Hot Water Not Staying Hot
The hot water in my tank is not staying hot as long as it used to. Typically it we never noticed it running low, but now the hot water runs out if 2 showers are taken in a row. Is the most likely culprit debris that needs to be flushed out of the hot water…
The hot water in my tank is not staying hot as long as it used to. Typically it we never noticed it running low, but now the hot water runs out if 2 showers are taken in a row. Is the most likely culprit debris that needs to be flushed out of the hot water tank? Thank you for any advice.
The water coming into your house(tank) has a pretty moderate temp all year round. Winter has nothing to do with it.
Is this a real post?
How old is the water heater? Most have an expected life of about 13 years. The first symptom of the death of a water heater is what you describe — inability to maintain consistently high level of heated water.
The second, pretty inconvenient symptom, coming on the heels of the first is flooding and complete breakdown.
Is this your first winter in the house? If I have the temp set on the low side, by the middle of winter the water coming into the tank is so cold that it really dilutes the hot water already in the tank very quickly. The easiest thing to do is raise the water temp and see what happens.
Yuppers SteamMan…….Sooooooooo many things. They should just call a reputable contractor and be done with it.
Depending on the age it could also be a cracked dip tube.
So many things soooooooo many things.
;P
Take into account the age of the water heater too. If its really old, don’t mess with it. Might be time for a new one. If it’s still with-in the warranty process than by all means flush away.
I could tell you the age of the water heater if you post the model & serial #’s or feel free to email me.
billz@westsidesupply.com
Sure, we can do it for you but it is really basic, you could definitely handle this. Close both the outlet and inlet valves, turn the temperature control knob to the off position. Attach a hose to the valve on the bottom of the water heater and run it to a drain. Open that valve and about 3/4 of the way through open the little lever on the safety relief valve. This will allow air into the tank to break the vacuum that will form there. Keep that lever open till the tank is done draining then let go. Open the inlet valve a for a little while to flush out any junk at the bottom of the tank.
Now close the drain valve, go to your top floor and open the bathtub faucet. Open the inlet and start filling the tank. When the tank is almost full, open the outlet valve. Relight the pilot light according to the instructions on you heater and set the temperature at the control knob.
If you are still overwhelmed by this, call me. Our info is found on MoltenMechanical.com
Thanks SteamMan,
Is this a service that you perform, or is it too basic? I don’t trust myself to mess around with something like this (unless clearly taught how to by a professional). If not you, and recommendations?
Could be. There is a valve with a hose connection at the bottom of your tank. Turn off the Heater and the water inlet and outlet, flush the tank, fill it back up. Problem solved?
Let us know.
-SteamMan