We all know that dreaded feeling when you’re taking a nice hot shower, and then the water starts getting colder faster and faster so that by the time you’ve washed your conditioner out, you may as well be taking an ice bath. If you’re dealing with your hot water running out before you’re done using it, there could be a number of reasons behind this. Here are some of the culprits behind why you run out of hot water fast.

Sediment Buildup

Water naturally has minerals and other sediments in it, and over time, these minerals and sediments build up in your water heater, which can cause you to run out of hot water faster than you did before. This is because the buildup reduces the capacity of your water heater, which means that you have less hot water than you did without the buildup taking up that space. Cleaning out the sediment will make it so that your water heater has the room it did before.

The Water Heater Tank Is Too Small

Generally, different size households need water heaters with different size water tanks, in order to be able to meet the demands of how many people will require hot water. A household of two people won’t need as big a water heater tank as a family of five. If your household has grown in size, or you moved in somewhere where the previous owners didn’t have as many people, you may consider installing a bigger water tank.

Bad Heating Element

At the bottom of your water heater is the part that heats your water. The upper element of it takes cold water and directs it down to the bottom, where it then heats cold water to your desired temperature. If your heating element goes bad, this lowers the temperature of your water and greatly affects how much hot water you get. So, if you start out with hot water, but then it goes cold fast, it could be that the water isn’t getting heated anymore.

Multiple Appliances Running At The Same Time

If you’ve grown up with siblings, you probably purposely flushed the toilet or turned the faucet on in order to turn their shower cold, just to be a nuisance. This is a common reason why you run out of hot water fast, through running multiple appliances at once or having multiple faucets going at the same time. The hot water is trying to reach all of the appliances that need it, and because of this, it runs out faster than if only one was running at a time.

Issue With The Thermostat 

Your water heater comes equipped with a thermostat that tells it how hot to heat your water to. If your water heater’s thermostat is having problems, this impacts how hot your water gets, which could mean it never reaches the temperature it should. Resetting your thermostat or raising the temperature should help with your cold water issues.

The Dip Tube Is Broken

The dip tube is the part of the water heater that pushes cold water down to your heating element, so that it can get warmed up. If your dip tub is broken, this makes it so that cold water isn’t getting directed to the bottom of the tank to get heated up, but rather, stays at the top of the tank, ergo cooling water that has been heated and never getting heated itself. If your dip tube needs to be repaired or replaced, this is a surefire reason why you run out of hot water so fast.

The Water Heater Is Old

Water heaters don’t last forever. Generally, water heaters last around ten years. If your water heater is nearing the end of its life span, this could be why you run out of hot water so fast. If this is the case, the best fix is to replace your water heater. A new water heater will make it so that you don’t run out of hot water so very quickly.

Do You Run Out Of Hot Water Fast?

S & B Plumbing knows how important it is to have hot water in order to maintain a comfortable home environment. Especially in the colder months, you want your hot water to last as long as you need it running for. We can help you find out why your run out of hot water fast and either repair or replace your water heater. For any questions or for more information about our services, please contact us at S & B Plumbing today!