There is nothing like the soothing waters of a hot shower…that is until it starts to run cold. A frigidly cold shower isn’t the way you want to start your day. We rely on our water heaters for our hot baths, food preparation and clean clothes and dishes. However, overuse can cause the major appliance to lose functionality, leaving us out in the cold. If you’re running out of hot water sooner than you should, there may be a few different reasons behind it.
Up the Temperature
A main culprit for cooler water may be the temperature on your water heater’s setting. Locate the temperature on your water heater’s dial. If the temperature is below 120 degrees Fahrenheit, then adjust the setting between 120 and 140 degrees. Anything higher than 140 degrees could be scalding and increase energy costs.
Damaged Dip Tube
If you’ve noticed small pieces of plastic in an appliance filter screen or the shower head, you may have a broken dip tube. A faulty dip tube can rupture at any moment, or it can crack if it has reached its lifecycle. A fractured dip tube can cause your hot water to turn cold abruptly. When a tube is damaged, cold water will stay at the top of the tank and will blend with the warmer water. This can greatly reduce the temperature of the water entering your home. Replacing a broken dip tube should be done by a professional plumber.
Sediment Build-Up
Sometimes it’s what we don’t see that could be causing the problem. Any gradual decrease in water temperature may be due to accumulation of sediment in the tank. Mineral deposits are found in our water supply and generally include rust, sand or water main debris. Overtime, these deposits collect in the bottom of the tank and leave less space for the hot water. To remove the sediment build-up, drain and flush your water heater. It is recommended to flush your water heater every three months or annually. You can do this yourself or contact ASAP Plumbing for one of our professionals to complete the procedure.
Don’t let a cold shower put a damper on your day. If your water is not warming up to its potential then you may need to call a professional plumber. Our crew at ASAP Plumbing can stop by anytime to inspect your water heater and resolve any issues.
Tank Size That No Longer Matches the Household
Sometimes the tank itself isn’t broken. It’s just smaller than the household needs. A 40-gallon tank that was sized for a couple becomes too small once that household grows, adds a soaking tub or starts running back-to-back loads of laundry. The tank produces hot water exactly the way it always did. There just isn’t enough of it to go around.
A rough rule of thumb is around 10 to 15 gallons of tank capacity per person in the home, with extra capacity for a soaking tub or whirlpool. If a quick check tells you your tank is undersized, the fix is either staggering use across the day or replacing the tank with a larger one. Tankless models are also worth considering at this stage, since they deliver hot water on demand and don’t run out the way a tank does.
A Failing Heating Element on Electric Units
Most residential electric water heaters have two heating elements: one in the upper part of the tank and one in the lower part. They take turns heating the water, with the lower element doing most of the work. When the lower element fails, you can still get a small amount of hot water from what the upper element heats, but it runs out fast. The shower starts warm and turns cold halfway through.
Element replacement is a relatively quick fix, but it should be done by a plumber or licensed electrician. The unit has to be powered down at the breaker, drained and the old element pulled and swapped out. Once the new element is installed, the tank refills and reheats and the household is back in business.
Burner Issues on Gas Units
On a gas water heater, the equivalent issue is a struggling burner. A burner that’s been collecting dust, lint or rust over the years won’t deliver full heat output. The pilot light may stay on, but the main burner doesn’t fire as strongly as it used to.
Symptoms include longer heat-up times, a yellowish or weak burner flame instead of a strong blue one, and a faint sooty smell near the unit. A plumber can clean the burner assembly, check the gas line pressure and confirm the venting is clear. Any of those can restore lost output without a full replacement.
A Leaking Hot Water Pipe Somewhere in the House
This one catches people by surprise. If a hot water line is leaking somewhere between the heater and the fixture, the heater is producing hot water but a portion of it is leaving the system before it ever reaches the tap. The result is a tank that drains down faster than it should, even though the heater itself is fine.
Walk the run from the heater to the kitchen and bathrooms. Look for moisture under sinks, around shutoff valves and behind the tub access panel if you have one. A small drip on a hot line behaves differently from one on a cold line, since the heat tends to evaporate the evidence and leave only mineral staining behind.
Cold Inlet Issues
Water on the Mississippi Gulf Coast tends to come into the home colder during the winter months than it does in summer, especially after a cold front. A water heater has to work harder to bring that incoming water up to temperature. If the unit is on the small side or already aging, you’ll notice the difference more in February than in August. The same heater can feel fine half the year and undersized the other half.
If your hot water shortage shows up mostly in the colder months, that doesn’t mean nothing is wrong. It usually means the system is closer to its limit than the warmer months let on, and a little extra demand or a few more years pushes it over.
What to Try First
If you’re running out of hot water and don’t know why, work through this short list before calling for service:
- Check the temperature setting on the unit
- Look around the base for any sign of moisture, rust or scorch marks
- Listen for any gurgling, popping or rumbling, which usually points to sediment
- Note whether the issue happens at one fixture or all of them
- Pay attention to whether the problem is constant or only at peak times
The answers help a plumber arrive ready to fix the right problem. Homes across Gulfport, Biloxi, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis run into hot water issues for all the reasons above, and most are repairable when they’re caught early.
Contact ASAP Plumbing today at 228-865-2727 or visit www.plumbinggulfportms.com and request a free estimate! We can handle all your plumbing needs including installation, repair and full water heater replacement.