Comments on: Our Hot Water Heater Has Been Running Nonstop For About 2 Days, Now We Only Have Luke Warm Water?

By: ozarks bum

ozarks bum — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:27:47 +0000

Part of hot water heater maintenance is draining the bottom of the tank periodically (maybe once a year) to rid it of bits or rust and other sediment. There is a faucet at the bottom of the tank. If you do not have a drain close, the faucet is threaded to handle a garden hose so you can drain farther away. Open the drain, see what comes out. If rusty or discolored, you do have buildup on the bottom of the heater.
As for lukewarm water, would gather this is a gas heater with a single burner at the bottom? Most electrics have two elements, but a single burner may be having problems with heat transfer from the flame ring to the actual water, having to deal with the sedimentation. One trick, when you are draining, turn a close tap (hot) on and off quickly for a little while. Sometimes this helps roil up the water and get the sediment out better.
Barring all that, it could be you just need a new hot water heater, although in my experience when they have needed replacement I have gotten leaks from the bottom where they have just worn out.

By: Joanne A. W

Joanne A. W — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:15:43 +0000

Same thing here with an electric water heater and water bill was $200. You guessed it…..water leak under the house! Got it fixed a few days ago. You need to call a plumber now. You might want to turn off your water heater if the plumber cannot come out today. Ask him/her how to turn it off safely.

By: deedee

deedee — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:36:45 +0000

check the heating element, or like mine, maybe the calcium has built up on the bottom of the heater making it impossible to heat anything. goodluck.

By: Thomas G

Thomas G — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:25:35 +0000

if gas you have a leak if electric you have 1 dead (broken) element. any build up would not stop you unit from heating with gas as your heat exchanger goes from the bottom all the way to the top. and if electric, your lowest element is not on the exact bottom of the tank. as for draining your tank who told you this a guy at a hardware store? if he (or she ) knows so much why aren’t they doing plumbing for 4 times the money. my gas water heater is 14 years old and i will have to drain it when i replace it. but not until. what would you do whe you open the drain valve and it won’t close again?

By: Brian A

Brian A — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:34:24 +0000

Since you know it has been running constantly I take it that it is a gas heater rather than an electric.
My first thought is that you have a leak. Do you have a crawlspace or basement where water leak unnoticed?

By: db667089

db667089 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:55:34 +0000

I’d say you have big time scale buildup in the tank which has covered the bottom element causing it to burn out. Right now you’re only operating on the top element. The bottom one is usually the first to go.

By: Denise M

Denise M — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:28:23 +0000

it sounds like the heating element has gone bad .you will need to replace it or it is turned up to high so you can lower it…hope this helps..

By: elsor321

elsor321 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:06:03 +0000

Possibly a bad thermocoupling

By: oldtimer

oldtimer — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:13:30 +0000

Only thing i can think of is, you may have a leak somewhere, but it would seem that a leak should be noticeable. But i Woolf look for one. You didn’t say what your power source is for the tank. Elect., gas or oil. Might help us to help you.