Water Heater Repair in Weston, Florida
If you’ve never been enjoying a nice hot shower when the water goes cold, consider yourself lucky! Nothing jars you out of relaxation like cold water to the face, and if your hot water runs out, that what your going to get. Water heaters do their best to keep your water hot, but they are limited by storage capacity and require many parts to work for them to operate. This makes the possibility of running out of hot water higher than you may think, especially on older machines or in multi-person households.
If you find that your water heater isn’t keeping up with your needs, keep reading to find out why it happens and if you need water heater repair in Weston Florida.
How a Hot Water Heater Works
Obviously, your water heater heats your water. However, there are actually 2 different types of water heaters: tank and tankless. They both take colder water and heat it, sending it through the pipes to the faucet that is turned on. How they heat the water is where their differences reside.
A tank water heater will hold and heat water in a large drum, usually around 20-80 gallons. Cold water is pumped into the tank and sinks to the bottom where it is heated by a heat source. This causes the hot water to rise to the top and through the plumbing system. A tankless water heater will take a smaller amount of water at a time, heat it quickly, and send it through the system. Each type can be heated through gas, electricity, or propane depending on the unit and your preference.
Why The Hot Water Runs Out
If your hot water runs out, it likely comes down to one of two things: capacity or mechanical failure. Tank water heaters have a specific maximum capacity of water storage that they can handle at a given time. Between uses, it needs to refill and reheat the water. If you use it too frequently, like multiple showers in succession or running the washing machine, dishwasher, and shower at once, you use that supply up quickly.
A tankless water heater has even less storage than a tank heater, however its shortcoming is not storage capacity but production capacity. To heat the water on-demand, a tankless heater needs to heat smaller amounts at a time and then send it through the pipes. If you are using more than one faucet at a time, it can struggle to keep up production.
Finally, heaters of all kinds can have malfunctions that cause heating elements to fail or water pressure to suffer. Many heaters have a lifespan of 10-15 years with proper maintenance, so be sure to have it monitored yearly. If your unit is gas-powered, this is exceptionally dangerous and should be checked by an expert in water heaters repair in Weston Florida. They can leak gas, catch on fire, and more!
How to Prevent Running Out
Simply put; use less water, or increase your hot water capacity! If you are using too much water, space out your activities like showering, washing dishes, and more so that your heater has time to keep up. You can also stick to one faucet running at a time to make it easier on a tankless heater. If you cant possibly do either of those solutions due to a large household, consider upgrading to a larger tank or higher-output tankless heater.
West End Plumbing is a complete plumbing service and repair company that has served Southern Florida for over 20 years. They offer 24/7 emergency service to ensure that your plumbing problem doesn’t become a disaster, and support all major brands of products. Whether you need a new system installed, water heater repairs in Weston Florida, or other plumbing help, you can rely on West End Plumbing.
