There’s nothing worse than getting ready for a nice hot bath only to find that you’re out of hot water. And, no one wants to have cold showers!
We need hot and cold water every day. And, at some point in life, we’ve all experienced miserable cold showers for several reasons that rendered our heating units useless. Nobody wants to experience the same thing, the dread that’s called - "no hot water coming out of showers."
Reasons like faulty faucets, pipes, or water heaters can lead to a hot water deficit, but identifying the right one at fault isn’t easy.
So, let’s begin.
No Hot Water Coming Out Of Your Shower?
Hot water problems are troubling, especially during cold seasons when the thought of cold showers gives terrifying chills. Therefore to remedy the hot water deficit, we start looking for complex solutions to simple problems. For example, calling a professional when all you have to do is bump up the thermostat or make necessary adjustments.
So, before doing a full-blown checkup of your hot water heater or pipelines, you should do a preliminary investigation. Here’s how you do it.
Temperature Adjustments
If your water heater isn’t set to an optimal temperature (between 50°C-60°C), then a hot water deficit is pretty apparent as water won’t heat. So, if your water heater tank isn’t set within this range, bump it up and wait for 30-40 minutes. Afterwards, the water should be heated if there are no problems with your hot water system.
Weather Fluctuations
Your water heater might betray you when the temperature drops suddenly, especially at night. If that’s the case, you should bring your responsible water heater back to its earlier duties by turning the thermostat to the maximum setting. After 30 minutes, check the water temperature; if it’s hot enough, set the temperature to normal again.
During such situations, you should increase the water heater temperature a bit to ensure it does its job and there’s no hot water deficit.
Finding The Causes Behind Your Hot Water Deficit
If the preliminary investigation didn’t yield positive results and you still have to take cold showers or drop showering plans, it’s time to find the root cause of the problem.
1. Is The Anti-Scald Shower Valve The Culprit?
We often complain about the heating unit when the real culprit is the anti-scald shower valve on our faucet. So, before you do the same, it’s better to check whether the anti-scald valves are functioning well.
If you have no idea their real function, then know that an anti-scald valve is responsible for maintaining the ideal water temperature, i.e., not too cold or hot. These safety valves are in the shower handles, and when they run into trouble, you can bid farewell to the regular hot water supply.
As a result, you should take measures to ensure they’re not hindering the hot water supply. You can check if installed correctly, unclogged, and set to the right temperature. Once you’ve done the needful, hot water should flow smoothly.
There might be no anti-scald valve if you have a slightly older house, so the issue is somewhere else.
2. Is Your Water Heater The Mean Offender?
The problem might not be in your shower; the water heater might just be the mean offender. To ensure that’s the case, you can inspect your water, be it gas or electric, and follow up with the right solution to remedy it.
We have highlighted the issues your gas or electric heaters can run into below.
A. Gas
Your gas water heater might run into multiple problems, some of which need to be addressed immediately once they’re uncovered, preferably by professionals. Gas-powered water heaters can stop heating for reasons like faulty thermocouples, snuffed pilot lights, yellow pilot lights instead of blue, and other technical reasons.
Now, while a DIY trick can solve some problems, it’s better to leave the job to professionals, especially when the pilot light is yellow. Yellow pilot light equates to toxic gasses like carbon monoxide released by the boiler, possibly leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Once you realise the performance of your gas water heater isn’t up to the mark and might be running into some problems, get it checked by professionals.
B. Electric
Some issues can render your electric water heater useless; thus, to ensure the problem doesn’t persist, you must identify the cause and remedy it as soon as possible. Besides, if your heating unit is too old, it’s a signal to replace it if you want to avoid miserable cold showers.
Reasons like a faulty thermostat, problems with heating elements, debris accumulation in the water tank, breaking or leaking or faulty dip tube, etc., can lead to a malfunctioning water heater. Note that you should check for any problem in your electric water heater when the unit is turned off; otherwise, it could lead to electrocution.
Thus, to avoid any mishap during the inspection, it’s better to follow due safety procedures and, better yet, leave the job to professionals altogether.
3. Check The Pipes
Faults in pipes bring a dynamo effect of problems whereby shower water can’t even reach its destination at the right time them. Issues like corroded pipes reduce the water pressure, which can destroy the whole plumbing system of your house and even the water heater. So, if your water heater seems fine, it’s better to check the condition of the pipes to ensure they’re working fine. For instance, you may want to check your shower mixing valve to ensure the cold water pressure and hot water are working together.
Can’t Resolve The Problem On Your Own? Call the Pros!
Proper inspection and appropriate solutions ensure you never face a hot water deficit. That means checking everything facing an issue, be it faucets, water heaters, or pipes. And water pressure and temperature control are not simply do-it-yourself projects.
Once the problem is identified, get in touch with a professional plumber who’d do a needed fix so you can get on with life. At Woolf Plumbing & Gas, we are Perth plumbing experts for all your hot water needs. So, give us a call today!
