Why does it take 2 min for my hot water tap to get warm. I live in a two story p/h.my tank is 3yrs old.

Question

Why does it take 2 min for my hot water tap to get warm. I live in a two story p/h.my tank is 3yrs old.

Answer 1

turn the temperature on your water heater up a little bit

Answer 2

I'm guessing it takes that long to get warm upstairs.  It's probably quicker downstairs.  It all has to do with how far your faucet is from the hot water tank.  Your pipes have to drain out the water sitting in them before it actually begins to siphon the water from your hot water tank.

Perfectly normal.

Answer 3

As the other posters have stated, the problem is running all of the standing water out of the pipes.  There is an alternative, however.  There is a mini heater that mounts under the sink.  It runs on 110V, and will heat the water that comes through the pipes until the hot water works through.  Another option is to install a recirculating valve.  This keeps the water moving between the faucet and the water heater.  Either of these can be installed by a plumber for a relatively decent price.  Hope this helps.

Answer 4

It's not that, your pipes are always full of water and it will take all that colder water a while to run out of the lines. You will notice, the closer you are to the tank, the faster the water gets warm.