Why Do I Run out of Hot Water?

There could be a couple of reasons why you are running out of hot water so quickly. First, there might be sediment or residue in your hot water tank. This can be easily solved with a simple flushing of the hot water tank. Here’s a video to show you how it’s done.

Second, your water heater might be too small to meet your family’s needs. If you have a small water heater tank and your family uses a significant amount of water, there will never be enough hot water to go around.

Lastly, you might have a problem with the dip tube, a plastic pipe that travels from the cold water inlet down to the bottom of the water heater’s tank. The dip tube deposits the cold water coming into the tank at the bottom, where it is heated. As the water is heated, it rises to the top where it exits the tank through the hot water outlet.

When the pilot light on a water heater no longer stays lit, it typically means the thermocouple is bad. Thermocouples are little electric generators that create a magnetic current that holds open a magnetic gas valve inside the control unit on the front of the water heater. If the generator or the wiring from the unit can no longer sense heat at the pilot, it will constantly shut it off. Replacing the thermocouple will generally solve the problem.

If a thermocouple replacement is needed or if a new water heater is necessary, a Roto-Rooter expert can help determine which model is right for your home and budget. We offer 24-hour emergency water heater service, so that we can diagnose the problem and you can have hot water again as quickly as possible.