Cold showers and a heater that will not heat
No hot water is usually a pilot, a breaker or a heating element. Five minutes of checks can save a service call.
In Brighton, natural gas comes from Xcel Energy and electricity from United Power. The City of Brighton does not provide either. If your stove and furnace are also out, call the gas utility about an outage. If your lights are off too, check with the electric utility. A water heater problem alone stays on your side.
Start with the symptom, then the fuel. The table below shows the likely part and what a plumber does to confirm it.
| Symptom | Fuel | Likely cause | Confirmed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot out, will not stay lit | Gas | Thermocouple or gas valve | Flame check and thermocouple test |
| Burner lights, then shuts off | Gas | Flame sensor, draft or venting problem | Sensor cleaning, vent inspection |
| Blinking status light, no heat | Gas, newer | Igniter or sensor fault | Manual code chart |
| Completely cold | Electric | Breaker, high limit, upper element | Voltage and resistance readings |
| Lukewarm, runs out quickly | Electric | Lower element or lower thermostat | Element reading |
| Lukewarm | Gas | Sediment, dirty burner, low setting | Flush and burner inspection |
| Hot at some taps only | Either | Crossed line or failed shower valve | Testing fixtures |
No hot water Brighton CO calls that end with a five minute fix, such as a tripped breaker, are common. If a breaker trips again, the fault is real, so stop resetting it.
A standing pilot is a small flame that lights the burner. A thermocouple sits in that flame and tells the gas valve to stay open. If the flame drops, the thermocouple cools and the valve shuts, which is a safety feature.
Follow the label on the tank to relight once. If the pilot will not stay lit after you release the button, the thermocouple or the valve is likely at fault. A pilot that will not stay lit is a service call, not something to force.
A water heater not heating Brighton CO on an electric tank comes down to power, limit switch, thermostat or element. The upper thermostat receives power first and passes it to the upper element, then hands off to the lower one. If the upper element fails, the whole tank goes cold.
Hard water scale on an element can cause it to burn out early. Brighton's water is reported as hard to very hard, so a plumber often pulls the element and finds a crust. See water heater repair for flushing and anode rod checks.
Brighton is about 4,984 feet above sea level. As a general principle, gas burners are set for a given air density, and manufacturers publish high altitude instructions. A burner that runs with a lazy yellow flame or a lot of soot needs to be checked for altitude settings and combustion air. Ask the plumber to confirm the heater's high altitude rating.
If gas appliances keep tripping or burn poorly, the gas piping may be part of the problem, and the gas line page covers that work.
Many of these calls arrive in a freeze. Cold incoming water in a January cold snap pulls temperatures down, so a heater that struggled before may fail to keep up.
If you have checked the basics and the heater is over about 12 years old, ask the plumber to compare repair with water heater replacement.
Calls for this work come from every part of Brighton, and the details change by area. Start with the Brighton plumbing service area for ZIP codes and the Adams and Weld County split, then read the notes for Brighton Crossings or Historic Downtown Brighton. Related work sits under the water heaters overview. Also see a leaking water heater.
Hot water at some taps only. A crossed line or a failed mixing valve in a shower. Hot water runs out quickly. A failed dip tube or a heater sized too small for the household. Hot water smells. Bacteria in a heater kept too cool, or a depleted anode rod.
Local case study
The City's About Us page states that the City does not provide electricity or natural gas, that natural gas comes from Xcel Energy and electricity from United Power.
That is why a hot water failure has a two step check: first the utility, then the heater.
Checks done and still cold? Call with the heater's fuel and age.
Call (720) 953-7060 and describe what you see. Callers also ask about water heater not heating Brighton CO.
Gas: a bad thermocouple or gas valve, or a pilot that keeps going out. Electric: a failed element or thermostat, or a tripped high limit. A plumber tests each.
Follow the label on the heater. Turn the gas valve to pilot, hold the button and light the pilot, hold for about a minute, then turn to on. If it will not stay lit, call.
On an electric tank, a failed lower element is common. On gas, a dirty burner or thermostat setting. A sediment covered bottom also reduces heat.
A thermocouple or element is a small repair. A gas valve or a tank that has failed costs more. Ask for a diagnosis and a price before repair.
Sediment, a failed dip tube, a heater too small for the household or a mixing valve. A plumber can test each.
Check with Xcel Energy. If other gas appliances also fail, it is likely a utility issue.
Yes. If it trips again after reset, there is a fault. Do not keep resetting it. Call a plumber or an electrician.
If the heater is over about 12 years old, leaking or has a history of failures, replacement usually costs less over time.
An electric heater may need a breaker reset, and a tankless or power vent gas unit needs power for its controls. Once power returns, wait for recovery time. If the heater will not start or the breaker trips, call a plumber.
Common causes are a worn thermocouple, a dirty pilot tube, a weak gas valve or a draft blowing on the flame. A plumber tests each. Relighting again and again does not fix the cause and can be unsafe.
If the water is cold, the upper element or thermostat is likely at fault. If you get a short burst of hot water and then lukewarm water, the lower element or thermostat is likely at fault. A meter test confirms it.
Yes. Scale can coat electric elements and shorten their life, and sediment on a gas tank floor slows heating. Brighton's water is reported as hard to very hard, so flushing and checking the anode rod matter.
Yes. A breaker that trips again after one reset points to a fault, such as a shorted element or damaged wiring. Do not keep resetting it, and do not open the access panel with the power on.
Call and describe what is happening. You will hear next steps on the call.
Call (720) 953-7060