I discovered today why my hot water was not very hot....

[Sogo]

and it looks like I'm going to need a new hot water heater. Funny how things break as soon as the warranty period is up.....

I'm going to explore getting an on-demand system, because I get very impatient at the bathroom sink waiting for hot water to arrive. I'm thinking it should save me on electricity and water costs.

[dweller]

1. Have you diagnosed the problem ?

Elements can be replaced somewhat easily .
If it’s leaking , it’s toast .

🤔



✌🏻

[Ocelot II]

2. I learned something interesting about water heaters last year.

I have a relatively new one but I wasn't getting very hot water - it was warm, just not hot, so I knew the heater wasn't really broken. So I had a repair person come out to take a look at it, and he told me the water heater was fine, and problem was that I wasn't using enough hot water! I'm the only one living here, so there's one shower a day, I run the dishwasher every other day, and run the clothes washer once or twice a week. In the meantime the water in the heater just sits there and cools (this was happening in the winter and the basement is pretty cool). If I either used more hot water, or turned the temperature up a bit, it would be fine. So the guy turned the temperature up about 5-10 degrees and that solved the problem. If you're getting warm but not hot water, you might just need a temperature adjustment.

[dweller]

3. Invest in a water heater blanket

Insulated sheet to wrap the tank .
I’ve had one on mine forever .

Careful with that temp , you could scald yourself .


✌🏻

[Ocelot II]

4. I had one of those, it didn't really work. The temperature is safe, just enough to keep the water hot.

[Sogo]

5. That's very interesting.

I'm sure I haven't been using enough water to keep it all hot, but when I went to the basement where it is, it has obviously blown some kind of connection, as there was water leaking from the top and a lot of water had been coming out of the bottom (luckily there is a tray the unit sits on, so it filled that tray and then drained out the overflow opening into the drain beside it). The water coming out the top and what was sitting in the tray was all very rusty. I will have a plumber look at it, as my diagnosis of the situation may very well not be correct, but I'm still considering an on-demand hot water system because, like you, I'm the only one using it, and it just sits in that big 40 gallon tank and re-heats and re-heats - a waste of electricity!

[Alpeduez21]

10. Something to consider with on demand hot water

These systems are prone to getting clogged with sediment. If you have very hard water like we do where I’m at a water softener system may be beneficial; and add to the cost. The plumbers in your area should be aware of this but it’s a question to ask

[Sogo]

11. I just met with the plumber who will install a new tank tomorrow.

He was very convincing that on-demand is not the way to go for me. For one, they cost about twice as much as the tank, and also require a lot of electrical work with the installation of two additional main double breakers, which would be on top of the cost of the unit and installation. They also require annual maintenance and don't have a very long life-expectancy in this area with the water in this area being very hard on them (pun intended).

So, we're going with the same size tank, and he explained that only part of the tank gets reheated after some use. A pipe inside the unit takes the cold water to the bottom, where only that amount is heated. Two thermostats, one below and one above, trigger the heating process, and then it's shut off. (I was under the impression that the whole tank-full of water gets re-heated every time some is taken out for use.) He's also going to install a point-of-use unit at my bathroom sink that will eliminate the wait-time I get impatient with....For that, I'll have to have an electrical outlet installed under the bathroom sink. All told, I'm probably looking at about $1500.

[Alpeduez21]

12. That sounds really good. What an awesome price and dual solution

I am convinced a lot of water problems could be eliminated if it didn’t take so long for hot water to come out of the tap.

[House of Roberts]

6. Is it a one or two element heater?

I had a thirty gallon single element that the element died and I couldn't get it to unscrew. Tired of the water turning cold before I was done with a shower, I said f-it and bought a fifty gallon dual element one, and set the thermostat only as hot as my hand could stand without adding any cold. Now the hot water doesn't run out in the winter, and I don't worry about hot water burning my hand. I still add some cold water for showers, but it's safe if someone flushes a toilet by accident.
You might have a repairable problem, if there is some hot water but just not enough.

[iemanja]

7. If you turn the hot water meter's temp regulator

Up too high, it can destroy your water heater.

An on-demand is probably a good solution, though they are expensive.

[True Dough]

8. I'm here, as always, to present solutions.

Sogo and Ocelot II, you should consider moving in together. You seem to be getting along fine in this thread, so I'm sure you can make it work. Between the two of you, you'll create more demand for hot water, thereby addressing a key issue.

You're welcome!

Seriously, be grateful it wasn't a leaky or a burst tank. The worst scenario is coming home to find a flooded basement.

Good luck with the replacement!

[Emile]

9. Our first water heater lasted 30 years. We're 20 years on our present one, and

it still works great.

The secret is, we use a water softener. 💧

Do yourself a favor, and install a water softener. Some places rent them out on a monthly or yearly basis.