Not enough water

[Hoosierjtf]

I recently replaced the pressure relief valve and now the hot water runs out much faster. There seems to be only half the hot water as before. What may be causing this?

 

[ExtraMilePlumbing]

temperature and pressure relief valve?the one on the water heater?did you set it at the same temperature as when before?youre not confusing it with a pressure reducing valve right?need pics and more info

 

[Hoosierjtf]

Yes the temp/pressure relief valve. It is on the top, has a copper pipe attached down to the floor. It was leaking, now it's not after changing. I did turn the temp down because it was too hot. How can turning the temp down reduce the amount of hot water? We used to be able to fill the entire bath tube with hot water now only about half.

 

[ExtraMilePlumbing]

lol that's youre answer . if you have an old 40 gallon tank that you never flushed that 40 gallon becomes 30 gallon(space is filled up with sediment/broken dip tubes and cold water tube broken leading to only half the tank heating up ,I recommend flush it out,turn heat back up and if leak continues get yourself a new heater or replace gas control valve

 

[Hoosierjtf]

I'll try that. Thanks

 

[voletl]

You just said the reason.... you're running out of hot water because you turned down the temperature.

Believe it or not turning down water temperature reduces the amount of hot water you get.......

If you have your water heater set at a very high temperature the new water entering will mix with the very hot water and we'll still produce tempered water that requires less time and less energy to heat up giving you plenty of hot water or as lowering the temperature on your water heater the water in the tank now is warm somewhat but as you start using it and new cold water enters all that water becomes tempted or cool and takes a lot longer and a lot more energy to heat up and now gives you no hot water if you want to go back to filling up a bathtub with hot water....turn that temperature back up or replace the water heater with one with a better re overy time.

 

[Jamesplumbing06]

So did you turn both thermostats to new temp? Top and bottom. Tiny bit higher on bottom.

 

[Diehard]

So did you turn both thermostats to new temp? Top and bottom. Tiny bit higher on bottom.

Thought they say tiny bit higher on top.???????

 

[Jamesplumbing06]

I think of it as if bottom chamber is warmer then heat rises. So it helps keep the top chamber satisfied. And when the cold water shoots to bottom to push the top out. The bottom mixing chamber begins hotter so helps keep it even temp and as the bottom chamber cools down. The bottom element begins the cycle. So why not start higher on bottom. Less likely to have cold drift down and cause bottom one to reheat causing hot spots. This does work your bottom element more. But when it pops you still have hot water for half the time. If you over work your top element then when it pops you got nothing. They are going to burn out. I want my bottom one out first. The wife can shower and get gone then I can fix it. And state says to not let top thermostat be set higher than lower

 

[Jamesplumbing06]

Lockinvar too. Really just shooting from the hip. But kinda like it when a book backs up

 

[Jamesplumbing06]

Y

 

[Jamesplumbing06]

O my. Youtube idiots are the “they” you speak of. They think hot water sinks down to warm the bottom chamber too. Lol you tube and head thumping daddys are the hardest to reverse their logic.

 

[Diehard]

Yeah...I looked at two YouTube videos and they both said the same thing. I believe the logic was that heat rises from the lower element adding to the upper. I can understand that, however, like you pointed out I think it makes a lot of sense to hit that cold water as it's entering the bottom.
Yes I have much more confidence with information received from the manufacturers.