Hi all,
I'm having a strange problem with the hot water in my home, and I'd love some advice on it. A quick history -- I bought my home 2 years ago and then the hot water heater (40 gallon electric) was only maybe 1 year old. Last summer the bottom started to leak, and i was greeted to an inch of water in my hallway one morning. Anyway, it had a 9 year warrenty from Home Depot, so I took it back and replaced it with a 50 gallon electric hot water heater. It was literally $10 more for the 50 gallon over 40, so figured what the hell. I live by myself, but I hope to start a family someday.
About about a month after installing the 50 gallon hot water heater I got a roommate, and that 50 gallon has been working great until two mornings ago when i went to get a shower and ran out of hot water after maybe 3 minutes. I asked my roommate if she took a long shower, and she hadn't -- plus the washing machine nor dishwasher had been running
- this was in the morning before work. Neither of us have changed our routines, and every morning since she moved in 6 months ago we've had plenty of hot water to spare.
The water is hot, plenty hot when you use it, but it's just not making enough. I felt the exit line from the hot water heater and it is warm, and it has power... is there something that would cause this sucker to quit making the quantities of hot water it was making? It's in a tray and such, and there's no water in the tray or the overflow pipe (which runs to the tray), so it's not leaking.
Any ideas?? This sucker is a pain to replace, so I hate to replace it again -- but I like my hot showers more :)
Thanks or any advice or suggestions.
Ringo