Water doesn't heat as fast as it used to?

Question

Anything I can do about it without any major costs?

Answer 1

Steal from your neighbor

Answer 2

A typical problem with aging water heaters (gas or electric) is the heat source is not as efficient as it once was.

For Gas water heater the heat is transferred from the bottom of the tank. As sediment congregates on the bottom inside of the tank it acts like an insulator requiring more heat from the burner and longer time.

For Electric water heater, the electric element, there's usually two, may have one burned out or weak.

Either case you probably need to turn water supply off, drain the water out and check for a failure.

Answer 3

Boil Water, Microwave it, Get on of those water dispensers that heat or cool water...

Answer 4

If you put a little more detail so we know what the problem is, posters will keep on topic better.

Most electric water heaters have 2 elements, one at the bottom and one about 1/2 way up. Probably one is burned out. Mine was $20 at a plumbing supply store.

They are 240V, so be safe. If you don't know much about electricity, get someone to help you. 240V hits can be quite uncomfortable.

The elements are purely resistive. Disconnect the power line from one end, measure the resistance. If near zero, is OK. If infinite, burned out. Check the wattage, there are several different ones.

I had to buy a big socket to get the element out on mine. You can drain the tank using a garden hose on the spigot on the bottom; the second time I didn't bother to drain it; just pull the old one out and quickly put the new one in.

Answer 5

If you're saying your stove top (or whatever you're heating it with) isn't heating it as well, covering it with a lid will help a bit.  The more you can insulate the cooking vessel so that heat can't escape as easily, the better (obviously though, use caution in any attempts to insulate a pot over high heat!)

You may also check that your gas valves aren't clogged or something, or that the k**b is actually engaging and turning all the way.  Other than that...  You might find an inexpensive camping stove if it's a water heating emergency (you might even google "diy wood gas stoves" which should get you to a site like the one below that will show you how to make a stove out of a tin can or soda can that will boil water with a handful of little wood chips or with some rubbing alcohol or everclear.)  Good luck, and stay safe.

P.S. - just noticed the post above.  Don't know why it didn't occur to me you might be talking about home water heaters.  Again, a relatively cheap way to increase efficiency is to insulate your heater and pipes.  You can buy special blankets to cover your heater, and pipe insulators at a hardware store.  Or you can do it yourself.  Google would be a good tool here too: try "insulating water heater."

Answer 6

go to a neighbors house

Answer 7

are you talking about like boiling it on a stove?

-water has not changed at all. it still heats at the same temperature it did a thousand years ago