You step into your warm shower and start your daily routine. You lather your hair with shampoo but then something goes wrong. The hot water stops flowing and you’re stuck with cold water to rinse your hair.
Gritting your teeth through the frigid shower, you try to tough it out. Finally, you hop out and quickly wrap in a towel. This wouldn’t be so terrible except for the fact it happens almost daily!
When used appropriately, a working water heater should never leave you shivering after a shower.
Is your water heater overworked or is there something that needs fixing?
Pushing Your Hot Water Heater Past Its Capacity
Your hot water heater has a gallons per minute capacity. This refers to how many new gallons of water can be heated by your tank every minute.
Most gas heaters can warm up about 5 gallons of water every minute and most electric heaters can handle 2 gallons a minute. For context, there is about 2.5 gallons of water coming from your showerhead every minute.
Your hot water tank helps ensure you have a back stock of pre-heated water, but that doesn’t mean it can’t run out.
It’s not just showers that can use your hot water. Here are other activities that can quickly empty your tank and leave your heater struggling to keep up:
- Running the dishwasher
- Cleaning dishes in the sink
- Washing laundry
- Taking a hot bath
- Filling buckets with hot water for cleaning
If hot water is getting used all over the house, chances are your heater won’t be able to provide a large enough supply.
Using a water heater that is too small might lead to constant problems. You should have a hot water heater that is capable of meeting your family’s daily needs.
Consider upgrading your household to a larger hot water tank. This is especially important to consider if your family is growing or you regularly host overnight guests.
When you look into a larger water tank you could also try finding one with a higher heating capacity.
If your water heater issues aren’t consistent with high use, you might need repairs. You could have the perfect sized tank but if your heater is broken there’s no way hot water will flow properly.
Commonly Needed Hot Water Repairs
Your hot water heater is tucked away and sometimes it’s hard to remember it needs maintenance and repairs.
Here are the 3 main hot water heater issues people experience:
1. Broken Dip Tube
The dip tube is a thin cylinder used to move cold water to the bottom of your tank for heating. These tubes are commonly made of plastic that can break off and cause your water heater to not work as well.
If your dip tube is no longer getting your replacement water all the way to the bottom of your water heater, you’re going to have a problem. Instead of heating up, that cold water will cool down the pre-heated supply.
This means cooler water could be exiting your tank and flowing to your sinks, showers and appliances.
2. Broken or Improperly Set Thermostat
Your water heater has a thermostat where you can set the maximum water temperature for your home. If your water heater isn’t working properly, there’s a chance you may need to adjust or fix your thermostat.
Your water temperature should be set between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower end of the range is safest for families with young children. But for most adults, the setting should just be based on personal preference.
If your thermostat is set for that range but your water still isn’t warm, it could be broken. If your thermostat isn’t working, your heating element won’t be triggered to heat your water.
3. Sediment Build Up
Your water naturally carries minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Over time these small quantities can build up in your hot water tank.
They typically settle at the bottom of the tank, which is where your heating element is also located.
This is especially common in areas with hard water.
If the layer of sediment becomes thick enough it can start taking up space meant for your hot water. The buildup will also make block heat coming from your lower unit.
In order to prevent this, you can have a plumber come out to annually flush your system and check for other needed maintenance.
Hot Water Heater Repairs, Maintenance and Replacements
Mike Wilson Plumbing has been fixing and installing hot water heaters in Chesterfield and Richmond for years.
Don’t settle for cold or lukewarm water, get help putting your water heater back on track. Mike Wilson offers flat rates, upfront pricing and quick service to make your life as easy as possible.
Our team fixes hundreds of hot water heaters every single year.
Give us a call, and our professional technicians can find your problem and address it quickly.