How To Resolve A Lukewarm Water Heater Issue

Most homeowners enjoy an endless supply of hot water so they can take showers, do dishes, and clean laundry whenever they desire. If you do not have hot water whenever you like and notice that showers turn a bit cold before they should, then you may need a new water heater. However, sometimes this is not required and the appliance simply needs a few adjustments or a few repairs. Keep reading to learn what you should try before contacting a plumber

Turn The Thermostat Up

If one of your adult children has recently moved home, your teenager has started taking multiple showers a day, or an aging mother or father has moved in with you, then there is a good chance that you are simply using more hot water than usual. When you do this, the appliance needs to heat and output more water and this may be creating the problem. When output increases, then cold water will rush into the appliance as hot water is used. This water will rush right back out of the output pipes before it has a chance to be warmed up. The next person to do the dishes or take a shower may feel lukewarm water instead of hot water. 

Turning up the thermostat on the water heater can do two things. It will increase the temperature of the water so everyone in your home must mix the hot water with cold to get the desired temperature. Far less water then flows out of the tank. Also, when water is hotter, cold water will be warmed up more quickly based on the higher temperature of the water in the tank. Even if the water does not have a chance to warm up completely, the water coming from the tank will feel warmer and will be more desirable.

Thermostats can be located underneath a small screwed on metal panel that is attached to the water heater. Release the screws, lift up the plastic protective cover, and look for two temperature gauges. Two gauges are sometimes noted if you have an appliance with two heating elements. They also may be seen with water heaters that allow you to set a low and a high temperature. If you see the words low and high or lo and hi on each gauge, then set the low temperature at about 120 degrees and the high to about 140 degrees. If there is no label on either of the thermostats, then set them both to 140 degrees. If this does not help the water heater issue, then this is a sign that one or both of the heating elements are not working correctly and need to be changed. 

Change The Heating Elements

When one or both of the water heater elements burn out, either fully or completely, you will experience only lukewarm water. When an element stops working, the ceramic piece will either be covered with calcium deposits or you will note a crack in the element itself. You should check both of the heating elements, or just the one if only one is present, to see if you see any signs of wear, tear, or breakage.

You need to first turn off the appliance and shut off the cold water intake or supply valve. Afterwards, go up to your kitchen or bathroom faucet and turn on the hot water. This will drain the majority of the water. Place a large bucket underneath the drain valve on the bottom of the water tank, turn the drain handle, and allow the rest of the water to drain out.

Remove the screws from one or both of the metal covers to access the heating elements. One or both elements may also be attached to the top of the tank. To remove the elements, tighten an adjustable wrench around the outside of the element or buy a special water heater element removal tool. A large socket on your wrench may fit as well. Twist the element or elements to the right and pull out them out.

Look for signs of wear and tear. If nothing obvious is noted on either element, then try replacing them both. Take the elements to your local home store. The parts vary in length, shape, and width, so this can help you to locate the correct one. Replace the element and any caps or covers. Turn the cold water back on, turn the water heater on, and test the water again in about 30 minutes. 

Call a professional like The Clean Plumbers if you need help evaluating your problems more thoroughly.

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