Installation Guide

Electric Mini Tank Water Heater • 17
Insuffi cient Hot Water or
Slow Hot Water
Recovery
WARNING! Be sure all covers are secured
to reduce the risk of fi re and electric shock.
WARNING! Because of the increased risk
from scalding, if you set the water heater’s
thermostat(s) higher than 120°F, Thermo-
sta c Mixing Valves at each point-of-use are
par cularly important (page 4).
If the hot water is simply not warm enough,
there are several possible causes:
• Faulty Thermostatic Mixing Valve in a faucet
or shower control (check other faucets in
the house for hot water)
• Thermostat set too low
• Water heater’s capacity too small (or usage
too high)
• Reversed plumbing connections or melted
dip tube (usually found soon after new
installation)
• Plumbing leak
• Bad element
• Low supply voltage
Thermosta c Mixing Valves. If the hot water
is simply not warm enough, make sure the
faucet you are checking doesn’t have a defec-
 ve Thermosta c Mixing Valve. Many shower
controls now have built-in mixing valves. If
these devices fail, they can reduce the amount
of hot water the shower or faucet delivers
even though there is plenty of hot water in the
tank. Always check the water temperature at
several faucets to make sure the problem is
not in a faucet or shower control.
Thermostats set too low. If the water tem-
perature is too cool, adjust the thermostat by
turning dial clockwise for a higher tempera-
ture.
Undersized water heater. If your water heater
runs out of hot water too quickly, it may be
too small for your needs. If the water heater is
old, consider replacing it with a larger model. If
the water heater is in good condi on, you may
be able to meet your family’s hot water needs
with the exis ng water heater by installing
Thermosta c Mixing Valves at each point-of-
use and then turning the thermostat(s) to a
higher se ng. See “Step 10” on page 14.
You can also reduce your home’s hot water
needs by washing clothes in cold water, install-
ing fl ow restrictors on shower heads, repairing
leaky faucets, and taking other conserva on
steps.
Reversed connec ons. Check the hot and
cold connec ons and make sure your home’s
hot water pipe is connected to the hot water
outlet on the water heater. Usually, reversed
connec ons are found soon a er the installa-
 on of a new unit.
Plumbing leak. Even a small leak in the hot
water side of the home’s plumbing system
can make it appear that the water heater is
producing li le to no hot water. Locate and
repair the leak.
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