It’s so maddening when hot water doesn’t last through your morning shower!

As if your Monday morning commute isn’t reason enough to stay in bed, a cold shower is the cherry on top! Don’t let your subpar water heater make you late. Follow these steps from Preferred Home Services to learn how to get more from your water heater!

What’s Going On When Hot Water Doesn’t Last?

Here are the most common reasons you run out of hot water at home:

  • Water heater temperature setting too low: When there’s not enough hot water, try turning up the heat setting on your water heater tank. Be careful of possible scalding, however. Important safety note: Please don’t set the temp above 120°F due to scalding risk and possible 3rd-degree burns. If you think you need the setting that high, call us instead to troubleshoot your hot water heater.
  • Tank insulation issue: You may need to wrap your tank in an insulating blanket to help it heat more efficiently, save money on energy bills, and keep your water hot. Often, a better solution is to install a new water heater that is properly (internally) insulated.
  • Tank sediment: Minerals in your water supply settle to the bottom of the storage tank, where the burners often are. Sediment buildup in the hot water tank makes it hard for the burners to heat properly, and you end up getting lukewarm water from the water heater. You likely need water heater maintenance to drain and clean the tank, and look for any faulty parts.
  • Broken dip tube: This tube should direct incoming cold water to the bottom of the tank, so that it’s quickly heated before rising up to the hot water tank outlet (at the top of the tank) that supplies your Summerville or Mount Pleasant home.
  • Water heater tank too small: If you run out of hot water when showering at the same time the washing machine is running, you may need a larger storage tank water heater. Or we might install an additional water heater for some part of the house, or switch you to an instantaneous, tankless hot water heating system. Our expert Charleston plumbers can help you choose the best water heating solution for your home.
  • Old or neglected water heater: If your water heater maintenance has been lacking or the heater is simply very old, essential parts can fail. The thermostat, thermal switch, and/or heating element can malfunction. We can provide maintenance tune-ups to restore your water heater, or, if it is too far gone, we can install a new storage-tank model or replace your storage tank water heater with a tankless, on-demand water heater.
  • Poor plumbing setup: If your plumbing system is older, it may use pipe cross-connection, which can limit hot water supply and/or temperature. We can retrofit the piping if necessary, or install a new tankless water heater or traditional water heater to better meet your demand.

At Preferred Home Services, we’re ready to solve your hot water heater problems quickly, efficiently and safely. Contact Preferred Home Services online for plumbing repairs in the Charleston area today! Reach us by phone at (843) 405-3601 now.

How Long for Hot Water to Come Back?

Once hot water heater maintenance, repairs, or replacement are completed, you’ll need to wait until the tank refills, and heats the new supply of water, for your use. If we’ve repaired an older standard storage water heater, it may take longer than a new model just installed.

A 50-gallon water heater tank takes about 40 minutes to become operational: 20 minutes to refill, and an additional 20 minutes to heat water. However, if we’ve installed a new on-demand water heater (with no storage tank) it will provide hot water instantly. Our friendly and experienced team of plumbers and HVAC technicians can provide more precise timing, based on your exact model, after our work is completed.

Where to Get Expert Water Heater Service in Charleston, SC

Besides being annoying and uncomfortable, to say the least, insufficient hot water really throws a wrench into your busy day. After all, you and your family have commitments to meet, and a daily schedule to follow.

Don’t let a poor hot water supply stand in your way—and don’t get burned trying to fix hot water problems on your own. The team at Preferred is ready to help! We offer, quick, friendly and expert service, along with reasonable plumbing and HVAC pricing.

Need more hot water in your home? Get hot water heater solutions from the pros at Preferred Home Services. Contact us today for tankless or standard water heater maintenance, repairs, or replacement in the Charleston area, including the communities of West Ashley, Summerville, and Mount Pleasant. We provide emergency services, so you can also call (843) 405-3601 anytime!