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Losing hot water is one of those problems that feels urgent — especially on a February morning in Greenville when the temperature hasn’t cracked 30°F yet. Before you panic, there are a few things worth checking. Our dispatchers — folks like Madison and the team at our Duncan call center — walk homeowners through these steps over the phone before we even roll a truck. About 15% of the time, the homeowner solves it themselves. The other 85% need a plumber, but at least we’ve narrowed down the cause before they arrive.
Check the Obvious First
Pilot light (gas heaters): Look through the viewing window at the bottom of your water heater. If there’s no flame, the pilot light has gone out. Most modern gas water heaters have a built-in igniter — follow the relighting instructions on the label. If it won’t stay lit, the thermocouple likely needs replacing. That’s a professional repair.
Breaker (electric heaters): Check your electrical panel. Water heaters typically have a dedicated double-pole breaker. If it’s tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, do not keep resetting it — that indicates an electrical fault that needs professional diagnosis.
Thermostat setting: Someone may have accidentally turned it down. Check that it’s set to 120°F. On electric heaters, the thermostat is behind an access panel on the tank — you’ll need a flathead screwdriver.
Check for Leaks
Walk around the base of your water heater and look for pooling water. A leak from the tank itself usually means the internal lining has corroded through — and that’s a replacement, not a repair. A leak from a valve or fitting, however, is often repairable.
The temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve on the side of the tank can also discharge water if the pressure or temperature inside the tank gets too high. If this valve is leaking, it’s telling you something is wrong — don’t cap it or ignore it.
Check Your Other Fixtures
Run hot water at multiple faucets. If only one fixture has no hot water, the problem is likely at that fixture (a mixing valve or cartridge issue), not the water heater. If no fixtures have hot water, the water heater is the problem.
How Long to Wait
If you just reset a breaker or relit a pilot light, give the water heater 30-60 minutes to recover. A standard 50-gallon tank takes roughly 40 minutes to fully reheat from cold on gas, and closer to 60-90 minutes on electric.
When to Call Us
Call a professional if:
- The pilot light won’t stay lit after relighting
- The breaker keeps tripping
- You see water pooling around the base
- The water is discolored or has an odor (especially a rotten egg smell — that’s a failing anode rod or, with gas units, a potential gas issue)
- The unit is making loud popping, banging, or screeching sounds
- Your water heater is over 10 years old and this is the first major issue
Our plumber Chad recently responded to a call in Columbus, NC — just across the state line from our Upstate territory — where a homeowner had lost hot water to the entire upstairs bathroom. Turned out the hot water line feeding the second floor had developed a slow leak inside the wall. Chad dropped a new line through the floor and tied it to the existing water line in the basement. Total fix: $470 and about two hours of work. The homeowner had been boiling water on the stove for three days before calling.
Our plumbers carry the most common water heater parts on the truck, so most repairs are completed in a single visit. Don’t boil water on the stove for three days — call us first.
YOUTUBE EMBED: Got High Water Pressure? This One Valve Fixes It FAST — @YallCallWally
Call Waldrop Plumbing Air Electric at (864) 536-0887. We’re available 24/7 for emergencies.
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