Can anyone help me with this problem? I and my suite downstairs have a problem of having to run the water for a really long time before the hot water flows out. We are wasting so much water while waiting for hot water. sometimes it even starts out luke warm then goes cold and then finally hot. We always have to ensure we run the hot water til really hot before we use the dishwasher (low water). Is there anything I can do? Our hot water tanks are right beside my kitchen so the water doesn't have far to flow.

thanks, d

labman

That doesn't make sense. I fight the same problem, but my hot water heater is out in the garage, and a long way from where most of the water usage's is. You might study the piping layout. the luke warm, cold, hot may be due to where the pipes run. Insulating the pipes may help. If you can keep it luke warm, it is at least good enough for washing your hands.

speedball1

If the heater's been checked and found OK then the answer would be to run a 1/2" recirculating line and pump. But your complaint has me confused. A heater in the next room and you have to wait for hot water? Have you checked for a crossconnection in one of your,( Or your downstairs units) single handled faucets? Why are two units hooked up to one water heater anyhow? I live in Florida where most of our heaters are out in the garage, The longest run is where you need hot water the most. The master bathroom. We have installed 30 gallon "kicker heaters in series with the hot line or circulating pumps to fix this problem. Did this problem just start or has it been ongoing from the start? Check for a crossconnectrion and get back to us. Happy New Year, Tom

brajcich@shaw.ca

thank you for the quick replies. It is odd that we have the water heaters in the laundry room next door but I think that is because we have such a large house that they put two inside the house, one for adequate water and two, for closeness to our needs. It is baffling that the tanks are in the room next to the kitchen and we have to run the water so long. Would turning up the water temperature change anything? Do you think that the pipes are not insulated and so the hot water that is flowing when shut off just sits and cools off quickly. I don't know and I would like to know as much as possible before I call a plumber.

speedball1

Whoa!! Two more water heaters that we wern't informed of ? Three Water heaters total. One main heater and two "kicker" heaters? Unless you can tell us what heater supplies what, a specific complaint on each one and if there are uninsulated pipes exposed to the elements, plus the piping arrangment we can't be of much help. I would suggest that you have the elements in all your heaters checked and insulate any exposed hot water pipes. This is why WE NEED ALL THE PERTINENT INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN GIVE so we know what we're dealing with. We're back to square one. Let's startb all over again. This time let's have all the info at one time. Happy New Year, Tom

brajcich@shaw.ca

Whoa yourself. Sorry you felt you needed to make a point at my expense for no reason. At no time did I say there were three. Were you assuming that we have one in the garage as well? I can find nowhere where I state we have three and have clearly stated that we have two in each of my postings. Sooo... as to HAVING THE PERTINENT INFORmaTION you had it, as to being at square one - not true. So if we can get beyond the misinterpretation I still would love to know the factors I should look at. Most people with this problem have the tanks quite far from their need but that is not my case as I have said.

thanks, hap new year

labman

Have you tried tracing the pipes to make sure they follow a fairly short, logical route? It may not be easy if they are hidden in the walls. The hot water heater may have been moved or not put where originally planned, leaving something dumb like the hot water running to where the tank originally was and back.

speedball1

Sorry if you took offense. Let's look at this again. Why did I take it that you had three heaters? I dunno! Perhaps it's because you said, "one for adequate water and two, for closeness to our needs. " and I just added 0ne and two and came up with three.
Having cleared that up you might want to consider repiping the heaters if you can't track the present lines. If this has been a ongoing problem from the begining this might be your only option. In my book I can see three situitions that would cause your problem.
(1) One heater has one or both elements burned out and you're drawing off only one heater.
(2) You have a crossconnection between hot and cold in one of your single handled faucets.
(3) The heaters have been mispiped so that the runs are so long the water lays in the pipes and cools off. When you make a draw you have to run all of the cool water out before it starts to get hot.
My bet's on door number three.
After reading your post I see what you were trying to say. I apoligize for getting salty with you but do you have any idea how many times we are asked to fix a problem and aren't given enough information to even begain addressing it?
Wanna kiss an make up!! Tom