If your family is continually bickering about hot water and that hot water can’t be relied on to be there at all times, it may be time to make some modifications around the house. With a few easy repairs and renovations, you can guarantee that everyone in your house has hot water when it is most required. Read on to find out more.
Check For Leaks
If your house doesn’t have an appropriate supply of hot water, one of the first things you should do is inspect your whole property for any signs of leaks. Water stains, musty smells, peeling paint, and mold patches are some of the most frequent indicators of a plumbing leak, and if you see any of these – especially if they weren’t there before – this could be the reason that you’re running out of hot water; your water is literally draining away before you can even use it.
You should also keep a watch on your water bill to see if there are any significant variations from one month to the next. Assuming you have a water meter, and you pay monthly, you should be able to see if there are any problems quite quickly. The next step is to get a plumber to fix the problem before it gets any worse. Once you know about it, don’t leave it.
Insulate Your Pipes
Even if you intend on making additional improvements to your house, you may still want to insulate all of your exposed pipes. If you live in a location that experiences cold conditions on a regular basis, this sort of project is essential. Fortunately, you can use foam tubes and tape to insulate most pipelines.
Why is insulating your pipes so crucial if you want to maintain enough hot water in your home? The fact is that when the pipes get cold, the water within them will get cold too. So even if you are getting plenty of hot water from your tank, you might find that by the time it gets to the shower or tub, it’s no longer as hot, and in extreme conditions, it might be cold. Insulate the pipes, and this won’t be an issue any longer.
Check Your Water Pump
Another issue could be your water pump. There are many different water pump problems and solutions to consider, but the one that might be affecting the amount of hot water you have is an irregular cycle.
A water pump’s job is to take water from one place to another by increasing the pressure within the pipework. If the pump’s cycles are irregular, you might find that you’re not getting enough water into your tank, and therefore you don’t have enough water – hot or cold – for everyone to use. It’s best to get an expert to reset your water pump if you’re not sure how to do it, but once it’s done, you’ll have plenty of water once again.
Switch To High-Efficiency Appliances
It’s possible that your appliances are draining a lot of your hot water, and older equipment is typically inefficient in general. Each model is unique, however, these devices often need to be updated every fifteen years or so. It’s a good idea to look for high-efficiency versions when you’re in the market for new appliances. A few years from now, these devices might pay for themselves, and at the very least, they can help to ensure you have enough hot water for the whole family.
