It can get cold to the point that you want to do everything with hot water during the winter. You will also find yourself washing the dishes with hot water. One of the most annoying things most people face is waiting for their water to get hot. It can be the water from the kitchen sink or the shower.
Having to wait for the cold water to be hot can be time-consuming and, most importantly, it will be a wastage of water. Therefore you must find a solution to that problem. The good thing is that there are ways to ensure you get hot water faster at the kitchen sink.
How To Get Hot Water Faster
If you have problems getting hot water at the kitchen sink, then today is your lucky. There are different ways you can ensure you get hot water faster. One of the ways to have hot water at your kitchen sink faster is by recirculating hot water systems. You can install hot water recirculating system to reduce your waiting time.
Reasons That Make Hot Water Take So Long To Come To Your Kitchen Sink
Before you start looking for solutions for getting hot water faster, you need to know the reason for the slow hot water delivery. You should ensure you find out what causes the hot water to take much time to get to your kitchen sink. Here are what causes the slow hot water delivery to your kitchen sink.
Water Currently In The Pipes
The main reason it takes much time waiting for hot water is the water already on the pipes. When you turn your faucet on, water starts flowing from it. However, the hot water in your water heater will not be the one that comes out first.
The one that will come out first is the water currently in the pipes. The problem with this water coming out first is that it is not hot. It might be chilly or room temperature. Therefore it will cause you to wait for some time until the hot water in your water heater starts to flow.
Distance From Hot Water Heater
Another cause of delayed hot water at your kitchen sink might be the distance from the water heater. The long-distance between the water heater and your kitchen sink will cause delays in hot water flowing to your faucet.
When the hot water travels long before reaching your faucet, cold water will currently flow at your kitchen sink. Therefore you will have to let the cold water run for some time before the hot water starts flowing. As a result, you will be wasting not only time but also water and consequently money.
Volume Restrictors
You can find some other faucet at your kitchen sink that has volume restrictors. These restrictors make the faucet have a low flow rate. Therefore the amount of water coming out of your faucet reduces. These devices are helpful since they conserve water and save on cost.
However, on the downside, volume restrictors can cause a delay in having hot water at your kitchen sink. When there is a low flow rate from your faucet, you will have to wait longer for hot water to come out. It can get more frustrating if you top it up with having a long distance between the water heater and your faucet.
Size And Thickness Of The Pipes
The size of your pipes also can influence how fast hot water will reach your faucet at your kitchen sink. If your pipes have a larger diameter, then you are in trouble. Pipes with a larger diameter can hold a large amount of water. Therefore, hot water takes even longer to travel from the water heater to your faucet.
Moreover, also the thickness of your pipes can affect the quality of hot water that you get. Thicker pipes make the pipes’ walls pull a lot of heat from the water flowing through them. Therefore by the time the hot water reaches your faucet, the water is will not be as hot as you wanted. Thus you will have to wait for long until the waters start getting hotter.
How You Can Get Hot Water Faster At Your Kitchen Sink
The following are some of the ways you can ensure to get hot water at your kitchen sink faster.
Insulating The Pipes
One of the causes of slow hot water delivery is cold pipes drawing heat from the hot water traveling through the pipes. To curb this problem, you can insulate your pipes. Did you know that insulated pipes can keep the water temperature two to four degrees higher than non-insulated pipes?
The insulated pipes will ensure that the water inside keeps the heat in. Therefore the water will reach your faucet hot. It will reduce the amount it takes to wait for hot after to flow from your faucet. Insulated pipes can also lead to the reduction of mold growth. Some of the standard pipe insulation include fiberglass pipe wrap and rubber pipe sticks.
Installing Hot Water Recirculating System
One of the best solutions to slow water delivery is having hot water recirculating system. The role of these systems is to ensure that your unused water gets circulated back to the heater. Therefore it will keep the water hot and thus reducing the waiting time for getting hot water at your kitchen sink. Having a hot water recirculating system will help you save on energy, water, and money.
Another option can also be pipe installation. It will circulate water in a loop from your home’s furthest faucet. Therefore it will end up reducing the distance covered from the water heater to your faucet at your kitchen sink. Thus it will help your get hot water faster at your kitchen sink.
Replace The Faucet At Your Kitchen Sink With Those With A Higher Flow Rate
In most homes, the faucets have a volume restrictor making them have a low flow rate. Faucets with low flow rates will make you wait for hot water for long. Therefore, to eliminate this problem, you can replace your faucet at your kitchen sink with a faucet with a high flow rate. However, you should ensure that your faucet flow rate does not exceed the allowed maximum amount.
Upgrading To A Tankless Hot Water Heater
Using a tankless water heater is the significant change you can make to ensure you get hot water faster at your kitchen sink. In most homes, they use the new tank model as their water heater. Upgrading to a tankless water heater will solve the problem of slow water delivery.
Tankless water heaters heat water as it flows through the system instead of storing hot water in tanks. The water will flow through the pipes and into the tankless water heater when you open your faucet. At the tankless water heater, it will get heated with gas or electricity. Therefore you will get constant hot water flow from your faucet, thus reducing the waiting time for hot water flow.
A tankless water heater will also help you save on energy. The traditional tank heaters consume a lot of energy since they have to heat and reheat the stored water even when not in use. However, the tankless water heater will only heat the needed water. It can save up to fifty percent of your water heating energy cost.
Routine Preventative Maintenance
If you want to have fewer hot water issues, you should ensure that you look after your water heater with great care. You can use preventative maintenance that focuses on identifying issues early or stopping them entirely from happening.
It would be best not to allow a minor issue to lead to a total system failure. Therefore you should ensure that you periodically call a professional to check if there are any issues with your water heater system. You should replace your water heater if it leaks or produces lukewarm water or has rusts or corrosions.
Can A Water Heater Booster Make You Get Hot Water Faster At Your Kitchen Sink?
Many people have been wondering about this, but unfortunately, the answer is no. The work of the water booster is to mix cold water from the input valve to ith heated water from the hot water valve. A water heater booster is excellent for having more extended periods of hot water, but it does not make you get hot water faster.
What Can Make The Kitchen Sink Not Get Hot Water?
One of the reasons you might not get hot water at your kitchen sink is cartridge issues. The cartridge inside your faucet controls the amount of hot and cold water flowing from your faucet. Therefore when the cartridge has issues, it will be hard for you to get hot water.
Conclusion
There is no better feeling than having constant hot water in your home. However, they are specific reasons like distance from the water heater and volume restrictors that cause slow hot water delivery. The good thing is that you can still get hot water faster at your kitchen sink by insulating the pipes or upgrading to a tankless water heater.
