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Discussion » Questions » Home and Garden » Does anyone here have any idea why my hot water tank doesn’t work now when my furnace is running? I tried googling it, but got nothing.
Benedict Arnold

Does anyone here have any idea why my hot water tank doesn’t work now when my furnace is running? I tried googling it, but got nothing.

Posted - March 23, 2019
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Responses


  • 34276
    Sounds like a brown out. Where the electric is no strong enough to support both utilities. So the wires just kind divide up what they are getting. It is very hard on appliances etc can shorten the lifespan significantly.  You should call your electric company. Or an electrician. 

    If you use computer you should have that on a battery surge protector. The CPU will run off the battery instead of the electric. 

    There are products at Home Depot that can test the amount of electricity being supply to each outlet. 
      March 23, 2019 8:37 AM MDT
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  • I dunno, maybe. My furnace is forced air gas, which from my understanding requires very little electricity to ignite. I am really hoping it’s not an electrical problem cos that will be the most expensive to fix lol. I just had my furnace replaced a couple of years ago, so at least I know it’s not that. You’re probably right though, I’m gonna have to phone a freakin’ electrician, thanks :)

      March 23, 2019 9:00 AM MDT
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  • 34276
    If gas, the ignition and the blower are both electric. I would call electric company first...maybe the would come out for free? 
      March 23, 2019 9:18 AM MDT
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  • I phoned one of my friend’s husband who is an electrician and he thinks I need a new something called a thermocouple, or just have it cleaned. He’s gonna come look at it and replace it if needs. BAM! My weekend doesn’t suck anymore lol. Maybe :)  Thanks for your help:)

      March 23, 2019 9:45 AM MDT
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  • 34276
    Hey, nice to have friends.   I have heard of that part but don't know anything else. 

    I used to work at Home Depot and tried to help a customer find one. Does not impress when you tell a customer you do not know what it looks like. lol
      March 23, 2019 9:59 AM MDT
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  • Lol:) yeah I wasn't calling him to have him fix it cos I don’t like calling in favours like that. Just wanted some advice  cos I was getting desperate lol. He said easy fix though,  so I’ll just pay for parts and buy him a bottle or something :) 
      March 23, 2019 10:02 AM MDT
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  • 44614
    My wife knows a 'guy' who works on such things for a living. He came by and put in a new thermocouple, then showed me the old one. He said if it happened again just take it out and sand it. Easy fix if you know where to look.
      March 23, 2019 5:12 PM MDT
    1

  • 5808
    Do you have a tankless hot water heater?
    Sounds like the furnace fire is also heating the
    water.
    Is it all tied together as a system?
    Sounds like the furnace takes precedent over the 
    hot water.

      March 23, 2019 1:45 PM MDT
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  • No,  I have a tank for hot water, but yes it’s all connected to my furnace. I was having a friend coming to look at tomoz afternoon,  but I was talking to my neighbour a bit ago and he came over and opened the control panel on my hot water tank and took some scotch brite to a switch thingy inside that. That seems to have worked. Yay :) 

      March 23, 2019 2:03 PM MDT
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  • 5808
    Yay!!!
      March 23, 2019 3:46 PM MDT
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  • :)
      March 23, 2019 3:50 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    Well, quote obviously, there is something wrong with either the hot water heater or the furnace or the electrical supply or the gas supply or any combination thereof.

    I'm not trying to be funny---I'm just pointing out that you really need help to try to figure this out.

    Last summer I had a problem with my air conditioning.  It turns out that a wire from the thermostat to the "brain" of the system had been spliced somewhere along its length.

    Normally, splicing a wire is a well accepted and an electrical code approved method of extending the length of a wire.  But it turns out that the newer AC system that I have requires (in the installation instructions) a continuous wire to be installed regardless of length, or the system is subject to malfunctioning.
      March 23, 2019 8:56 AM MDT
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  • Yeah, I think I’m going to have to phone an electrition, meh. That’s just what I’m trying to figure out. I was hoping it’s just the hot water tank because I rent that, so would be cheapest fix. 
      March 23, 2019 9:03 AM MDT
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  • 53509


      It's not a "hot water heater", it's just a "water heater".  If the water were already hot, it wouldn't need a heater.
    ~
      March 24, 2019 1:13 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    Clever, Randy D

    I live in a 2 story house in Texas.  The roof is a high pitch roof, and the water heater is in the attic where it is quite easy to stand up.

    One summer (season is important) the heater provided plenty hot water to take a shower, but seemed to take longer than it should to again provide sufficiently hot water for another shower.

    As the weather got cooler in the fall, we had a plumber check it out.  It turned out that the "pilot" for the gas was not working and the heater provided hot water only because of the high ambient temperature in the attic.
      March 25, 2019 10:19 AM MDT
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  • 7280
    And it took 3 years for the problem from the spliced wire to turn up.
      March 23, 2019 9:02 AM MDT
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  • hahaha well you better go catch it 
      March 23, 2019 9:20 AM MDT
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  • Why are you drunk so early on a Saturday?? Lol
      March 23, 2019 9:47 AM MDT
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  • 6988
    If you have natural gas or propane as fuel for both, it sounds like it may be a pressure issue. In other words, you might need bigger pipes, but this is a rare situation since the installers (or whoever put in the fuel pipes would know better.) You should have 1inch pipes coming into your house. Then they split off into half inch pipe to feed each appliance (furnace, dryer, stove, water heater, etc.)  Another problem could be your gas supply regulator device.  You should contact your fuel supplier, they can advise you. 
      March 23, 2019 5:02 PM MDT
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