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Are you frustrated with how inconsistent the hot water temperature is when you use the faucets and showers in your home? Having inconsistent hot water in your house can be incredibly irritating and inconvenient. To help you figure out what may be causing your house’s erratic hot water temperatures, we’ve put together a list of common issues that can result in the hot water temperatures throughout a home being inconsistent.

Common Causes of Inconsistent Hot Water in a Home

Inconsistent hot water in a home can be caused by a variety of factors, from the age and quality of the home’s plumbing system to issues with the water heater. The following are a few of the most common reasons a home can have inconsistent hot water:

• Problems with your hot water heater. If you're experiencing inconsistent hot water in your home, there are a few key areas to examine when it comes to your hot water heater. First, check the thermostat and temperature setting. Be sure that there is no sediment buildup in the tank of your hot water heater, as it could be limiting the amount of hot water available. You'll also want to examine any valves or connections leading from the heater to see if they are clogged or blocked in some way. Taking these steps will help identify potential problems with your hot water heater and can go a long way towards restoring consistent hot water throughout your home.
• Problems with the size of your water heater. When choosing a water heater, it’s best to pick one that matches the size of your house. This is because when a water heater is too small for your home, it can lead to inconsistent hot water throughout your house.
• Problems with your dip tube. The dip tube is a part of your water heater’s tank. The dip tube is responsible for bringing cold water into the tank from the water line, but when it's cracked, broken, or otherwise damaged, that cold water can leak out and mix with the hot water, lowering the temperature.
• Problems with pipes. Did you know that the size of the pipes in your house could be the culprit behind uneven hot water temperatures in your home? A main water supply line feeds your home. Smaller pipes branch off from the main line and feed water to rooms in your house, like your kitchens and bathrooms. If those smaller pipes are too narrow, your hot water demands may become too much for them to handle, resulting in fluctuating hot water temperatures.
• Problems with appliances. If your hot water temperature is fluctuating, any of your home’s appliances that use water, such as your washing machine or dishwasher, may be to blame. One way you can figure out if that’s the case is to run two appliances that require water simultaneously and see if the water temperature in your home begins to fluctuate. If it does, it's likely that your hot water tank is not up to par. It simply can't keep up with the demands of a busy household and may need to be replaced.
• Problems with valves. In some cases, your plumbing system’s valves may not have been designed to handle how much hot water is used in modern homes. Plus, if your valves are old, even if they were designed to handle modern hot water usage, they’re still prone to failing to properly control water temperature as they age. In other instances, the valve may be faulty. For example, if one person is taking a hot shower and the water in the shower turns cold when someone else flushes the toilet, this could be the sign of a faulty pressure-balancing valve.
• Problems with temperature knob. While this is unlikely to be the case, in some instances, the answer to this problem could be simple. It could be that the temperature knob on a faucet or shower was installed incorrectly. If this happened, it could result in cold water being dispensed when the temperature knob is set to hot and vice versa.

To learn more about what to do if the hot water in your home is inconsistent, call Blazer Heating, Air, and Plumbing at (804) 277-2458 or contact us online today. We offer specials and financing. For more information about Blazer Heating, Air, and Plumbing, read our customers’ reviews.