Why Is My Water Taking Too Long To Heat?
When you need hot water at home, you don’t want to wait. If your shower is taking too long to heat up or you’re dealing with slow hot water throughout the house, there are a few things you can do to fix your hot water problems!
5 REASONS YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR HOT WATER
- Distance: The farther your water heater is from the faucet or shower where you want the hot water to flow, the longer it will take to get there.
- A low-volume restrictor: You may have a low-volume restrictor installed on fixtures like your shower that can delay water delivery.
- A faulty water heater: Water heaters that are around 10 years old are at or near the end of their lifespan. This can mean they suddenly fail or simply heat water less efficiently. An experienced plumber from Wisler Plumbing can check and repair your water heater and determine if it’s time to replace it.
- Sediment Formation: Sediment forms in your water heater when dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium settle to the bottom of the tank, right where the electric heating element or gas burner is located. With a crusted layer of sediment blocking heat transfer, the tank cannot produce hot water as quickly as before. A Wisler Plumbing water heater can flush your water heater and remove sediment to improve efficiency and performance.
- Undersized water heater: You may have installed a water heater a few years ago when there were only two people living in your home. If your family has grown since then, you may be asking more of your water heater than it can handle. Upgrading to a larger device could be the solution to your problem.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET HOT WATER BACK?
All water heaters have a specific recovery time. This is the time that the storage tank needs to deliver warm water again after it has expired. Recovery time can vary significantly depending on these factors:
- Tank Size: Larger tanks take longer to recover.
- First Hour Rating: The higher the FHR, the less time it takes for the water heater to recover.
- Fuel type: Electric water heaters take about twice as long to heat up as gas models.
- Temperature rise: Incoming cold water takes longer to heat up than hot water.
All in all, the average 80 gallon gas water heater will take about an hour to recover. The factors described here determine whether your water heater’s recovery time will be longer or shorter.
HOW CAN I GET HOT WATER FASTER?
A Hot Water Recirculation System
A hot water recirculation system can reduce wasted water while you wait for it to warm up from the faucet. A circulation system:
- Moves water faster from the heater to the desired faucet
- Routes your waste water back to the water heater and keeps water hot near faucets
- Activated by a timer or thermostat
The circulation system can be mounted near your faucet or connected to your water heater. The version that connects to your water heater includes a pump and timer to circulate the hot water.
Install a Tankless Water Heater
A water heater is another option to provide continuous hot water when needed. Tankless water heaters provide an unlimited supply of hot water and do not use tanks to hold or heat water. Instead, the water is passed over a heating element to get hot instantly.
The result is instant access to hot water and reduced heating costs because the tank isn’t heating unused water.
In addition to instantaneous water heaters for the whole house, there are also point-of-use instantaneous water heaters. These smaller units handle the hot water output for individual faucets and can be installed in a sink or cabinet. It’s a good option when one water heater doesn’t have the capacity to power the whole house.
Find out here if a tankless water heater is right for your home.
Because water heaters can account for up to 25% of a home’s energy use, it’s crucial to choose an efficient system that can also meet your hot water needs. The team at Wisler Plumbing can help ensure you get a water heater that fits your budget and hot water needs while providing optimal long-term value!
RESTORE YOUR HOME’S HOT WATER SUPPLY TODAY!
Wisler Plumbing & Air’s experienced team offers a full range of water heater services for storage and tankless models that run on natural gas or electricity. Whether you need a water heater service or repair, our onsite plumbers can get the job done. A water heater flush and other maintenance tasks will improve the performance of your water heater for years to come. We can even help you upgrade your plumbing with a water circulation system or a new water heater.
