I've been feeling like our hot water runs out way too quickly, and I'm trying to figure out if that's typical or if something's up with our water heater. Here's what went down today:
- We didn't use hot water for about 4 hours.
- I took a 25-minute shower with what I'd call 'normal' hot water (not super hot, but comfortable).
- After I finished, my boyfriend showered about 40 minutes later.
- He noticed that after about 8 minutes, the water started getting cooler, and by the 12-minute mark, it was pretty much cold.
We've also been noticing that the shower temperature seems to dip as I'm using it, requiring me to constantly adjust the handle hotter just a few minutes in.
Our water heater is a Giant Expert Plus 8, 40.5-gallon electric tank, with 3000W upper and lower elements. Is this normal for a tank this size, or could there be an issue with one of the elements or thermostats? We're tired of waiting ages between showers just to run out of hot water again, so I'd love some insight on whether this is expected or if it's something we can fix.
Additional info:
- It's a 2023 model (so almost brand new).
- The shower head has a flow rate of 9.5 L/min (about 2.5 GPM).
- We use well water, which might be colder than city water.
- The thermostat is set to 140°F (60°C).
2 Answers
Honestly, that's pretty much what I'd expect for a 25-minute shower using a 40-gallon water heater. You might want to consider turning the temperature up a bit if options allow, just to give yourself some extra time before the hot water runs out.
Your shower actually uses around 62.5 gallons for that 25-minute duration, so it’s understandable that the tank is struggling. With the 3000W heater, it might take a while to recover once it's empty, which is normal with electric heaters.
Yeah, no one is taking a shower at 140°F unless they want to feel like they're in a sauna!