SJP wrote:
Hi, lately it seems as though there's barely enough hot water to take
a shower. I went downstairs to observe the hot water heater...

-There's no sign that the water heater has 'blown up' like seems to
happen whenever my dad's water heater expires
-The heater has the date 1990 on it, which I presume to be it's
installation date.
-The heater is natural gas. I didn't notice any smell...
-The heater was warm to the touch
-It hasn't been very cold here lately.

Do these things just fade away? Or do they always go out with a
bang? How do I assess the situation?

Thanks
Steve

There are several possibilities. My first guess is the dip tube is
gone. That is the right age to have the famous dip tube problem.

There are a number of other possibilities as well however and I would
guess you are not really ready to do the testing.

Ask around your neighbors. See how long their water heaters tend to
last. Local water conditions make a very big difference in how long those
heaters last. I suspect you are close enough to the end of its life that
you should not bother trying to have someone fix it when replacing it is not
going to be that much more.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math