We’ve all been there, you’ve stepped into a lovely hot shower only to find the water starts to cool. Invariably you’re lathered up and have to go back under the rapidly cooling water. It’s not a pleasant experience, although some suggest a cold shower has health benefits.
The good news is that you can prevent your plumbing system from running out of hot water with these three simple steps.
- Get your Hot Water Heater Checked
Most people have hot water tanks which heat the water and hold onto it, maintain the temperature constant. This sounds simple but the procedure is more complicated than you may think. There is a thermostat, heating element, anodes, and several other components that work together to create your hot water. In short, if any of these parts aren’t working properly you’ll get less hot water. You need a reputable plumber Sydney to check the system at least once a year and rectify any issues.
The cost of an annual inspection is considerably less than the time and inconvenience it causes you.
- Know Your Tank
The average tank holds 80 gallons of water although this will depend on the size of your tank and the house. In most cases, the tank will use three-quarters of the water before it allows cold water into the tank. That means as soon as you get below 20-25 gallons the temperature of your water will start to drop.
An average shower uses two gallons of water a minute(that’s approximately 10 liters). That means the 55 gallons of hot water you have will last 27 minutes. Knowing all these facts will allow you to identify how much hot water is likely to be in the tank before you have a shower.
You’ll need to know who else has showered and for how long, plus make an allowance for washing up water, etc.
In short, know the size of your tank and how many minutes of hot water it will give you. It will help you to understand whether there is any hot water available or not.
It can also be useful to know how long your tank takes to refill once cold water has started to enter. Alongside knowing how long it takes to refill the tank you’ll need to know the power of your water heater to calculate how long it will take to reheat the water.
This information may be in the manual or your plumber is likely to know it.
- Switch Systems
If calculating the hot water available isn’t an option or doesn’t seem to be working for you then you may want to consider changing your hot water system.
There are plenty of instant water heaters on the market that can be fitted to your existing system. In most cases, there will be very little adjustment to your existing pipework. As the name suggests, instant water heaters heat the water as you use it, ensuring you’ll never run out, regardless of how long you shower for. Of course, this is the more expensive option.
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