Water heaters are meek appliances. Identifying problems is easy using a volt- ohmmeter, which most plumbers carry.

Water heaters are meek appliances. Identifying problems is easy using a volt- ohmmeter, which most plumbers carry. However, few homeowners own testing equipment, so a symptomatic is best. If the water heater stops working properly, the issue may be as simple as a tripped circuit breaker, blown fuse, or loose wire, or even the thermostat. Rule out the easy things first and look into the electrical service panel and the thermostat reset button.