Water Heaters: Why You Might Not Be Getting Desired Results

Water heaters are often very reliable appliances that need little maintenance and can provide your home with years of service before needing to be replaced. It goes without saying, however, that not every homeowner will be that lucky. If you're terribly unlucky, you may have issue after issue when it comes to getting the desired temperatures out of your daily showers and dishwasher loads. If so, there could be a problem that needs to be addressed either through professional repair or replacement. If you're wondering what is causing you to be unable to get more than a five-minute shower out of your appliance before the showerhead begins dowsing you with ice, here are some things that could be going wrong.

Not Enough Size
When you look for water heaters, it's essential that you choose a model that is big enough for your family. If you bought your appliance based on assumptions you made when you were a family of two and you now are a family of five, it can hardly come as a surprise that you aren't getting the desired results from your showers and appliances. If you've had problems since the beginning, you may have purchased the wrong size right out of the gate. This is why it's important to be up front about your needs with the salesman and avoid the temptation to save money by purchasing a model below your required specifications.

Element
Water heaters work through the use of two elements, one at the top of the appliance and one at the bottom. This bottom element could have gone out, preventing you from getting a lasting supply of warm water from your household. Since the elements heat the water from two different directions, it's not uncommon to have a top later of sufficient warmth, while the bottom of the supply remains cold. When you take a shower or run the dishwasher, the pipes draw on that top layer, giving you warmth for a few minutes before beginning to draw from the bottom layer, which is still cold. While not a very difficult repair to make, you should definitely consider hiring a plumber if you don't know exactly what you're doing.

Bad Thermostats
Either the top or bottom thermostat could be out (or both), causing the elements to not come on. When this happens, you could either have only a few minutes of sufficient warmth or it may take forever before you finally get to the warm water you desire. Seek out either the help of an electrician or a plumber adept at working with water heaters to find the solution.