Quite simply, a water heater’s recovery rate is the total amount of time you’ll need to wait to have a hot shower after the individual before you consumed the heater’s whole heater capacity. Not all factors influencing recovery period are malfunctions which may be repaired. For instance, a gas-fired heater with substandard British thermal unit output to heat water quickly enough for family need must just be replaced with a correctly sized unit. Two common causes of slow recovery may be fixable, however, based on the age of the heater.

Sediment Accumulation

Sediment within the heater tank happens as minerals in the water supply solidify and sink to the bottom. Over time, the thickening layer of sediment insulates tank water in the heat of the burner flame beneath. The burner takes longer to raise the water temperature to the thermostat setting. Following manufacturer’s directions to drain the tank may eliminate sediment and improve recovery operation.

Deteriorated Dip Tube

The dip tube diverts cold water going into the heater into the bottom of the tank, allowing the hottest water to climb to the top and leak out to family taps. A deteriorating dip tube may leak cold water into the heated water close to the top of the tank. This lowers overall water temperature, requiring more burner cycles to attain the thermostat setting and extending recovery period. On a newer heater, paying a contractor to replace a defective dip tube alone may make sense. The cost of repairing dip tubes in old units seldom makes sense fiscally.