Why do we only have hot water for 5-6 min when we just installed a new 40 gal electric tank, purged it and still only for a short time. We turn the hot water on for a shower and after 5-6 min the water turns cold with only the hot water turned on? Any help would be greatly be appreciated...

Who installed it. You probably have a defective heating element.

The landlord he claims to be a plummer of sorts

Well you got water even if its not hot very long so he must have connected the pipes. I was asking to make sure that the electric was hooked up 220. Call him back, the unit probably has a defective heating element. Probably lower one.

It could be a defective system.

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Originally Posted by Pertinent

It could be a defective system.

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Well duh! I guess the system could be defective, Double duh!

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dpav98-- why do we only have hot water for 5-6 min when we just installed a new 40 gal electric tank, purged it and still only for a short time. We turn the hot water on for a shower and after 5-6 min the water turns cold with only the hot water turned on?

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If this were a older heater I would suppect the lower element, ( still coiuld be,) but with a new one I suspect whoever installed it put too much heat on the cold water inlet and melted the plastic flange on the dip tube allowing it to fall into the tank. Without the dip tube in place the water would be hot when you first made a draw, but as the hot water left the cold water entered. Without the dip tube to direct the cold water to the bottom of the tank,where it would be heated by the lower element, it mixes in with the hot water on toip cooling it down after a few minutes. I would open up the cold water inlet and check to see if the dip tube was in place I bet the heater was installed by your land lord instead of a licensed plumber. Did I win my bet?
Regards, Tom