There’s nothing that feels quite as good after a long day as a hot shower. However, one problem that more and more people are experiencing is the shock of cold water, as they stand in their showers for minutes while they wait for the water to actually heat up. This can be annoying, and even harmful. Hot water is needed to cleanse bacteria when washing hands, and it’s the best way to get stains out of clothing. If you’re not getting hot water in a timely fashion, there may be a problem.
This is a problem that affects many people, and also a problem that they take as a very serious issue. Most people have no idea about how to handle this and so they’re looking for help. So, if you’re experiencing this problem and it’s taking too long for your hot water to get to its destination in the home, here are a few fixes that you can implement to change that.
5 Fixes for Water That Won’t Get Hot
Shorten the Distance it Has to Travel
The most common reason people face with their water taking too long to heat up is that their water heater is too far away from everything else. The water heater is under the home, while the master shower is on the second floor. This is a long way for water to have to travel. The good news here is that it can be easily fixed by upgrading your plumbing system and having things rearranged for a better flow.
Change Your Volume Restrictor
Many states are mandating things like low-flow restriction devices now, especially where droughts are a concern. The issue here is that you’re not getting a large volume of water pouring through the pipes, so it’s going to seem like it’s taking an awfully long time to heat up. This is an instance where you might have to just bite the bullet and accept your fate, or see if there is any compromise you can make with your restrictor systems.
Check Your Water Heater
Water heaters work like self-heating thermoses. They basically have a heating element that heats up the water and then stores X amount of gallons. As the water is depleted, more water pours into the heater, while the element heats and maintains that temperature. Simply put, there are a lot of components that can go bad here. You might have to replace your hot water heater due to age or other issues. This is a lot more common than you may think.
Check Your Pipes
Upgrading your plumbing system is something no one wants to do. It can be expensive and take quite a long time. However, you may not have any choice. Though to make sure you know what’s going on, call in an expert to check your pipes. You might catch a lucky break and find that you simply have some sediment that needs to be flushed out, which is slowing the flow of your hot water. This is a simpler fix that’s far more affordable.
Make Sure You Have the Right Sized Water Heater
Not only is it important to have a water heater whose element is actually working to heat up water to the right temperature and store it in the tank, but you will also want a water heater whose volume is enough for the home. Say you have a home with six or so people. This could mean six different showers in the morning. So Johnny and Janey have nice and hot showers, while Joey and Joann are freezing. Water that seems like it takes too long to heat up might not have enough hot water supply to meet the demand.
Hopefully, these fixes are quick and affordable. Hot water is something that’s pretty important in the home, so you will definitely want to try to get things fixed. With a few quick fixes, you should be able to have hot water on demand for years to come.