Every single tap, tub, you name it in my house does not disperse hot water. I checked my water heater and it is plenty hot, but the water for some reason isn't making it to where I want it. So for the time being I turned off the water heater to at least saving on the heating. When I had it running, sometimes I would have 2-3 seconds of hot water before it became crazy cold. Why is this happening and what can I do to fix this? I am really low on cash and don't have extra money to hire a plumber to come fix this.

Also, I'm a little scared to turn on my water heater again. Lots of warning signs of this and that are scaring me away. Any tips on turning it on safely?

Thanks

Hi Tinkie,
Tell me more about your water heater. Gas or electric? How Old is it? What brand is it? Does it have heat trap nipples installed in the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet? Do you flush your heater on a regular maintenance
Schedule?: Back to you, Tom

Hey guys:

Sounds like your dip tube may be defective... see pics. Below. The dip tube is under the cold water nipple

Answer all of Tom's questions...see what we can do from there... Mark

Hi Tinkie,
Tell me more about your water heater. Gas or electric? How Old is it? What brand is it? Does it have heat trap nipples installed in the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet? Do you flush your heater on a regular maintenance
schedule?: Back to you, Tom

It is a gas water heater. Looks like its called a "guardian system". It has 1 hot and 1 cold nipple. I was not aware that you needed to flush a water heater, let alone do it on a regular schedule.

Now I had my girlfriend get my sink clogged because she threw up and I had a dishwasher installed and working properly 3 months ago. Would these things have any affect on my hot water situation?

Thank you for the replies so far guys

NO.. none of those things would affect your water heater.

And, yes, you want to power flush your water heater every month or so. ANd since it is the easiest to try first:

Hook hose onto the boiler drain at the bottom of the water heater (other end runs outside) and LEAVING THE WATER ON FULL, open the boiler drain and let powerflush for 5 minutes or so. Initially, you should see some brown water/stuff, then may begin to see a more solid buildup of sediment coming out hose end. After 5 minutes, shut boiler drain... allow some time for water temp. to build back up (1 hour or so), then run the hot water and see if that improved things... if it did, want to do this once a month or so... it will increase the life of your water heater (if boiler drain leaks after this may need to get a brass hose cap with washer to cap boiler drain... available at all home supply stores.

If that did not do it.. then I am willing to bet that the DIP TUBE (see pic. In last post) is defective. Here, want to shut cold water off to water heater using cold water shutoff just above the water heater, set gas thermostat to pilot setting, open a single hot water faucet (don't open mixing valves, like single handle shower valve), and drain about 5 gallons of water off at the boiler drain.

Then will need to cut the copper tubing BELOW the cold water shutoff and remove the cut tubing, adapter and 3/4" dielelectric nipple (see pic.). Then reach inside the cold water tapping with a pair of neddlenose pliers and remove (pull up) on the blueish dip tube ...also want to remove the tapered washer present. You want to observe this dip tube...if it is short, cracked, has a split seam near the top, or in fact is not even present...then needs to be replaced. Almost all home supply houses carry a universal dip tube WITH TAPERED WASHER

When get new dip tube with tapered washer home you want to cut it to the right length...here, put dip tube into cold tapping and then when it hits bottom of tank measure distance still sticking out (let's say 6") and then will want to remove another 6", so you would cut 12" off overall with a hacksaw... that make sense? The point is that you want finished dip tube to be about 6 inches off the bottom of the water heater.

Now, install diptube WITH WASHER around the collar (making sure you pulled old washer out), install a new 3/4" dielectric nipple (wrap 6-7 threads with 1/2" wide teflon tape, clockwise each end of nipple), install the old copper adapter and either solder a new 1/2" or 3/4" copper coupling to join the pipes back together... or if don't want to solder can alos join the pipe back together using a SHARKBITE type fitting (or similar... see pic.)... just pushes on to connect each end... sold at all plumbing supply houses and some home supply stores.

Then would want to shut the valve you opened earlier, turn water back on to water heater, open TUB or LAUNDRY SINK hot water and purge air from tank, then open all hot water valves (even mixing valves) and finish clearing air from system. Then turn gas thermostat back to original setting. Wait an hour or so.. and see if things improved.

If this has not scared you away and still want to do this by yourself... I would also recommend that you remove the heat trap nipple at the hot water outlet of the tank. If done at same time as changing out diptube and replacing cold nipple, will barely increase the job... just get two dielectric nipples (without heat traps) and two sharkbite type couplings to join all back together... THE BALL IN THE HEAT TRAP COULD BE STUCK AND ALSO CAUSING THIS ISSUE.

If none of that worked, then could be that the gas burner assembly is defective... but let's not worry about that. I have only had 1 guardian water heater have defective burner assembly or defective thermostat twice in 26 years of working with them... Just wanted you to know there is still more that could be wrong!

I have advised you in the steps I would take to repair this. It really does sound like the dip tube or the heat trap nipples...so try this first!!

OR call a plumber in... ;) Especially if you are unsure about lighting the pilot.

massplumber2008, before I take on the steps you suggested... it seems like there could be a number of things not working with the water heater if I understood you correctly. Anything from the nipples to the rods etc...
If this is correct and I am paying to rent my water heater, shouldn't the company I am renting this unit from be responsible for repairing or replacing this water heater?
I had a service guy from the gas company come check out my heater. He felt the hot tube and said "yup, its hot. You"re going to need to call a plumber, your water heater works fine." I thought there was something wrong with the pipes aside from the water heater. Does any of this make sense? :)
Thanks for the extremely detailed list of solutions. I will tackle them if this isn't the gas company's responsibility.

What do you think?

Well... yes... I should say so..?

Just need to show the service guy that you run out of water as fast as you suggested here!

A 40 gallon gas water heater should give you about 65 gallons of hot water the first hour (includes 25 gallon recovery). After that there is a 25 gallon recovery/hour...

So should not be hard to demostrate loss of hot water.

And now you are informed enough to discuss it with him.. all the way from the dip tube (my guess) to the heat trap nipples... (it will not have anything to do with the anode rod.. and if renting, don't worry about the rod).

Let me know what happens... Mark