I'm at my Mom's in Florida and she has a problem with the hot water. It comes and goes when it feels like it. I had none last night so I went and felt the outlet pipe from the water heater and it was hot. This morning she had hot water. Its been going on and off for about 3 days, since I've been here pretty much. I opened the drain on the tank and the water comes out clean. I was thinking air pocket, but I never get any air out of the faucets. Any ideas. The pipes look like they're inside the walls. Thanx

Do you mean sometimes its hot, sometimes cold?
Or no water comes out (on-off)?

DOes the cold behave the same way?
On wellwater?

Sometimes hot, sometimes cold, plenty of water all the time

I think if you fly me down I can take a look at it,

Look in the piping close to the heater and see it there is a tempering valve if there is it could be the element, does the hot water come out of a hot water heater or a boiler, if it is electric HWH some times the bottom heating element of thermostat. you will need a electrical tester with a continuity tester on it to find out.

Assuming its electric, It could be low voltage to the coils, if the area has huge draw from ACs.

If not, its the heater itself. You can replace the heating elements, but more often its easier to just replace the whole heater.

If the heater is working and the water is always hot, but not hot to the faucet, look for a tempering valve after the hot water feed. (it mixes hot with some cold) it will have hot and cold sater pipes going into it, and one feed going to the house, it might have a black knob on it,. If its messed up it may not be controllling the mix. Keep looking......

OK, it's an electric hot water heater, I don't see a tempering valve but the hot water heater is in the garage and the pipes go directly into the wall. There is no basement,slab, so hopefully the pipes go into the attic, I'll look.

I think if you fly me down I can take a look at it,


Deal BOB, it's 93 deg. and sunny.:p

If it is electric most likely it does not have a tempering valve, I would go out to Radio Shack and buy a 15 dollar tester and check the continuity to the two elements, 1) turn off power 2) remove the front cover/s 3) you will see 2 thermostats and behind them a large hex nut thats the element remove the 2 wires 4) Check the continuity to the elements if it doesn't ring the circut is broken and needs replacing. most likely it will be the bottom one.

Now to replace them you should drain the heater, then hit a true value store and on the side of the elements will be numbers you need to match them up, after it is drianed remove elements by unscrewing like a big nut. very easy to do. you can try to do it "on the fly" which means take the pressure off the tank and just go for it as long as no one opens a fauct it will let a little water out but will save time. do both elements if you need help I can PM you my number let me know

Bob, if it was an element problem, would the out pipe still be hot like it is?

if it is the bottom element it would, what is happening is only half the tank is heating. the bottom element is the main heating element and the top is the slave, it will run out fast and will take forever to catch up

Oh and after your done with the tester return it

f-18.......the heating coil looks like a big U...sometimes when you have iron etc. in the water, it builds a bridge conecting the two rods and shorts out the heating wire..thats why you need to test the heating elements.


if you find one gone change them both.

OK, its a GE electric 50 gallon tank,it has 2 elements, one up and one down. I drained the tank and got hot water but not super hand burning hot, and it didn't last long, maybe 5 gallons or so. I gotta find a meter to test the elements.
Bod, what should it ohm out at?

if you have the tank already drained...you may as well unscrew them from the tank//////after the breaker is off////// take a look at them...if their all eaten up or look all rusted,,,replace them.

if you have the tank already drained...you may as well unscrew them from the tank//////after the breaker is off////// take a look at them...if their all eaten up or look all rusted,,,replace them.
OK, Thanx, doin it now. After I change my shirt for the 4th time today, man its humid......

If you drained the tank without turning off the breaker the elements are most likely ruined now.........

If you drained the tank without turning off the breaker the elements are most likely ruined now.........
Nope, turned off b4 I did anything.

Clammer impersonates a plumber sometimes.... :hihi: :tooth:

Nope, turned off b4 I did anything.

How did everything work out?

Clammer impersonates a plumber sometimes.... :hihi: :tooth:

Maybe a Carpenter but never a Plumber