The experience of a cold shower is one that many people relish. It is especially irksome when the problem develops in the middle of a shower while your hair is full of shampoo. A lack of suitably warm water defeats the essential purpose of a “hot “ shower.

There are a several reasons that your hot water heater is not delivering on its promise. Most are easily fixed by yourself or with a little plumbing help. Here are the most common problems and their solutions in order from simplest to most complicated to repair.

Faulty Thermostat or Thermocouple

Occasionally a thermostat will stop working properly. Many times a simple reset will recalibrate it and the problem will be solved. In other cases, the thermostat will need to be replaced. The thermocouple is the piece of equipment that does the actual reading of the temperature in the tank. They also occasionally stop working. Both items are inexpensive and very easy to replace. If you are not confident in your ability to perform these tasks, some plumbing help from your local professional plumbing company will see the problem resolved within an hour.

Unlit Pilot Light

In many older hot water heaters, a pilot light is kept burning to ignite the main burner when more hot water is required. Sometimes the gas line to the pilot can get clogged or interrupted and the pilot light will go out. Relighting it is a simple matter. The instructions are fairly simple but it is imperative that you follow them exactly. If unsure, please get some plumbing help from a neighbor or a local plumber.

Poorly Insulated Pipes

One other place where heat can be lost is in the pipes bringing the hot water to the faucet. If your pipes travel under the house or in the attic and are exposed to winter temperatures, they can lose a significant amount of heat during their passage through the pipes. If your hot water heater appears to be working properly, check your pipes for adequate insulation. This problem is also easily solved although reaching some of the pipes may prove problematical. You can certainly do it yourself but a little plumbing help from an experienced plumbing professional can sometimes save you time and money.

In conclusion, not have enough hot water is always nuisance. As long as your a bit handy, solving this plumbing problem should be simple using one of these plumbing fixes.