No one can deny the freshness of a hot water bath after a long day at work, but what happens when it’s only lukewarm?
It is very disheartening to get into the shower, only to realize that the water is lukewarm. To deal with this issue, you need to understand that the water heater you have installed in your house is like any other appliance that needs proper care and maintenance.
But how can you deal with a hot water heater with only lukewarm performance? This is a recurrent question that we keep getting from homeowners. It’s common to rack your brains thinking what is causing this problem, but fret no more. In this guide, we are taking a look at the major troubleshooting issues about lukewarm water and providing solutions that address the problem better.
So, without any further delay, let’s dive right in!
Table of Contents
Issues With Water Heaters And How To Deal With Them
Demand Is Too High
One of the most common causes of water heaters not functioning properly is that there are too many appliances and fixtures in the house. This makes it difficult for the water heater to keep up with the needed demand.
If you have upgraded to a big bathtub recently or a spa-tub that requires a lot more water than your previous tub, chances are that your heater will not be able to meet the new demand. Also, in case you have installed a new shower head that offers high water flow, you might be facing similar trouble.
A good solution to this problem is simply replacing the existing water heater with a new, more powerful model that can handle the additional needs. We recommend that you go for gas-powered water heaters instead of electric ones, as they help you save money and also recover faster.
Tankless water heaters are also an excellent solution if you have many members in the house and need a constant supply of hot water. You will never run out of warm water supply unless all the family members are using the heater at the same time.
Cold Incoming Water
In case you are residing in an area where it gets very cold, the chances are that the water supply will most likely be the same.
Particularly during winter, if the temperature drops a lot, the water heater will take more power and time to heat up the water. This might make you feel like you are not getting the same amount of hot water as before. Not to worry, we have a solution for that too!
The most simple thing that we seldom forget to do in such situations is just to increase the thermostat temperature. This is an easy solution considering the heater would surely need some extra energy to heat up cooler water during the freezing months of the year.
Problem With Water Pressure
The quality of the hot water supply is directly proportional to the pressure of the incoming cold water.
So, whenever there is a decrease in the pressure of the incoming cold water, most likely you will have less hot water coming out of the tank. If you fail to detect the problem, it might seem like the water is only lukewarm and not hot enough.
Fixing this problem is a little tricky and also hefty. Water pressure problems are generally caused by old pipes that need to be replaced. In such scenarios, we always advise that you get things checked by a professional plumber.
Thermostat Temperature Too Low
It is understandable that sometimes you keep the temperature of the thermostat low in order to save energy and also to maintain safety. A lot of people set the temperature of the thermostat at a very moderate level of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
This practice is quite good to save electricity and also make sure that the water is not hot enough to burn people when they get into the tub. However, the only problem that may arise, as we mentioned, is that the water may seem lukewarm.
To deal with this issue, we suggest that you set the heater thermostat to 140 degrees or higher to receive a steady flow of hot water in the shower. You just have to ensure that you mix the hot and cold water well to prevent any risks of burns.
To be on the safe side, we always recommend our readers get a TMV (Thermostatic Mixing Valve) installed to prevent any chances of getting scalded.
Faulty Thermostat
A very common problem that often makes the homeowners go crazy is when they increase the temperature on their heater thermostat, and the water still remains lukewarm.
This might seem very strange, but in most such cases, it is the thermostat that is faulty. To put it simply, it does not reflect the correct temperature level anymore. This is a fairly common problem and you only need to get the thermostat replaced to get a correct reading of the water temperature. Rest assured that there’s nothing wrong with the water heater.
Final Words
After going through this guide, we hope that you now have better clarity on the common issues related to the hot water heater only lukewarm problem.
It’s understandable how annoying it gets when you go for a bath and feel unwelcome because of a sudden flow of lukewarm water. We hope that using the solutions outlined in this guide, you can successfully deal with the issue at hand.
With said and done, it’s always a good idea to get your water heater checked by an electrician and a plumber regularly. This helps you to make sure that the water pipes are in good condition and not leaking.