Why is the hot water in my house not hot/doesn't stay hot for very long?

Question

So there is myself and my two room mates. A couple of days ago we noticed the hot water wasn't working and it would only be luke warm. We just thought it was each other showering and taking up the hot water but then it just got to be worse. When we checked the hot water tank the temp was turned all the way down to "pilot." None of us touched it, but the dog does hide behind the hot water tank in the thunderstorms so we figure he must have turned it down little by little. We also checked the pilot, and yes it was on.

Ok so the temp settings on it and it has Warm, Hot, A, B, C, and Very Hot. Asking around of what temperature I should have it at people said from Hot - B, so I decided to put it on A.

I have been home alone for the past 3 hours and have NOT used ANY water. I went to go have a shower and it's only luke warm again!!! I went to go check the dial and it's still at "A." A friend of mine said it might be the "collector tube?" it will cost approx $300 for a repair guy OR he could walk me through it over the phone and it would cost me less than $50. (He can't come do it himself because he lives 500kms away).

Does it sound like that's the case? I don't want to have to pull it apart if I don't have to. Any other suggestions on what could be wrong? Before you ask, yes I paid the bill and keep up on my bills.

Thanks

Answer 1

Hi, A. Nothing wrong with kicking up the temp setting a notch or two to see what happens, but - please - not maxed all the way. Your friend is likely suggesting a failed "dip tube", a fairly straight-forward repair, especially using a jointed replacement tube. This is a top-side part replacement that does not require even a full draining, let alone pulling it apart. Do a search on replacing a dip-tube and study what you find, then call your friend once it makes sense.



Meanwhile, it could be something else, or "all of the above", to include a really dirty burner area (vac out when not hot), or a badly silted-up tank, with a lot of mineral deposits sitting in the bottom of the tank.



For the latter, turn off burner, let cool, shut off the water supply to the heater (valve on the cold pipe above), open up drain valve (near bottom) with attached (regular garden hose thread) hose to floor drain - or remove (clogged) drain valve entirely if nothing coming out, and tease out the crap perhaps with a bit of clothes-hanger wire to get it started. The fitting there is 3/4" FPT, or Female Pipe Thread. If ready with like a short 3/4" pipe "nipple" (short threaded pipe) and a FPT/FHT adapter, and that same (garden) hose, you can (moving quickly) twist it in to prevent a big mess in the area and again get it to the floor drain, once it starts to flow. Once happening, open the inlet valve a little to get water flowing, the goal being a clear flow into the drain.



Then shut off the inlet valve again, and reinstall the drain valve - or my choice, a 3/4" pipe 3" brass nipple, a full-bore ball-valve, and a brass MPT/MHT adapter in the end of the ball valve. Regular cheapo plastic drain valve about $5, this rig more like $25, but it will never clog.



That's down the road from a bad dip-tube, but wanted to share that with you if it's not.

Answer 2

try very hot A is to low if it does not work u need a new one.

Answer 3

google " how to trouble shoot gas water heater " you will find a lot of info about it if you do that . more than anyone can explain here..

Answer 4

maybe weak boiler?