Hot Water Shortage Causes

If your home’s water isn’t heating up properly even after you’ve checked on your thermostat, there may be a problem. There can be many causes of a hot water shortage, but if you can identify the cause of the problem, finding a solution will be much easier. Read through different potential causes of hot water problems and try solving the issue on your own or contact Neighborhood Plumbing for assistance.

Why Won’t My Water Heat Up?

• Sediment Buildup – If you have a hot water tank, sediment buildup may be the cause of the lack of hot water. All water that goes through the pipes in your home conveys some hint of sediment. After some time, the sediment will settle and develop at the base of your water heater, and it can turn out to be thick to the point that it ends up retaining the heat produced from the internal heating element. Sediment buildup will keep the water in the tank from reaching the temperature set on the indoor thermostat, making cold surges of water move through your fixtures.
• Broken Heating Element – Water heaters are regularly ensured to keep heated water moving through your home for around a decade. After that, portions of the water heater can break down and fall apart. When this happens, you can call Neighborhood Plumbing for hot water heater repair. With standard yearly water heater maintenance, numerous property holders can extend the lifespan of their water heaters. However, assuming that you have a water heater older than a decade, it's conceivable that the heating element has broken, preventing the water in the tank from warming.
• Water Heater Is Too Small – The tank in your water heater holds a certain amount of water that can only be heated up once at a time. So, let’s say you have a tank that can fill up to 30 gallons of water. Your water heater can heat up 30 gallons at a time, then once those 30 gallons are used, you’ll have to wait for the next 30 gallons of water to heat up. If it seems like the hot water in your house is finishing way too quickly, consider changing the size of your water heater with the help of a knowledgeable plumber.
• Broken Dip Tube – Although this mostly applies to ones made before 1997, some water heaters use a dip tube. The function of a dip tube is to circulate cold water from the top of the water heater down to the bottom where it’s heated and sent through the pipes into your home. If the dip tube is broken, the cold water can pass straight through the tubes before passing through the heating process. You can schedule a hot water heater repair to check if you can fix the dip tube or have a plumber check up on your water heater in general.

Checkups From the Professionals

You can do certain things to avoid the problems presented above, like adjusting your thermostat or replacing certain parts in your water heater. Annual maintenance and a sediment flush are things you definitely shouldn’t avoid as well. Neighborhood Plumbing can have annual checkups on your water heater to make sure your hot water is adequate all year long.