question about a hot water heater?

Question

Yesterday while washing dishes; the water went completely cold and it took about 3 to 4 hours before it warmed up again. This morning, my husband took a shower and the hot water disappeared again. This time it didn't warm up until early evening. We can't afford an electrician and after calling all over; there are no parts to be found. May end up having to save money to buy a new water heater but is there anything else that can be done because I'm really not looking forward to cold showers and washing work clothes in cold water.

Answer 1

I once had the same problem. I went to a good supply store, and they told me how to check the heating elements inside the tank. After that I determined that I needed to change one of the heating elements. The person at the store gave me instructions on how to install the element. Bingo, problem solved, and it was not that expensive.

Answer 2

I'm going to assume this is an electric unit, considering you're talking about looking for an electrician. It also must be a two element unit, or you wouldn't be getting any hot water at all.
The unit has what is called, non-simultaneous thermostats, meaning they don't both come on at the same time. The top element heats the water in the top half of the tank, (which is probably what's happening for you), then it shuts down and the bottom element takes over to heat the bottom half of the tank of water. Obviously the top element is working and the bottom element or thermostat isn't. When you've used up the small amount of hot water that's setting on the top of the tank, there's nothing left to replace it till the top element can kick on and reheat. If it's a ten year old or older unit and you live in an area with comparatively high concentrations of lime or calcium in the water, you'd probably be about as far ahead to put in a new unit, as the old one will most likely have a fairly large deposit of lime in the bottom of the tank, (that's more than likely what ruined the lower element.) It can be a real pain to try to get that stuff out and install a new element. However, it's not impossible. If it's in a tough place to access, then it may be more advantageous to change the element than the whole unit. You'll need an ohm meter to test the continuity of the elements, (should be between 12.3 & 12.7 ohms). If you get no reading that means the element is burned in two. You'll also need a hose to drain the water below the level of the bottom element, a large socket to remove the element, if it's a standard screw-in, 4500 watt unit. and a small wet/dry vac. to suck out the chunks of lime sediment. With the electricity turned off, simply remove the wires from the element while the tank is draining, when it's done, unscrew the old element, remove the as much of the lime buildup as possible and then reinsert the new element, screw it down and install the wiring. Be sure to completely refill the tank with water, including bleeding all air out of the lines, before turning the electricity back on. If the air is not all out of the tank and the top element is energized while it's out of water it will burn out immediately. Good luck.

Answer 3

It sounds as though your water heater's about had it. The cold showers there's not much you can do about that unless you have showers at work or you belong to a gym. Washing your clothes in cold water is a good idea anyway (saves energy and money) and most detergents work just fine in the cold water.

You might consider an "on demand" system as a replacement. It's more expensive in the short run but is generally cheaper to run because it doesn't maintain a tank of hot water.

Answer 4

Buy a new hot water heater. The cost to have someone repair it will be about the same as a new one. Plus with a new one you get a warranty and piece of mind that it's going to work.