I've noticed that the hot water in my house comes out dangerously hot right away, which I have to warn guests about. I've had a few incidents where visitors burned themselves because they didn't heed my warnings. One guy even screamed from the heat! On top of that, my hot showers only last for about 4 to 5 minutes before turning cold, which is really frustrating because I'm used to longer showers. I'm concerned about the safety of my guests, especially kids, given how immediately scalding the water is. Since I moved in a month ago and the previous tenant neglected repairs, I'm looking for advice on what might be wrong with the water heater.
4 Answers
Are you renting? If so, you might want to reach out to your landlord. They should be responsible for fixing things like that, especially when it poses a safety issue.
Have you thought about adjusting the temperature on your water heater? Most of them have a dial or setting that you can tweak to make sure the water isn’t dangerously hot right out of the tap. It's a quick fix that could help prevent burns for guests.
I've heard some houses have issues when the water pipes run through really hot areas like attics, like my brother’s place in Texas. It can cause surprises with cold and hot water. Just make sure to check that out too!
It could be that your water heater is full of sediment, or maybe one of the heating elements has burnt out. Both can affect water temperature and supply, so you might want to get a professional in to check it out. Good luck!