Our gas water heater has never given us problems, but tonight when we filled our bathtub, we ran out of hot water halfway through the filling. However, in 20 minutes the water started to get hot again and in an hour's time, it was back to HOT. Is this normal? Why did we lose hot water when none of us were home to use any hot water during the day (other than our morning showers)?
2006-09-28 13:45:40 · 6 answers · asked by Scott S 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I won't speculate on whether or not the water heater is about to die because you didn't say how old the heater is. More than likely, the water cooled down during the course of the day and when you turned on the hot water, you got what you could out of the tank and the rest was cold because the tank started filling up as you were draining it while filling the tub. Once you stopped filling the tub, the cold water then heated up and the entire tank of water was hot again.
2006-09-29 02:50:43 · answer #1 · answered by joem_1701 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is purely a guess from logic, and a little experience. Hot water flows out of the tank through a pipe half way to the bottom of the tank. IF you have a lot of sediment build up, then you only have half as much hot water in your tank as you should have. You put that half in the tub and then the cold water flowing into the tank isn't heated. Then when you turn it off and wait, the tank heats the cold water. See? Open the faucet drain at the bottom of the tank, if water starts flowing quickly, then I am totally wrong. Good Luck! Flowing fast, not dribbling slowly
2006-09-28 13:57:09 · answer #2 · answered by T C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you may be experiencing things for the first time that you've ever noticed that this is the way the system works. some things are over looked til they are scrutenized and things seem to change. or in fact do you remember it is different than it should be? that is the question. if the setting to come on is set too low it well allow the temperature to fall and not restart as early as a higher setting. so if you are moving the control by hand and messing around with the water heater that can cause something you did once to fix it and you've forgotten about it?something on your own maybe coming back to haunt you , keep an i on it because that is rocket science. if it's too hot too often shut it down turn off the gas.
2006-09-28 13:59:25 · answer #3 · answered by bev 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only reason off the top of my head is that ground temps are cooling off, It takes more hot water to adjust for the cold being more cold. Hope that makes sense.Takes more to keep it heated up. Beside a few other reason you might not undestand.
2006-09-28 13:49:46 · answer #4 · answered by myothernewname 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might just be on the fritz an gettin' ready to give up the ghost on ya...
2006-09-28 13:52:07 · answer #5 · answered by eastern_mountain_outdoors 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
HATE TO SAY IT BUT YOUR HOT WATER TANK MIGHT BE READY TO DIE. HOW OLD IS IT AND WHAT ARE YOUR WATER CONDITIONS LIKE?
2006-09-28 14:51:10 · answer #6 · answered by patrick h 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋