Does it seem like your hot water heater isn’t working right? After a couple of minutes in the shower does your hot water turn lukewarm? Your hot water heater may have a problem and there could be a number of reasons for this. The reasons below are typical problems but be sure to contact a professional plumbing service to help determine your specific issue.
Dip Tube
Both gas and electric hot water heaters have a pipe called a dip tube that is supposed to make the unheated water coming into the tank go down to the bottom so the already-hot water can be sent out of the tank to where it’s needed. If your dip tube is broken or it falls off, this won’t happen, meaning new water coming into the tank will mix with the hot water and lower its temperature. Hence, you wind up with lukewarm water.
Thermostat
Your water heater has a thermostat that tells it how much to heat the water before it goes on its way. If the thermostat is not functioning properly, you are likely to wind up with water that isn’t hot. If the thermostat is broken altogether, your water heater won’t heat any more water, so eventually you will run out after whatever in the tank is gone. If the thermostat setting is off, you might get water that’s not heated to the temperature you expect.
Heating Element
If you water heater is electric, you could have a problem with your heating element, especially the one on the lower part of the tank. If it’s not functioning properly, your water heater may only heat the water in the top of the tank, which means you eventually will run out of hot water.
Some of these issues you can investigate on your own, but you likely will need a licensed plumber to assess the situations and either make repairs or suggest a replacement.