Electric boilers and water heaters are the sources of hot water in your home, and in the winters and cold seasons, hot water is a must-have. However, these boilers may breakdown in peak periods when they are constantly in use. You, therefore, need to know how to troubleshoot some of the common issues that you may go through before calling the emergency breakdown service. Here are some of the most common issues and how to deal with them.

System overheating

If the boiler is heating the water too much, then the possible cause of the problem is a malfunctioning thermostat. Pay attention to the high-limit thermostat and control thermostat. If the temperatures are higher than the high-limit thermostat, then you'll have to replace it.

You may also experience such a problem when the controls are faulty. Check the voltage, safety switches and temperature settings. If there's any anomaly, then simply call a professional electrician.

Check circulation pump

Once the boiler ceases to work, you can check if the circulation pump is working. Do this by feeling the motor with your hands to determine if it's hot. Head to your manufacturer's manual to get its location. A cool pump simply means that it's not running. The most probable cause is a malfunctioning breaker. Inspect the breaker that supplies electric current to the boiler, and ensure it's working.

Noisy heating elements

If your boiler or water heater is making too much noise during heating, then you're probably dealing with too much scale build-up. Once the heating elements are bundled with grime, the heater works harder to raise the water's temperatures.

All you have to do is clean the heating elements. However, you'll need to drain the tank. Switch off the electricity and then connect a garden hose. Open the drain valve to get rid of the water. Finally, scrape the bottom of the tank using a wire brush or professional de-liming kit. You could simply replace the heating elements if they are too old.

Gurgling or bubbling sounds

If your tank's LCD is giving warning errors, and you hear gurgling sounds coming from the boiler, then the problem is the condensate pipe. This is the pipe that handles the condensed water away from the boiler. When the weather gets too cold, the water may freeze and block the pipe. The freezing forces the condensed water back up the boiler and may eventually cause it to shut down. All you need to do in this case is to defrost the pipe.