I know it sounds strange, but my water heater seems to fail to fully
heat the water once it initially gets hot. If I take a shower after
not using any hot water for several hours, it doesn't get past
lukewarm. Not cold, but definitely not hot. However, if I've recently
run a few gallons of hot water (i.e. within the last hour or so) the
shower is very hot for as long as I'd want to shower.
It's a 30gal, nat gas, Hotpoint model #HG30T1A, approx 4.5yrs old.
Anyone else experience this? Anything that can be adjusted to take
care of this?
Thanks,
Andy

wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it sounds strange, but my water heater seems to fail to fully
heat the water once it initially gets hot. If I take a shower after
not using any hot water for several hours, it doesn't get past
lukewarm. Not cold, but definitely not hot. However, if I've recently
run a few gallons of hot water (i.e. within the last hour or so) the
shower is very hot for as long as I'd want to shower.
It's a 30gal, nat gas, Hotpoint model #HG30T1A, approx 4.5yrs old.
Anyone else experience this? Anything that can be adjusted to take
care of this?
Thanks,
Andy


If this is an electric water heater it has two elements an upper and a
lower. And, two thermostats, one turns off the other element. Here is how it
works. As you use a lot of water the upper element comes on. As the water at
the top gets hot, it goes off and the lower one goes on to heat the reserve
water.

Al

Big Al wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it sounds strange, but my water heater seems to fail to fully
heat the water once it initially gets hot. If I take a shower after
not using any hot water for several hours, it doesn't get past
lukewarm. Not cold, but definitely not hot. However, if I've
recently run a few gallons of hot water (i.e. within the last hour
or so) the shower is very hot for as long as I'd want to shower.
It's a 30gal, nat gas, Hotpoint model #HG30T1A, approx 4.5yrs old.
Anyone else experience this? Anything that can be adjusted to take
care of this?
Thanks,
Andy


If this is an electric water heater

Well since the OP wrote that is is a "a 30gal, nat gas" I doubt if it is
electric. :-)

I am glad I am not the only one who missed important parts of the
message.

I am going to make a wild, not thoughtful guess that it might be a bad
dip tube, but that does not seem to fit everything described. The only
other thing I can think of is a defective thermostat.

it has two elements an upper and a
lower. And, two thermostats, one turns off the other element. Here is
how it works. As you use a lot of water the upper element comes on.
As the water at the top gets hot, it goes off and the lower one goes
on to heat the reserve water.

Al

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message

I am going to make a wild, not thoughtful guess that it might be a bad
dip tube, but that does not seem to fit everything described. The only
other thing I can think of is a defective thermostat.

Here's a link to dip tube info:

http://www.thehomeinspector.com/Clients/DipTube2.html

I recently had a similar problem, with water temp being either hoter, or not
so hot. It seems the were two temperatures available :-)

I flushed the tank and replaced the anode. Also desinfected the tank, while
at it, with a 1/2 gal of chlorine bleech.

Seems the temp is stable now.

Rich

PS Have a read about water heaters he

http://www.thehomeinspector.com/Clients/DipTube.html

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
Big Al wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it sounds strange, but my water heater seems to fail to fully
heat the water once it initially gets hot. If I take a shower after
not using any hot water for several hours, it doesn't get past
lukewarm. Not cold, but definitely not hot. However, if I've
recently run a few gallons of hot water (i.e. within the last hour
or so) the shower is very hot for as long as I'd want to shower.
It's a 30gal, nat gas, Hotpoint model #HG30T1A, approx 4.5yrs old.
Anyone else experience this? Anything that can be adjusted to take
care of this?
Thanks,
Andy


If this is an electric water heater

Well since the OP wrote that is is a "a 30gal, nat gas" I doubt if it
is electric. :-)

I am glad I am not the only one who missed important parts of the
message.

I am going to make a wild, not thoughtful guess that it might be a bad
dip tube, but that does not seem to fit everything described. The only
other thing I can think of is a defective thermostat.

it has two elements an upper and a
lower. And, two thermostats, one turns off the other element. Here is
how it works. As you use a lot of water the upper element comes on.
As the water at the top gets hot, it goes off and the lower one goes
on to heat the reserve water.

Al

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit
My first thought was the thermostat or a lot of sediment (NG heates from the
bottom right?)

No wrote:
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...

My first thought was the thermostat or a lot of sediment (NG heates
from the bottom right?)

More like from the middle I believe.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message:

My first thought was the thermostat or a lot of sediment (NG heates
from the bottom right?)

More like from the middle I believe.

Are you guys serious?

The burner is at the very bottom - you can see the flames. So it heats from
the very bottom.

Rich

Big Al, she said "nat gas".

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"Big Al" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
I know it sounds strange, but my water heater seems to fail to fully
heat the water once it initially gets hot. If I take a shower after
not using any hot water for several hours, it doesn't get past
lukewarm. Not cold, but definitely not hot. However, if I've recently
run a few gallons of hot water (i.e. within the last hour or so) the
shower is very hot for as long as I'd want to shower.
It's a 30gal, nat gas, Hotpoint model #HG30T1A, approx 4.5yrs old.
Anyone else experience this? Anything that can be adjusted to take
care of this?
Thanks,
Andy


If this is an electric water heater it has two elements an upper and a
lower. And, two thermostats, one turns off the other element. Here is how it
works. As you use a lot of water the upper element comes on. As the water at
the top gets hot, it goes off and the lower one goes on to heat the reserve
water.

Al

actually N/G heaters heat from the bottom and interior flue. Theres a
heat deflector inside the entire flue to disperse the heat into the
tank.

everyone should disassemble a tank someday, its a learning experience