Plumbing Question

[kae006]

Wife and I are having a strange issue with our master bath tub and I’m looking for some advice. She likes to take baths (not gonna lie, I dig it sometimes too) but our master bath tub runs out of water before it’s even half full. It’s a deep and long tub so I figured our water heater was just undersized but yesterday she went to draw a bath and like normal she started complaining about the hot water running out before she had enough. I didn’t think much of it because it’s been that way since we bought this house last August but then I was surprised when I found the water from our kitchen sink was still super hot and I was able to fill several LARGE pots in it that I then finished filling her bath with. The house only has one water heater that we know of, so how is it possible that one faucet would run out before another? I was planning to add a secondary heater or go tankless but want to confirm there isn’t an underlying issue that wouldn’t be resolved by doing so first. The house is about 5,800 square feet (5,200 finished, not including safe room and storage space) and has one 50 gallon heater as seen in photo below. Water softener isn’t used presently so it could either be removed or relocated if needed.

[BertramBass]

One 50 gallon for a house that size is strange... How many baths?

[kae006]

Plumbing Question

One 50 gallon for a house that size is strange... How many baths?

3 full and one half

I agree 100%, but unless the other is hidden in a corner of the attic we haven’t been in, I don’t know where it would be.

It looks like the builder intentionally left space for a secondary heater next to the current one. The house was built in 1994 and obviously this water heater isn’t that old but I can’t imagine the previous owners taking one out and redoing the gas lines. I even texted the woman who used to own the house and she said she didn’t know of another heater anywhere.

[sideways]

The size of your house has nothing to do with your hot water consumption. It’s probably the diverter in the tub that is causing the issue.

[double bogey]

That space beside the water heater may be for a tank. Small pump to circulate water between the heater and tank, twice as much hot water.

But your issue sounds like the tempering valve built into your tub valve.

[Huntindad]

well... look at the size of the heater and the size of the bath tub... if the tub is a lot bigger than the heater, then yeah, you are gonna run out of hot water, at least till it it regens itself. Something to think about.

Unless you are saying the water just stops completely.

[kae006]

well... look at the size of the heater and the size of the bath tub... if the tub is a lot bigger than the heater, then yeah, you are gonna run out of hot water, at least till it it regens itself. Something to think about.

Unless you are saying the water just stops completely.

I understand that, and figured that was the issue up until I discovered the water at the kitchen sink was still scalding hot long after the tub goes cold.

[kae006]

The size of your house has nothing to do with your hot water consumption. It’s probably the diverter in the tub that is causing the issue.

It’s a stand alone tub, I could be wrong but diverter valves are on tub/shower combos, correct?

But your issue sounds like the tempering valve built into your tub valve.

It’s a single handle faucet but the master bath has been remodeled and it could definitely ha e a worn out tempering valve if it has one. I’ll take a look in the wife’s closet to see if there’s an access panel.

[Rubi513]

Interesting...
Yea that doesn’t make sense.
Have you checked other faucets besides kitchen sink after you ran out of hot water in the bath?

[BigThicketBoy]

Try filling the just hot water and see what happens.

It must be a poor life that achieves freedom from fear.

[kae006]

Interesting...
Yea that doesn’t make sense.
Have you checked other faucets besides kitchen sink after you ran out of hot water in the bath?

Honestly, no.

[kae006]

Try filling the just hot water and see what happens.

It must be a poor life that achieves freedom from fear.

Sorry, not sure what you mean.

[Rubi513]

It’s a stand alone tub, I could be wrong but diverter valves are on tub/shower combos, correct?




It’s a single handle faucet but the master bath has been remodeled and it could definitely ha e a worn out tempering valve if it has one. I’ll take a look in the wife’s closet to see if there’s an access panel.

There is an anti scalding device in some faucets that limits how much hot water comes out. They are adjustable. You may pull the knob off and check.

[Rubi513]

Honestly, no.

I had a house that had a small instahot just for the kitchen sink. Plugged into a standard 120v receptacle under the sink.

[tx_basser]

On my jacuzzi tub our 50gal heater runs out of water before it gets full. If I am gonna take a bath I have to plan it well ahead for it to reheat and top it off