Luke warm temp from gas hot water heater

ballengerb1 · Jan 14, 2008, 10:00 AM

You may have lost your dip tube so the cold fresh water is entering the tank at the top right where the hot is drawn out. Dip tubes fail, did you get any white, hard specs of crud when you flushed the tank? That could be part of the dip tube.

Nytzsi · Jan 14, 2008, 10:13 AM

Someone flushed the tank for me, so I didn't see the contents exiting. Are dip tubes easily replaced?

ballengerb1 · Jan 14, 2008, 10:18 AM

Not too hard but a lot depends on how your cold supply is connected. You need to remove the incoming cold supply pipe to the heater. That pipe could be held by a sweat fitting, dielectric union, galvanized or whatever, it must be removed to install a new dip tube. When you draw hot water for a few minutes do you hear the nain burner fire up and the exhaust tube will get too hot to tough?

Nytzsi · Jan 14, 2008, 10:50 AM

My heater is roaring all the time, I don't notice any sound getting any louder when drawing hot water.
I did forget to mention that the exhaust passes through the wall in my bedroom on the second floor (over the water heater). Is it normal for that wall to be very hot? I noticed the wall was very hot about two weeks before the hot water went out. It is hot all the time, there is no cool down period noted.
No need to get too involved, there's no way I could do this myself. I'm sure I need to call a plumber, I just don't want to get ripped off because I am ignorant.

ballengerb1 · Jan 14, 2008, 12:03 PM

Nytzsi, if you hear roaring all the time and the exhaust is too hot to touch all the time I think you should shut down the gas supply. Something is very wrong if it never stops firing and this could become a safety issue. If you call a plumber try the yellow pages for your area and call a licensed plumber. Like any industry there may be a crook or two out there but most plumbers value their reputation and word of mouth referrals.

Nytzsi · Jan 14, 2008, 12:18 PM

Thank you for your help. I called the manufacturer and they had me turn off the cold water supply to see if the burner turns off once it heats the water that's already in the tank. I'm supposed to call back with the answer in about 30 minutes.
The whole thing freaks me out, my grandfather was actually killed by a hot water heater bursting.
Anyway... To clear up what sounded like me bashing your business... I live in las vegas - everyone is a crook in las vegas. I have a half-finished hard wood floor from a contractor I hired at a home show that never finished. I also have some very screwed up stamped concrete stairs in front of my house that were created by someone that was referred to me by a trusted friend that's a contractor.
By the way... Anyone know any good contractors of any type in Las Vegas?

ballengerb1 · Jan 14, 2008, 12:24 PM

I am sure I am not smarter than the manufacturer but I would not shut off that supply line and allow the heater to continue to operate. That water will expand, if the heater is actually heating, and if you do not have an expansion tank it will eventually blow oopen the PRV on the side of the tank. Did that roar sound stop when you shut off the gas supply? It should have if the sounds was the main burner flame. I better understand your situation in LV, I'd be leary too after what you have ben exposed to.

KISS · Jan 14, 2008, 12:48 PM

I don't like the sounds of this. Draining a little water from the bottom of the tank would be enough to determine whether or not the water is hot.

When you turn off the cold water supply there is no place for the colder water to expand to so your depending on the temperature and pressure relief valve to function. In general when the supply is turned off, you should open a hot water faucet even though nothing will come out.

The broken dip tube seems very plausable and it has to have a cause. Some causes are:
1) Not draining sediment from the tank monthly.
2) Not using Dialectric unions if there is galvanized to copper fittings near the tank.
3) The water requires a water softener so that sediment is not likely to preform
4) The sacrificial anode rod has been sacrificed. They are replaceable too.

Nytzsi · Jan 14, 2008, 02:01 PM

The tank eventually stopped firing when water heated up with no new cold being introduced. When I turned the cold input back on then hot water worked in the house, we'll see if it lasts past 50 gallons. My guess is no.
The GE Hot Water Heater Hotline was a complete bust. When completing their test I called back and they guy had no idea what I was talking about. When I asked to be transferred to the gal that was previously helping me he got fairly rude. He put me on hold for a long time, and then told me I needed to test the temperature with some thermometer I'm supposed to have handy. Well, I don't have one handy and he thought that was pretty ridiculous. I just told him I'd call back after I go buy one. I won't be calling back. If the water runs cold after 50 gallons I'll call a real plumber. Thanks guys for all your help.

Luke warm temp from gas hot water heater

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