It’s frustrating. You’re not getting hot water and the circuit breaker keeps tripping. You’ve reset it and it happens again. Each time, your anxiety level goes up and you start worrying about expensive repairs, safety, and whether the person you eventually call will actually fix the issue correctly.
We’re here to help. We’ll explain what causes these shutdowns, what you can safely check on your own, and when it is time to call for professional help.
Why Does My Water Heater Breaker Keep Tripping?
Breakers are there for a reason. When it trips, it’s doing so to protect your home from a potentially dangerous situation. Here are some of the most common reasons why breakers tip:
- Heating element failure: A damaged heating element can short against the tank and overload the circuit.
- Faulty or stuck thermostat: A thermostat stuck in the heating position can cause the system to overheat until the breaker shuts it down.
- Electrical wiring problems: Loose wiring, melted insulation, or overheated connections can cause dangerous electrical overloads.
- Water intrusion or moisture inside components: Leaks or internal condensation can reach electrical parts and create short circuits.
- Incorrect breaker size or an aging electrical panel: Older panels or improperly sized breakers may not support the current your water heater requires.
- Sediment buildup causing overheating: Scottsdale’s hard water causes mineral buildup that traps heat inside the tank, leading to overheating and breaker trips.
Warning Signs You Should Not Continue Resetting the Breaker
There are a few checks you can perform safely to answer the question, why does my water heater keep tripping the breaker. Before you do, however, take a look at this list. If you experience any of these, stop and call in a professional:
- Burning smells or scorch marks
- Repeated tripping within minutes
- Water leaks near the water heater
- Buzzing, crackling, or popping sounds
- Gas smells
Safe Troubleshooting Steps You Can Try First
There are a few steps you can take to try to understand what’s happening and identify the reason why your water heater keeps tripping the breaker.
Step 1: Turn Off Power Before Inspecting Anything
Shut off the breaker completely before touching any part of the heater.
Step 2: Look For Visible Leaks or Moisture
If you see water or leaks anywhere near electrical components, stop and call for help.
Step 3: Open The Access Panel and Look for Burn Marks or Loose Wires
If you are comfortable doing so, you can open the access panel and take a look. If you see anything that looks like it’s scorched, overheated, or damaged, don’t attempt further repairs on your own.
Step 4: Try One Single Reset Only
If everything looks fine, you can try a reset by pushing the red button near the top on most units. However, if the breaker trips again, don’t try another time. There’s a built-in safety feature that causes the breaker to trip to protect your unit and keep you safe. If it trips more than once, there’s a bigger problem and if you keep resetting you can make the problem worse.
If you’re uncomfortable taking these steps, call the experts at George Brazil and we’ll evaluate your system, diagnose the problem, and give you a quote. We service all models and carry most parts on our trucks, so we can almost always do same-day, on-the-spot repairs.
Preventative Maintenance Can Help Prevent Problems
When things are working properly, you likely don’t think about your water heater much. But, it needs a little upkeep from time to time to keep things working smoothly. Routine maintenance can help prevent problems or catch them early rather than waiting for expensive repairs or replacement. With regular maintenance, you can extend the life of your water heater by flushing your water heater at least once a year to reduce sediment buildup and getting a thorough inspection by a qualified professional.
When a George Brazil technician visits your home, you get a full evaluation that finds hidden issues early. With same-day service, flat-rate pricing, and technicians trained to fix problems the right way, you can avoid costly emergency repairs. Our goal is to keep you safe and keep the hot water flowing.
Why Scottsdale Homeowners Trust George Brazil for Water Heater Problems
If you’re asking, why does my water heater keep tripping, there’s likely an underlying issue. It can be stressful, so let us help. In Scottsdale, you’ll feel reassured when see our friendly George Brazil technicians pulling up in the white, red, and yellow truck, tools in hand, ready to help.
We’ve been serving homeowners in the Phoenix area for 70 years. If your hot water heater keeps tripping the breaker, schedule service today.