Hot water and heating are essential parts of modern life. In this post, we will discuss both if both of these aspects are available in Germany and how you can troubleshoot common problems.
Do they have hot water in Germany?
Yes, most houses in Germany have hot water. They often use natural gas to warm this water.
Water heaters are pretty advanced and they can often indicate what is going wrong as they have special sensors. Check the display on the water heater to see if there is an error code if you don’t have hot water. You can check the manual to see what the error code means.
There is often a button to reset the water heater or to turn it on. You might have to open up a shutter to get access to this.
Make sure that the device has electricity and that the natural gas valve is open. The water valve should also be open so that the water can flow through the water heater.
Older water heaters might be harder to turn on as you might have to ignite the flame by pressing two buttons at the same time.
Check the video below for more troubleshooting steps.
It is important to check that the water heater has been maintained well. It should be checked at least every 2 years by a plumber to make sure that it works properly.
If they have a tankless system, it is possible that the hot water runs out before your shower ends. This can limit the amount of time that you can spend in the shower. The system will be able to heat the water again after a while.
It is important that you have one that exhausts the dirty air outside. The water heater should be installed quite far away from the bath as they use electricity.
In most cities in this country, the water is supplied from a centralized water supply, often from a nearby river. In more remote areas the water can come from a well. Check if the pump is working properly.
The water can be quite hard and leave stains on the shower walls if they don’t have a descaler. This is generally not a problem if you are taking a shower.
If you have a water heater that uses electricity, you will need to make sure you have a separate electrical circuit for it. Check the error display as well. Sometimes resetting the water heater can fix the problem. See the video below for more information:
Most modern water heaters or heating systems display error codes, making it quite easy to see what is going on. That being said, maintenance is still essential. Plumbers have more advanced tools to find errors and find solutions. Avoiding problems in the first place is often better as it can avoid days without hot water or heating. For this reason, you should make sure that the system is checked and cleaned every 2 years.
Germany is home to a lot of manufacturers of water heaters. They have a lot of advanced technology in this area. In most cases water heaters and heating systems are combined. These manufacturers are switching to heat pumps as natural gas is being phased out. It will take several years before heat pumps become the standard though as these systems are still too expensive for a lot of installations.