Loosing Hot Water

[Deek222]

Seems like once every other week or so we wake up with no hot water. I have found a weird fix. If I go down to our laundry room (where the water heater is located) we have a utility sink in the room right next to the water heater. I will turn on the hot water on the utility sink and let it run for 5 seconds. I will usually hear some kind of "cough" and bingo, we get hot water back upstairs. What is causing this?

 

[Geofd]

we would need more info on your system how its heated if there is a return line maybe a picture of how its heated

 

[Deek222]

Electric 50gal tank. Of course the utility sink is the first tap from the hot water heater then the pipe runs into the ceiling and I’m not sure how it branches out from there to get to the bathrooms and kitchen. It is a rather old tank and I’m looking to update it soon but I’m trying to figure out if there is some blockage in the line that keeps coming or going.

 

[Geofd]

so are you saying your losing flow/pressure or temp....how old is rather old???????

 

[Mikey]

When you say "no hot water", do you mean water is flowing, but it's not hot, or no water is flowing?