• Inconsistent hot water

    Mar.4.2010

    I have an 8-month-old Rheem tankless hot water heater using LP gas. When using the hot water for more than 2 minutes it will turn into cold water for a couple of minutes than back to hot. Hot is not staying hot for a very long.

    Tam, Fort Worth, TX

    The first thing I would check is the set temperature on the tankless hot water heater. Normally I get a call with this problem when the set point is too hot (115-plus degrees). What happens is as follows. People will turn on the hot water in the shower. After the water is hot, they adjust the cold until the temperature is comfortable. Many times they have to adjust so much cold into the line (because the hot water heater is set too high) that they go below the minimum flow rate needed to keep the hot water heater firing. Thus, the hot water heater in effect shuts off. (No fault of the hot water heater; it’s just too hot.) Then when the water gets uncomfortably cold, they turn the handle back toward hot. The water gets hot again so they adjust the handle back toward cold for a more comfortable water temperature. The whole scenario is repeated over and over. This is the problem 99 percent of the time! The solution is to lower the thermostat set point. A second possibility is to have your LP gas regulator checked to make sure there is a consistent flow. I suggest you contact a professional plumbing contractor, such as ARS/Rescue Rooter Ft. Worth at (817) 222-1211, to assist you with this problem.

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