Lack of hot water

[upand_at_them]

Looking for other suggestions...

It's a gas water heater. City water supply. Usually, my morning shower lacks enough hot water...it'll get tepid after a few minutes where I have to shut of the cold completely. A couple of times I even shut off the cold before I hop in and it's still only barely warm.

Nobody else is using the water and there isn't any timer or anything.

I have drained the hot water tank. And, yesterday, I thought I'd replace the dip tube, but I pulled the old one out and it was in perfect shape.

So I'm down to a bad thermostat?

Mike

[Jesse]

Naw, check that the dip tube on the cold water suppl is still OK. Easy job, they fail. jesse

[upand_at_them]

You must not have read my post. I pulled the dip tube and it's in perfect shape.

Mike

[Deke]

You do know they make those little restrictors that limit the amount of water that a shower uses?

If you are not willing to go that route or take shorter showers, then a new larger water heater will solve all your problems.

There are no other solutions.

[upand_at_them]

The problem is obviously with the water heater. As I said sometimes the water isn't even hot. That's not a shower problem.

Mike

[hallerb]

how old is the tank? how many BTU, how many gallons? sounds like it needs a new thermostat, but they are pricey and a PIA to install.

has the tank been ok in the past or was lack of hot water always a problem?

[Deke]

You sent mixed signals Mike. YOU SAID: " Usually, my morning shower lacks enough hot water...it'll get tepid after a few minutes where I have to shut of the cold completely." That couldn't happen unless your shower is draining that tank.

Let's assume a 40 gallon water heater. It evidently starts out hot, then you say it gets tepid after a few minutes. Otherwise it couln't GET TEPID if it wasn't hot to start with. But then it gets cold. So you obviously drained the water tank.

So you think the water in that 40 gallon tank contains HOT, TEPID and COLD water?

I don't think so. When I mix Hot water and cold water, all the water becomes tepid.

But anyway, the thermocouple controls the temperature and if you crank it up, it should be close to boiling with the gas burner making lots of heat and noise and there should be no mistake about whether it is working or not.

Like I say, Mike you are sending completely different messages. Like there was two Mikes or two water heaters. It's time to do a little research and maybe take some notes.

[Jesse]

Sorry, must have missed that. Found one once where hot & cold supply was reversed. jesse

[Bob F]

Is the water "Hot" to start? When you shower does the burner turn on and run until the water is hot again?

Is the cold water going into the pipe with the dip tube?

How long does it take your shower to fill a 5 gallon bucket?

What is the setting on the thermostat? Have you tried setting it hotter?

Bob

[upand_at_them]

I didn't think it was confusing, but okay...

1. Most of the time I can't get through an entire shower (10 min.) with enough hot water.
2. A couple of times it wasn't even hot to start out with (!!)...that is, I had to shower with the cold turned off from the start.
3. I *think* the problem has become more frequent.
4. 40 gal., 40,000 BTU gas water heater. 5 years old? Just a guess...bought the house 1.5 years ago. Manuf. date is 1996. Can't see the inside, but the outside looks mint.
5. Drained the tank last week....got some sediment and some slimey blobs.
6. Pulled the dip tube yesterday and verified it's in perfect shape.
7. Thermostat is set on the tick after "HOT". No numbers.
8. I'm 5'11", I like long walks on the beach, Frank Sinatra songs...

Mike

[hallerb]

tanks sludge up after awhile, manuf date 1996 today is 2007, tank over

10 years old

buy at 75,000 BTU tank 50 or 75 gallons. this will more than double your hot water capacity while costing just a little more

the new tanks are better enery efficency and so you will save on gas

congrats your a new home owner, stuff breaks continiously. at least hot water tanks are fairly cheap and highly reliable

[Charlie Bress]

My water heater is electric, but I had gone thru the same kind of checking.

Thermostat was the culprit. Easy replacement for electric. No clue about gas fired.

Charlie

[hallerb]

tank is 10 years old, thats pretty old for a gas tank. electrics usually last longer.

anyhow thermostat does screw in, but with a 10 year old tank that had sediment best to buy a new tank.

[Deke]

I've seen 10 year old tanks cut open to make a bbq grill and found over an inch thick layer of sediment buildup on the bottom where the heat was supposed to be making the water hot. I can understand why it was thrown out.

I used to have showers getting cold on me, but I bought a new shower nozzle with multiple positions and it solved my problem. It wasn't a restrictor per se, but when using the medium spray, the water heater could keep up with my use and I could take a 2 hour or 4 hour shower if I wanted.

You will feel really good about your water heater when you get a new one. It will be twice as efficient and you will have all the hot water you could ever use.

[Bob M.]

You say the "Manuf. date is 1996" and it's 5 years old?

Have you checked the hot and cold water pipes leading into the tank? As you face the thermostat, the hot is on the left if the connections are on the top of the unit. ("hot" may even be stamped into the top of the heater near that port) After running the shower for a while, is that pipe hot? It should be. If not, the hot & cold connections could be backwards...

..or they're hooked up correctly, and the thermostat is bad. They're cheaper than a new water heater and easier to install, so I'd try that first.

[hallerb]

I priced a thermostat once it was $125.00 but fortunately was covered under warranty. Getting the old one off was a pain, you turn the thermostat gas valve assembly, mine was so tight it nearly ripped the assembly in pieces.

shortly thereafter the tank started leaking, and went to the garbage, which it should have to begin with.

a tank installed locally is under 500 bucks DIY even less. assuming the new tank lasts 10 years thats about 50 bucks a year, less than a decent candy bar a week.

plus he can get a higher BTU burner for more hot water, is rid of the sediment, gains efficency since new tanks are foam insulated, and can forget about tank leak concerns or a long time.......

attempting repairs on a 10 year old tank is a waste of money and effort.

do note his production date is likely close to install date, no one keeps inventory for years, it costs oo much

[mm]

I hope you saved the new thermostat you had installed. Then when the stat broke on the new waterheater, a replacement woudl be free!

I wish I had done that with my previous electric wh. I could have saved two electric elements and two thermostats and wouldn't have had to buy one two months ago.

I also wish I had checked my anode to get some idea of how long it lasts. I have a shelf above my wh so it is very hard to change the anode anyhow, but I'd like to know anyhow. I'd feel better if last time there was still some of it left after 12 or 14 years.