Getting Your Hot Water Right
Hot water problems, whether it's running out, taking too long, or never getting properly hot, usually trace back to one of a handful of causes, and diagnosing the right one saves money on the wrong fix..
Hot water problems, whether it's running out, taking too long, or never getting properly hot, usually trace back to one of a handful of causes, and diagnosing the right one saves money on the wrong fix.
Running out too quickly
On a system with a cylinder, this points to cylinder size or coil condition; on a combi, it points to flow rate rather than storage.
Taking a long time to arrive at the tap
Long pipe runs from the heat source to a distant bathroom mean waiting longer for hot water to travel, which a secondary return or point-of-use heater can address.
Never quite hot enough
Thermostat settings, scaled heat exchangers, or a failing cylinder coil are the common culprits, and each needs a different fix.
Get your hot water diagnosed properly
Tell us exactly how the hot water is behaving and in which parts of the house, and we'll work out the actual cause.
Questions we get asked
Would a bigger cylinder fix running out?
Sometimes, but coil condition and recovery time matter as much as raw capacity, so it's worth checking both.
Why is only my upstairs bathroom affected?
Distance from the heat source or a partially closed valve on that branch are common causes of one outlet performing worse than others.
Could hard water be the cause?
Scale build-up on a heat exchanger or cylinder coil is a very common reason hot water performance declines gradually over time.