Is there anything worse than being halfway through your shower, hair shampooed, belting out your favorite song into the loofah, and the water starts to get cold? The panic sets in. You need to finish this shower before you run completely out of hot water.
You shouldn’t have to deal with that, nor should you suffer if you’re the second or third person to take bathe in a row. Your dishwasher and washing machine shouldn’t be struggling to clean due to hot water limits, either.
Reasons Your Hot Water May Be Limited
Here are the most common reasons that Rostron Premium Home Services comes across for our Jersey Shore homeowners:
Undersized Water Heater
It doesn’t matter if you have an atmospheric, power-vented, or tankless water heater. All types of water heaters have differing sizes that dramatically change the output of hot water. Your home might require a water heater with a 75-gallon tank, where a 50-gallon tank has been installed instead.
It’s something you may not think about when adding an additional bathroom or upgrading to a special showerhead, but it’s very important to consider the capacity of water required to cover your home.
Aged Water Heater
The average water heater will last anywhere from 8-12 years, depending on a number of factors like water quality, usage, and maintenance. The most obvious sign that your water heater has reached the end of its life is when it begins to leak, but you may also notice it running more, rumbling noises, and (you guessed it) unreliable hot water.
The decline in hot water is usually a gradual process, so you may not notice it right away. Be on the lookout though, because a leak could be the next obstacle you come across!
Water Quality
All towns in New Jersey pull domestic water from different supplies. Some will pull from underground wells while others pull from surface water, like the Manasquan Reservoir or Brick Reservoir, but most will be a mix of sources, leaving you with varying levels of hardness, sediment, and chemicals in the water entering your home.
Part of taking care of your water heater includes making sure the water you’re sending through it is properly treated. If your water heater is constantly heating hard water with sediment, it will layer on the bottom of the tank, leading to more and more issues.
Water Heater Is Not Working Properly
Your water heater may be perfectly sized and young, and your home may have incredibly clean water. That doesn’t mean there can’t be an issue with the water heater itself, though. Anything from an ignitor to a three-way valve on combi boilers can result in inconsistent hot water.
It may be something simple that is keeping your unit from firing up, but the only part that matters to you is that there’s no hot water!
Things You Can Do to Provide More Consistent Hot Water
You’re not alone! Depending on the situation, Rostron Premium Home Services has a few common recommendations:
Mixing Valve
These nifty devices affix to the outgoing water tap on your water heater. Basically, your water heater will generate hotter water and mix cold water with it. Overall, it bumps up your efficiency, meaning your unit will be able to provide more hot water for the same energy input.
Recirculation Pump
If there’s an underlying issue, a recirculation pump won’t fix the issue. However, it will limit the amount of time you’re stuck waiting for the water to get warm in your home. Depending on the type of pump you have installed, it will either send cold water back to the water heater, keeping it consistently hot, or push the not-so-hot water to the cold tap.
Increase Efficiency
If your unit is on your last legs, you might want to consider upgrading. A big factor is going to be efficiency, meaning how much energy your unit uses to generate hot water. Another term you may want to familiarize yourself with is recovery rating, which is how quickly a tanked water heater will be able to refill. The better the rating, the quicker your unit will be able to recover from a large usage of hot water.
The units with the best efficiency available to Jersey Shore homeowners include tankless and hybrid (heat pump) water heaters. If you have a boiler, you might consider a combi unit to replace both your water heater and boiler at the same time, or even add an indirect tank, which have incredible recovery ratings compared to other options!
Consult a Professional
Not sure what the best option for you would be? The best thing you can do is scheduling a service call with a reputable company, like Rostron Premium Home Services. Our technicians are experts in both water heaters and communication, leaving little to the imagination when it comes to understanding the best option.
Next Steps
If you’re experiencing inconsistent hot water in your home, it may be time to set an appointment with an HVAC or plumbing professional. With an expert opinion, you’ll be able to make the best decision for your home.
Rostron Premium Home Services offers heating, cooling, electric, and Plumbing services to Brick Township, to Monmouth County and Ocean County in New Jersey. Give us a call at 732-223-8221 or fill out a form on our website. Your hot water will be more reliable than it’s ever been!
