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7 Surprising reasons your water is taking too long to heat

7 Surprising reasons your water is taking too long to heat

Many of us have been in a situation where we have stood at the tap while the water is taking too long to heat up to wash our hands, or we’ve stood shivering in the shower waiting for the water to turn hot. Water coming out of the tap cold at first is common, however, if you’re having to wait excessively long for your water to heat up, you may want to consider the reasons why this is.

It’s not only time consuming waiting around for cold water to run warm, but it can put a bit of a strain on your bills as well as wasting a lot of water. This guide will look over the reasons why your water is taking too long to heat up and some ways you can resolve the issue.

Distance from the water heater

When the water has a long way to travel from the water heater to your tap or shower, it will take longer to heat up than appliances that are closer to the water heater. If your water heater is in your basement, but your shower is on the top floor, it will take noticeably longer for the water to run warm.

Low volume restrictor

Also known as “water” or “flow” restrictors, these small barriers are often installed in plumbing fixtures to reduce water flow and help conserve water and energy. Whilst these mechanisms are beneficial in helping you save money and reduce water waste, they can result in a delay in how quickly your water is delivered to your taps.

If you’re already experiencing a long wait for your water to heat up due to the above, this can contribute to it taking even longer.

A build-up of sediment

There are lots of mineral impurities in our water and minerals such as calcium and magnesium can build up in your hot water tank. This tends to happen specifically where the gas burner or electric heating component is located. When a crusty layer forms over this part of the water heater, it affects the transfer of heat.

The tank then can’t produce hot water as quickly as it used to and this is one explanation as to why your water is taking too long to heat. Flushing your water heater is an effective way to purge some of the sediment. You can flush your water heater yourself, but it’s best to get a <a href=”https://alldayplumbing.com.au/”>professional plumber</a> in to do it for you to avoid any damage to your water heater or flooding.

Poorly insulated pipes

If your pipes are not sufficiently insulated then the water running through them will not be able to retain heat as well as it should. This can especially affect your pipes and hot water during winter. When your pipes are cold, your water heater has to work harder to ensure the water reaches a certain temperature.

Having a pipe sleeve installed can promote insulation in your pipes and ensure your water heats up quicker. You may even want to have a plumber install completely new pipes if your current ones are giving you problems.

Pipe size

The larger in diameter the pipes in your property are, the longer it will take for hot water to reach your shower or tap.

Small water heater

In contrast to having oversized pipes, having a water heater that is too small could be why your water is coming out of the taps cold for a long time. If you have an old water heater that was originally installed to accommodate fewer people than live in the house now, the heater may not be able to adequately keep up with demand. Hiring a professional plumber to install a larger water heater can help your water to heat up quicker.

Water is already in the pipes

This is the main reason why most people experience water is taking too long to heat when initially turning on the tap or shower. If your pipes are not supplying water anywhere, when taps and showers are off, then the water will sit in the pipes. Once you turn on the shower or tap, the water will immediately start flowing, however, this won’t be from your water heater.

The water that is delivered to your tap or shower first will be the cold water that has been sitting in your pipes. The warm water will come through once the still pipe water has been used and the water heater has fired up.

So Your Water is taking too long to Heat? Call a professional plumber in Sydney today

Is your water taking too long to heat in your home? Then contact an experienced and trained plumber to accurately diagnose the problem. All Day Plumbing can assess what’s causing your water to take so long to heat and advise the best solutions to fix it.