My 30-year-old 80-gallon electric water heater has begun to not work
very well. When taking a shower, after about five (5) minutes, the
water begins to lose its heat, and I have to turn the cold water
almost completely off in order for the water to remain warm.

The thermostat on my water heater is set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. I
have troubleshooted online and I've read where the dip tube could be
cracked or have some sort of other problem. I just recently drained
out my water heater to remove sediment that was built up, thinking
that this might fix the problem, but the same problem still exists. I
don't think that the previous home owner ever did this.

Is it worth the money to call a repair person to investigate the
problem, or should I shell out the bucks for a new one?

Thanks for any advice,
Kevin