I have a 14 year old electric water heater (40 gal, 2 4500w
elements). The water temp begins to cool down significantly in the
middle of a second shower. There are only 2 people in the house.

Thermostats work - both come on and off normally depending on how I
set them and they properly apply voltage to the heating elements.
Both heating elements show 15 ohms and draw 17+ amps.

Anybody got an idea what the problem could be?

TIA

Chuck

wrote in message
...
I have a 14 year old electric water heater (40 gal, 2 4500w
elements). The water temp begins to cool down significantly in the
middle of a second shower. There are only 2 people in the house.

Thermostats work - both come on and off normally depending on how I
set them and they properly apply voltage to the heating elements.
Both heating elements show 15 ohms and draw 17+ amps.

Anybody got an idea what the problem could be?


Bad dip tube.

wrote in message
...
I have a 14 year old electric water heater (40 gal, 2 4500w
elements). The water temp begins to cool down significantly in the
middle of a second shower. There are only 2 people in the house.

Thermostats work - both come on and off normally depending on how I
set them and they properly apply voltage to the heating elements.
Both heating elements show 15 ohms and draw 17+ amps.

Anybody got an idea what the problem could be?

TIA

I agree with Bob F, bad dip tube. The cold water is mixing at the top of the
tank with the hot water. With a 14 year old tank, I'd just replace it,
before the next thing goes

Chuck

On Mon, 5 Jan 2009 11:17:11 -0800 (PST), wrote:
I have a 14 year old electric water heater (40 gal, 2 4500w
elements). The water temp begins to cool down significantly in the
middle of a second shower. There are only 2 people in the house.

Thermostats work - both come on and off normally depending on how I
set them and they properly apply voltage to the heating elements.
Both heating elements show 15 ohms and draw 17+ amps.

Anybody got an idea what the problem could be?

Your two showers are using more than 40 gallons of hot water.

Turn the temp up so you use less hot water, get a water conserving
shower head, or quit being so lethargic in the shower.

You may need to flush the deposits off the bottom of the tank. They not
only insulate the flame from the water and slow the recovery, but if they
are deep enough, they reduce the actual water capacity. I pulled (with a
coat hangar) a BUSS TUB full of deposits off the bottom of mine once upon a
time. Of course if you do this, be prepared to replace it. Mine started
leaking the next week after that.

s

they should be flushed at least a couple times a year.



wrote in message
...
I have a 14 year old electric water heater (40 gal, 2 4500w
elements). The water temp begins to cool down significantly in the
middle of a second shower. There are only 2 people in the house.

Thermostats work - both come on and off normally depending on how I
set them and they properly apply voltage to the heating elements.
Both heating elements show 15 ohms and draw 17+ amps.

Anybody got an idea what the problem could be?

TIA

Chuck

"Steve Barker" wrote in message
...
You may need to flush the deposits off the bottom of the tank. They not
only insulate the flame from the water and slow the recovery, but if they
are deep enough, they reduce the actual water capacity. I pulled (with a
coat hangar) a BUSS TUB full of deposits off the bottom of mine once upon
a time. Of course if you do this, be prepared to replace it. Mine
started leaking the next week after that.

s

they should be flushed at least a couple times a year.



wrote in message
...
I have a 14 year old electric water heater (40 gal, 2 4500w
elements). The water temp begins to cool down significantly in the
middle of a second shower. There are only 2 people in the house.

Thermostats work - both come on and off normally depending on how I
set them and they properly apply voltage to the heating elements.
Both heating elements show 15 ohms and draw 17+ amps.

Anybody got an idea what the problem could be?

TIA

Chuck

How did you miss the part about it being electric

On Jan 5, 1:17*pm, wrote:
I have a 14 year old electric water heater (40 gal, 2 4500w
elements). *The water temp begins to cool down significantly in the
middle of a second shower. *There are only 2 people in the house.

Thermostats work - both come on and off normally depending on how I
set them and they properly apply voltage to the heating elements.
Both heating elements show 15 ohms and draw 17+ amps.

Anybody got an idea what the problem could be?

TIA

Chuck

It wasnt like this last winter with the cold winter water temp and
everything else is equal, maybe a dip tube. 2 showers and cold
incomming water is a lot of immediate load on electric, was water temp
output as hot last winter.

i just noticed that when i re-read my reply. duh..

i guess they'd have to get REAL deep to get up over an electric element eh?
G

s


"RBM" wrote in message
...

How did you miss the part about it being electric

wrote:

Anybody got an idea what the problem could be?

Lower element burned out, or a dip tube that's dissolved/broken midway down.