Why Am I Not Getting Hot Water From My Tankless Water Heater? 3 Surprising Problems!

Has it crossed your mind, “why am I not getting hot water from my tankless water heater”? You might be using your heater to its maximum output. An overused water heater may be acting up and may cause malfunction. You might want to consider lessening the time using it.

You are probably wondering if your water heater is not working correctly as it should be. I also had that challenging time when I did not know what to do. Luckily, after scrolling through the internet for the possible problems, I have found the three most common issues a water heater faces.

why am I not getting hot water from my tankless water heater

So if your tankless water heater is giving you headaches, one of these might be the reason for that. So if you want to reduce the headache and are excited to learn why this type of water heater is not working accordingly, read up until the end of this article. So without further ado, let us get started!

 

Tankless Water Heater

These water heaters are also known as demand-type water heaters since they can provide hot water as needed. Compared to other water heaters, this kind doesn’t produce standby energies as used with heaters that have storage tanks attached to them. So, the water heater is a good choice for budget-saving and energy-saving purposes.

 

Problems In Tankless Water Heaters

Now, there may be times when your water heater gives you problems. You might be wondering if the heater is broken or something. Well, everybody has their share of worries as well as I do. I have here three most common problems you might also be facing with your water heater.

 

Problem #1. Coldwater sandwich

Now we aren’t going to eat a cold water sandwich – what is that even? The term “cold water sandwich” is what we call when your water heater goes hot, then out, then hot again, and vice versa. The interchanging of temperature that makes the heater run hot then cold is usually because there is something wrong with the heat exchanger.

Before the water heats up, you may get a gist of a cold one, then back to a warm one when the heater gets charged up. Although where could the initial release of the warm water hide? Usually, the warm water is left in the faucet of the appliance from the last hot water run. Though how will you solve this problem?

You have to consult a professional on this matter. Seek their advice if you should get a mini-tank water heater to work with your water heater. This small tank heater will provide you with warm water while this water heater is still heating up. Doing so will prevent the sudden release of cold water and cut down your waiting time for the warm water to come. Find out why does my tankless water heater go cold

 

Problem #2. No hot water

You might be asking yourself, ‘Why am I not getting hot water from my tankless water heater?’. Well, you’re probably overworking your water heater. Whether you’re using a gas or electric unit, the very reason for this problem is the unit’s overloading.

Since this type of water heater will just supply the only warm water as needed, running many hot water appliances together with it may result in the heater lagging, and it just won’t keep up the pace. Using one hot water appliance at a time may be a good idea.

These overworking situations may include using the dishwasher while showering or washing your hands using warm water. You could either get the warm water during the shower or washing hands or in the dishwasher but neither simultaneously. Although not getting warm water out is a whole other problem. The heater might be plugged in the heat exchanger of the water because of the hard water. To know more about this hard water, read why Arizona’s hard water secretly makes your life harder (and what you can do about it). Another reason is your heater’s vent may be blocked, gas or supply issues, broken flame rod, or the burners are already soiled up.

So, how will you solve this problem? I’ve mentioned one way of solving this before: running one hot water appliance at a time. Do not use other hot water appliances aside from the one you’re currently using. Make sure that you’ve paid the gas bill, then check if there are elements that may cover your heater’s vent. If your water heater is gas-powered, ensure that the feeding valve is open or turned ON. If it doesn’t solve the problem, schedule regular maintenance to fix or prevent any other tank problems.

 

Problem #3. Shutting off during showers

If you also faced this problem, you probably have older models or tankless water heater units. Since you have older models, the minimum flow rate for your heater may be placed too high. These heaters have a flow rate that enables the safety feature of your heater. Usually, the heater shuts its power off when the flow rate is running under its minimum where there is not enough water for the heat exchanger. The safety feature will prevent the unit from overheating. So you probably need to upgrade your team or replace it with a new one with ½ to ¾ Gpm or lower.

 

It’s A Wrap!

I’m sure you have encountered one of these problems, and I hope that this article helped you solve the question ‘Why am I not getting hot water from my tankless water heater?’ in your head. Remember that to solve a problem, and you first need to find the reason and the perfect solution to your situation. You may also be interested to know about how to clean tankless water heater.

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