Imagine waking up on a cold Monday morning with less than an hour before you get late to school or in the office, on to find out that your water takes too long to heat —- this scenario can be very frustrating. The thought of taking a cold shower even during summer doesn’t just sit well with most people, especially if you are leading a busy life. You would definitely want everything to be fast, including the water in your shower.

Aside from a waste of time, water that is not warm enough on your dishwasher can also cause the spread of pathogens and germs in the dishwasher. So what causes the delay of your water to heat up? The most common cause of water taking too long to get hot is the pipe turning cold because of the cold weather. However, there are ways you can fix this issue depending on its cause.

If the cause is colder pipe due to colder season

Since your pipe is a good conductor, it easily gets cold when the weather is cold too. When this happens, the water will lose its warmth or adapts to the temperature of the cold pipe as it travels through it. Adding insulation to your water pipes is the best solution to fix the problem. If the pipe is insulated, the water traveling through it will keep its heat or warmth. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a pipe with insulation is twice or thrice more effective in delivering hot water.

If the cause is the distance between the water heater and the faucet or shower

In many traditional homes, the faucet or the shower is located far from the water heater; making the water to travel long before it reaches the faucet. Thus, producing less warm water. Installing a hot water circulation pump will help you fix the problem. Your hot water circulation pump will create a loop, allowing your water to circulate back to the water heater. This solution doesn’t just heat your water faster, but it also saves you money by saving more water.

If the cause is the low flow rate of the showerhead

When the showerhead has a low flow rate, it means that it would take longer before the water comes out of the shower too. You might like to change your showerhead with a higher flow rate or those with more than 2.5 GPM. The problem with a higher flow rate though is that you will be using more water too.

If the cause is small diameter pipes

Pipes with a smaller diameter is another reason why it takes time for the water to get hot. Changing your fixture to a wider pipe will solve the problem since wider pipes are more insulated.

If the cause is a leaking faucet

Your faucet doesn’t last forever; it can leak, especially when it is already old. Its o-rings will eventually fail causing leakage. It is important to always perform regular inspection and maintenance in order to fix faucet and pipe issues before the problem gets worse.

Finally, if you have enough budget, you can also upgrade your water heater to a tankless water heater. This can be costly but is an effective solution to solve your water that takes too long to heat. The tankless water heater doesn’t store hot water in a tank like the traditional water heater fixture. Instead, it heats the water with gas or electricity as it flows through the pipe. Make sure to contact a professional plumber when planning to install a tankless water heater to make sure that the task is done properly.