You use hot water in your house almost every day. In fact, the only time you probably don’t use hot water in your house is when you’re away on a vacation. Hot water is necessary for showering, cleaning, cooking, and more. During winter, it’s even more important—because taking a hot bath on a cold day is one of the best feelings ever.
So if you notice that the hot water in your house is either running out too fast or isn’t getting hot enough, you probably have trouble with your water heater. Except for a few basic checks, don’t try to make any changes to your water heater on your own. Call our Clovis, NM water heater repair pros and they’ll see you receive the service necessary for getting back your hot water.
Check the Aquastat
The aquastat is the temperature gauge for a water heater. For the most part, you don’t need to manipulate this: the water will remain at a single temperature for the system’s service life. However, a drop in hot water temperature may indicate a low setting on the aquastat—going lower than 120°F can have a noticeable effect on comfort. However, be extremely cautious of raising the temperature if you aren’t sure, and never raise the temperature higher than 140°F, since this can create a scalding hazard. The aquastat may be broken and lowering the temperature, and this needs a plumber to repair.
Broken Dip Tube
This is less common than it once was, thanks to improvements in water heater design. The dip tube is the tube that carries cold freshwater into the tank and deposits it at the bottom where the heat exchanger heats it up. If the tube breaks, cold water will mix at the top of the tank and lower the general temperature of the water pumped out.
Sediment in the Tank
Sediment in the water entering the tank will start to dissolve from the water and create a layer along the bottom. If this builds up too much, it will block the heat exchanger from fully heating the water. You may hear a bubbling sound from the tank or kettling, warning that this is happening. Professionals can flush the tank to fix this.
Broken Heating Element
This applies only to electric water heaters. There are two electric heating elements in the tank. If one fails, the water temperature will drop. Technicians must drain the tank and put in a new element to fix this.
Decline From Age
A drop in hot water volume from a water heater that is more than 20 years old usually means the system is starting to die. General wear and the development of limescale and corrosion will cause an older water heater to lose its ability to heat up a sufficient amount of water. At this point, repairs are usually far too expensive—and corrosion often spells the end of a water heater—and the best route is to have a new system installed.
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