You don’t want to wait around for hot water when you need it in your home.
- There are some things you can do if your shower warms up too slowly or your hot water is slow throughout your home.
The farther your hot water heater is from a faucet or shower where you want hot water to flow, the longer it will take. Low volume restrictors may be installed on fixtures, such as your shower, which can delay water delivery. About ten-year-old water heaters are nearing or have reached the end of their service life. In some cases, they can fail suddenly, or they can simply be less efficient at heating water. Sediment accumulates in your water heater when dissolved minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, settle on the bottom of the tank, precisely where the electric heating element or gas burner is located. With a crusty layer of sediment blocking heat transfer, the tank can’t produce hot water as quickly as it used to. Perhaps you installed a water heater several years ago when only two people lived in your home. If your family has grown since then, you could be demanding more from your water heater than it’s designed to handle. The solution to your problem might be to upgrade to a larger unit. There is a specific recovery time for all storage water heaters. Upon depletion, this is the amount of time it takes for the tank to deliver hot water again. In addition to the size of the tank, the first hour rating, the type of fuel, and the degree of temperature rise, the recovery time can vary. It can take an 80 gallon gas water heater about an hour to recover, for example.