Water heater not working after a power outage or gas shutoff

Electric heater: breaker first, then the reset button

Start at the electrical panel. If the water heater's breaker has tripped, reset it once.

If the breaker is fine, the heater's own safety switch may have tripped. Lennox notes that power surges and outages can trip the reset button, also called the high-limit switch. With the breaker off, remove the upper access panel, press the red reset button until it clicks, put the panel back and turn the breaker on. Lennox suggests waiting 30 to 60 minutes for the water to heat back up. Our reset guide walks through it.

If the breaker or the reset button trips again, stop. That points to a shorted element, a bad thermostat or a wiring problem, and it needs a repair.

Gas heater during a power outage

Bradford White's answer is simple: any water heater that needs external power to operate can't provide hot water while the power is out. That includes power-vent heaters, which use an electric fan to push exhaust out, and gas models with electronic ignition or controls. Most of these plug into an outlet, so a power cord is the easy tell.

A traditional gas tank with a standing pilot and no power cord doesn't need electricity, so it usually keeps working through an outage.

When the gas company shut off your gas

After a gas outage, the utility shuts off meters, repairs the system and then turns service back on home by home. It's their job to relight your appliances, and it's not a step to do yourself:

• Xcel Energy (Colorado) says its crews confirm each meter is working, then relight pilot lights for gas appliances free of charge. It asks customers not to relight gas appliances themselves, because improper relighting can damage equipment and put people in danger. If you're out, they leave a door tag with a number to schedule a relight.
• Atmos Energy says crews go door to door to restore service and relight appliances, someone 18 or older must be home, and your electricity must be working.
• National Grid says every gas appliance, including those with electronic ignition, needs relighting after an outage, and an adult over 18 must be present.

Never turn a locked or tagged gas meter back on yourself. In towns like Erie (Xcel), Evans (Atmos) and Braintree (National Grid), the utility handles restoration.

If you turned the gas off yourself

If you closed the gas valve at the heater for a repair or a move, you can relight it by following the lighting instructions on the heater's label. A. O. Smith's guide says to turn the control knob off and wait 10 minutes for any gas to clear before relighting. If the pilot won't stay lit, see why a pilot keeps going out.

Stop and call if

• You smell gas. Leave the house and call 911 and your gas company from outside.
• The breaker or reset button trips again after you reset it.
• You notice a burning smell, scorch marks or water near the electrical parts.

Local pages mentioned

• Evans, CO
• Erie, CO
• Braintree, MA