You know something’s wrong with your water heater when your daily routine hits a major disruption: no more hot water. Maybe it takes longer for your water to heat, or it only hits a lukewarm temperature. Worse, you might not get any hot water. If your hot water supply is dwindling, contact a water heater repair & replacement expert to investigate.
Your dip tube could be broken – if running out of hot water happens often
As you use hot water, the dip tube pushes new water to the bottom of your tank so it can be heated. This ensures that your cold water is heated before it mixes with the rest of the tank. If the dip tube breaks, cold water escapes before it’s heated. It immediately mixes with the hot water and lowers the overall temperature, resulting in lukewarm water.
Broken dip tubes are typically caused by old age or faulty dip tubes. If this is the came, you might find broken pieces of your dip tube in your showerhead, drain cover, or hair strainer. Regardless, if your hot water has run out and is only lukewarm, you should reach out to residential plumbing services for water heater repair.
You might need pipe insulation
If you live in an area with a cooler climate, the pipes leading from your water heater might need to be insulated. Foam insulation sleeves reduce the heat escaping your pipes by the time they reach your shower or sink. If your pipes aren’t insulated, you could be losing up to 4 degrees of heat. This means your water heater needs more time and uses more energy to bring your water to an acceptable temperature.
Insulating your pipes won’t take long (about three hours for a small house), and in addition to increasing your water temperature, will increase your energy savings. You can always have a residential plumber assist if you’re not sure about what insulation material to use or how to cut and secure it.
Your water heater could be too small or too old
If you’ve moved to a new home and never had an adequate supply of hot water, it’s likely your water heater is too small. If you had enough hot water in the past but suddenly it’s running out, your household likely increased its use. There’s also the chance that your heating element is broken or the water heater itself is too old. A water heater repair & replacement expert can do an inspection to determine the cause.
If the water heater is too small and you can’t change your household needs, you should consider a new water heater. For a household of 2-3 people, your water heater should be at least 40 gallons large. For 3-4 people, increase to 50 gallons. For 5 or more people, 60 to 80 gallons is ideal. Larger households might use multiple water heaters simultaneously, such as two 40 gallon tanks or one 40 gallon tank and one 50 gallon tank.
Ask your local water heater expert for help estimating the proper size. When in doubt, go a little larger than your estimations. It’s better to have more hot water than you need than to run out.
Water Heater Repair & Replacement — Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating
For professional help with your water heater, reach out to Ehret. Co Plumbing & Heating through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292. We offer quality water heater services, and are experienced with both storage and tankless heaters.
