Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing - Advice, Discussion and Tips from ARS®/Rescue Rooter®. Welcome to the ARS/Rescue Rooter Home Connect, your online resource center for information, answers and interactive advice about air conditioning, heating, plumbing and drain maintenance. As part of our commitment to providing exceptional service, we created the ARS/Rescue Rooter Home Connect to be a useful tool with many helpful ways to find what you need.
I have a 68-gallon gas water heater. My shower head is a bit bigger than normal, but nothing insanely big. I’m only getting 15 to 25 minutes hot/warm water in the shower. If no other water is being used shouldn’t I get like 30 to 45 minutes of hot/warm water? My dad’s house has a little bit smaller water heater (also gas) and it lasts 30 to 45 minutes easy. Do I need a new water heater?
Hot water heaters vary widely in their efficiency at delivery of hot water. Sediment buildup inside the tank is the most common reason for a water heater to become less efficient. Another common problem is that the anode rod needs to be replaced. I suggest having these two items checked first before replacing the water heater. The sediment in the tank takes up space needed for hot water storage; consequently, there’s less hot water to deliver on demand. The anode rod is designed to protect the water heater from building up too much sediment and also to prevent it from rusting out. A good rule of thumb when working on hot water heaters is to never spend on repair more than half of the cost of replacing the hot water heater. If it is out of warranty then I recommend that you replace it. You may want to consider upgrading to a high efficiency water heater. A professional plumbing contractor will be glad to assist you with hot water heater troubleshooting.
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Bob Soappman I started heating and air conditioning in the U.S. Army doing field repairs on refrigeration systems
Curt Gandy I am married with 3 children. I enjoy golfing, watching Chargers football, and spending time with my family...
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