Ask a pro: Not hot shower

This is going to be one of those good news/bad news answers, I’m afraid. First, the bad news: if your main shut-off valve is seized, you are definitely in “must call a plumber” territory. The ramifications of breaking a valve or line in your home without the ability to shut off the flow of water would be severe, unless, of course, an indoor swimming pool is in the cards.

Now, for the good news: because your hot water lasts only a few minutes, you likely have an inexpensive repair on your hands. When water is hot but in short supply, you likely have an electric water heater with a malfunctioning bottom element.

Once you get your water shut-offs fixed, it should be an easy and inexpensive repair to replace the bottom element. The bottom element might be encased in hard-water scale deposits. Sometimes the deposit can be removed along with the element; other times, the element is cemented in place and the whole tank may need to be replaced.

Since you will have the tank drained anyway, I’d do some preventative maintenance now: replace both the upper element and the sacrificial diode rod and dip tube. These parts are inexpensive and doing it now means having to drain your tank only once.


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