yes, wait for the power to come back online. Contact the local company that manages the power lines for more information.
Having two or three phase power means that you have two or three independent power feeds to your house. Typically each feed will power separate loads or parts of the property.
It is common during a power outage to lose one particular feed or when power returns not all feeds are returned at once.
This potentially means that one feed is still offline. This feed would normally be powering the wall socket for the gas water heater. Waiting for the power to come back online should resolve the problem.
Gas Water Heater Not Working After Power Outage – Reason #3
Faulty Power Outlet
Likelihood: Moderate – possible if the wall outlet has signs of wear and tear.
Fixable? Replacement of the power outlet should resolve the problem. Plugging the gas water heater into another outlet can also help.
A power outlet can also be damaged after a surge especially if it already has signs of wear and tear. Wear and tear includes a soft or springy switch, signs of black ash around the outlet or even weird smells emanating from the outlet.
Replacing the outlet can fix the problem. Plugging the gas water heater into another outlet via an extension cord can also help.
Electricians Perspective
Voltage fluctuations are a likely reason why the gas water heater isn’t working. This is because voltage fluctuations are a common occurrence alongside power outages. When these high voltages hit the gas water heater it results in components inside failing.
Fixing the problem involves installing surge protectors. This can also benefit other appliances in the home such as dimmers and even well pumps.
We Fix Faults is an electrician blog dedicated to finding solutions to common electrical faults. If you have comments or questions, I’d like to hear from you please send a message above.