I've noticed that during my showers, the water starts off at a comfortable temperature for the first 20 minutes, but after that, I find myself turning down the cold water until it's completely off. By the end of my showers, which I usually stretch to about 40 minutes because I have long curly hair, the water ends up warmish but not really comfortable anymore. Is what I'm experiencing normal? If it is, would taking a break by turning off the water for a bit help? Just to add, I'm renting and my water heater is gas, so I'm somewhat limited in what I can do to fix this situation. If it's just a minor issue, my landlord might not want to deal with it.
3 Answers
Yeah, it's kind of normal for showers to get colder after around 20 minutes, especially if you have a smaller hot water tank. You're probably just using up all the hot water, and it takes time for the heater to refill and heat up more. If you're okay with shorter showers, that might help! Also, trying a navy shower technique can save water and help maintain warmth without needing to leave the water running constantly.
Totally hear you! A lot of people take longer showers, and while it doesn’t seem ideal, sometimes it’s just your water heater doing its job. If possible, bumping the heater temperature up could give you more hot water without mixing as much cold in. Just keep in mind, hotter water might be risky if there are kiddos around. If everything else fails, taking a break mid-shower is actually a great suggestion!
40 minutes is definitely on the longer side for a shower! But if you need that time for your hair, I get it. If you haven't already, check the settings on your water heater — some you can adjust to get hotter water without cranking up the cold as much. And an adjustable showerhead can help — you can turn down the flow while you're soaping up. That might keep the steam in too!