After a long period of no hot water usage (like when you get home from work, or wake up) try turning the cold supply line off, and open a hot tap. Next, open the bottom drain (be careful, water may be HOT) and see if it drains cool or lukewarm for a long period of time, then…
Read the full replyWater seems hot enough initially, but by halfway through a shower I have to set the control to fully hot, and it's barely lukewarm. I live alone, so it's not like someone else is hogging the hot water.
Thanks!
RB
After a long period of no hot water usage (like when you get home from work, or wake up) try turning the cold supply line off, and open a hot tap. Next, open the bottom drain (be careful, water may be HOT) and see if it drains cool or lukewarm for a long period of time, then gets hotter and hotter the more it drains. If it does that, it's probably the lower stat or element.
Any other "100% sure" diagnosis would require a voltmeter and/or an amprobe.
Have you opened the covers and changed the settings? Cold incoming water with most units takes a while for it to warm the water. The upper temp should be slightly above the lower setting. My nephew had the same problem with a 2 year old heater. I raised the settings from ~115 to ~125 they have lots of hot water now.
Well, the thing is, I was getting plenty of hot water until about a week ago, and none of the settings has been tampered with. I'll have to go at it with a DMM.
Thanks for the suggestions & links.
RB B
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required