I have recently installed a new electric hot water heater. I purchased the same model and replaced it without difficulty. However, after installing the new heater, I have noticed that the water takes longer to warm up and there is not as much water pressure in the faucets. Additionally, the 'cold in' water line where it connects to the heater is hot and the 'hot out' line is cold. At the faucet, the hot water is hot and the cold water is cold. The thermostats are set at about 125-130 degrees. Any ideas?

Double check your work to see if you didn't reverse the hot and cold inlets on the heater when you connected them. Regards, Tom

I hooked the unit up exactly as it was previously connected. If the lines were switched, would I still be getting hot from hot and cold from cold? The cold inlet pipe has the cutoff on it. Thanks for you help!

If the connections were reversed the cold water would enter the top of the tank where the hot water should be and you would draw hot water through the dip tube at the bottom where the cold water lives. I'm sorry but that sounds like what's happening. Either that or when you soldered the cold water inlet you put so much heat on the fitting it melted the flare on the plastic dip tube letting it fall into the heater and now you're inputting cold water directly into the hot water that you're drawing out. Regards, Tom

So, may the previous owner/builder have put the cutoff valve on the 'hot water' pipe leaving the heater instead of the cold water line running to the heater? Could the problem be that one of the flexible pipes is bent too much cutting down on the volume of hot water flowing out? I know I'm repeating myself here, but the pipe that is supposed to be the cold line in is warm to the touch and the line that is supposed to be the hot water out is cold to the touch. I'm going to try and attach a picture to this message. Thanks again for your 'speedy' replies!

Well thrifty, I just had a tenant tell me that their hot water wasn't hot.
I found their hot water tank pilot out.
I re-ignited, and like you, their incoming cold line is hot to touch.
Yes, it is marked cold on tank, and it is connected to the incoming cold line.
The outgoing hot line is warm (at best).
Yes, it is marked hot on the tank, so I know the lines aren't crossed.
I also know that the water in the tenants sink: the hot is hot, the cold is cold.

Like you, what I don't know is why?

I'm going to check a few units in my other building and see if this is common
For tanks or not. I know that a hot inlet can melt the plastic tubing, and so
Am worried about that. I don't know if there is also something that may have
Detected a hot inlet and turned off the pilot for protection? Too many
Questions at this point.

Cold lines coming out of the heater do get hot, especially if the heater has been setting without a draw. This is called convection and is a normal reaction to the hot water in the top of the tank. As a draw is made and cold water enters the tank the cold water line loses heat and becomes cold to the touch. Just thought I'd clear that up. Cheers, Tom

Speedbal1, your answer also is corroberated by another source of info. So, I'm feeling more confident that this is OK.

One quick question though... how much heat is too much? AKA... if the hot water is not used all day, is this really too much heat to be backing into/through the cold inlet, (assuming I am in the middle temperature setting of the setting wheel)? Thanks.