Peter writes he is constantly running out of hot water. He has a a household consisting of 4 adults. But he is not sure if this is because of water consumption or is there any other reason to hot water running out.
Reasons Why is hot water running out
There are a variety of issues that can contribute to running out of hot water.
Reason #1 – Hot taps dripping
Your hot taps might be dripping and this may result in you running out of hot water.
Reason #2 – Hot water cylinder overflow
If your hot water cylinder is overflowing through a relief valve, then this can be one a reason for you running out of hot water.
Reason #3 – Water temperature
The water temperature of the tank is a contributing factor also as if the tank is 40 degrees the hot water will be used in the shower neat i.e., with no cold to extend its use.
It should be about 50 degrees Celsius also. Most hot water cylinders have tempering valves nowadays, and this too can lead to the taps having cold or warm water instead of hot. If this valve is faulty then the tank can be hot, but the valve is only letting through cold or warm water.
Check if the tank is hot and if so, then call us to have this valve replaced.
Reason #4 – Faulty thermostat
A faulty thermostat can also be the cause of no hot water or warm water.
Thermostats can fail intermittently. It is usual to replace both, the element and thermostat while we are at it, as they usually last about the same time.
Reason #5 – Everyone in the house used it
Lastly, there is the most common reason for no hot water which is the occupants have used it all, and the tank may not be big enough or the shower is too strong, and the entire tank has been used in one shower. A restriction can be put on the shower to get it to last longer. But sometimes the occupants need to work together and restrict shower times to just 3 or 4 minutes each or stagger the shower times.
In some cases installing larger hot water is needed. It is common now to install 300-litre tanks instead of the standard 180-litre tanks. A check of cupboard size is a factor in doing this.
You can get in touch with our plumbing team to check why you are running out of hot water in your home, call us today on 0800 484 353.