There’s nothing quite like getting into a warm shower to start off your morning on a high note. In the evenings, running a warm bath is the best way to unwind and relax at the end of a stressful day. But if you find the water in your shower is turning cold after just a few minutes, then it could really put a damper on your mood and your overall bathroom experience. And you’re probably wondering what could possibly cause such an inconvenient and uncomfortable issue. Believe it or not, this is actually a pretty common concern in a lot of households. Here are several reasons why the water in your shower turns cold.
Your tank doesn’t have enough hot water
If you’re typing “Why is my shower water cold?” into your favorite search engine, you’ll find that the most common reason is the fact that your water heater has run out of hot water. This is a typical occurrence if you have a large household. Maybe you have a large family and your water heater simply cannot accommodate the number of people in your home utilizing hot water. The average dishwasher will use six gallons of water, while the average washing machine uses seven. Showers typically involve 10 gallons of water. Some homes use a water heater with a tank, while others might have a tankless heater. Each one will have different capacities, and it’s important to choose the right one depending on the number of people living in your home and the volume in which you’ll need to wash clothes or dishes. Some people simply forgo hot cycles and stick to cold washes so that they don’t need to use as much hot water.
The showerhead mixer valve in your bathroom is broken
A showerhead mixer valve is exactly as it sounds. It allows you to mix hot and cold water together so that you can get exactly the right water temperature for your shower. If it’s broken, then you’ll have difficulty adding enough hot water to reach your desired temperature. When it’s faulty, it may even add hot water a little bit at a time or sporadically rather than consistently. It won’t be able to retain the temperature for a long period of time. If this is the issue, then a professional plumber can easily replace the mixer valve. It doesn’t take much, and you’ll have your shower functioning at its best in just a few minutes.
Your water heater temperature is incorrect
Every water heater has settings that allow it to choose the temperature of the water. A lot of the time, it will be set to 120 degrees. And in some occasions, it may be turned down accidentally. Call a plumber to see if the settings on your water heater are correct.
There is an issue with your water heater
If the settings on your heater are correct, the showerhead mixer valve is working fine, and there aren’t a lot of people in your home, then there may be something wrong with your actual water heater. Gas heaters might have gas line issues, or perhaps the burner isn’t working properly. You could potentially have a gas leak or a burned-out pilot light. If you have an electric heater, it may be a circuit breaker issue. Or perhaps the high-temperature cutoff switch was tripped. You’ll want to have a professional take a look at it and see whether your water heater is broken or defective. It could even be the heating elements.
There are several reasons why your shower water turns cold quickly. The best way to find out is to have a professional technician inspect your shower and water heater.
Read More: