Can’t finish a shower without the water going cold? That’s a pretty common problem, with many possible causes.
Here are 5 possible reasons why your shower is giving you the cold shoulder.
1) Burned out heating element in electric water heater
In an electric water heater tank, a “heating element” is a copper or stainless-steel rod bent into a U-shape that heats the water.
Some electric water heaters (30-,40- and 50-gallon) have 2 heating elements. If one of them burns out, the water heater will struggle to heat all the water.
Get a plumber to inspect the heating elements.
2) Deteriorated/Broken dip tube
The dip tube is a long plastic tube that shoots cold water to the bottom of the water heater tank where it can be heated by the heating element.
However, if your dip tube is broken, the cold water will flow to the top of the tank and get sucked up the the hot water supply pipe before being heated properly.
That’s why you’re getting cold or lukewarm water when you shower.
Sign of a broken dip tube: Examine your aerators, shower head, clogging strainers and filter screens on appliances for bits of plastic. These are from the deteriorated dip tube.
Also, you most likely have a defective dip tube that’s likely to break if your water heater was made between 1993 and 1996.
Check the serial number on the tank. If the 3rd and 4th number are 93, 94, 95, or 96, then you may have a defective dip tube that has most likely deteriorated.
We can replace the dip tube for you.
3) Water heater tank not large enough for your family
Maybe your family has grown.
Maybe your family moved to a new home with a smaller water heater tank.
Either way, your water heater tank may not be meeting your family’s hot water needs.
Contact us and we can find the perfect tank size for your family.
4) Tankless water heater can’t keep up
Tankless water heaters heat water on demand.
The downside of this? They can struggle to supply enough hot water if you’re using several major hot water appliances at once.
So if you’re getting the cold shoulder in the shower, you either:
- Need a larger tankless water heater
- Need to run fewer major hot water appliances (shower, bath, dishwasher, washing machine, etc.) at once.
Contact us for help If you think you need a larger tankless water heater.
5) Too much sediment in the tank
Over time, your water heater’s tank can fill up with sediment (mineral deposits).
Too much sediment in the tank can:
- Insulate the water from the heating element, so your water isn’t heating up properly.
- Burn out the lower heating element in an electric water heater (see point #1).
Because Florida has notoriously hard water (meaning it’s full of minerals like calcium, lime and magnesia), your water heater needs flushing out once a year.
