Bradford White WH: Sometimes Hot Water

[Quibbley]

About 15 years ago I installed a 40 gal/38,000 BTU Bradford White direct vent natural gas hot water heater with their HydroJet feature to reduce sediment build up. The water heater has run trouble free until about a year ago when it seems not to provide hot water when there has been no call for hot water for 12 or more hours. For example, if I take a shower one day and come back to take a shower the next day, only mildly hot water is provided (not as hot as I would like). However, if I take two showers in the same day about 10 hours apart, then the supplied hot water is much hotter. So it heats water pretty good but it doesn't seem to maintain the water temperature very well after 12+ hours.

To be honest, I have not drained the water heater to clean out any sediment since it was installed. I live in the city and have city water. I don’t have problems with sediment or hard water problems. Perhaps, sediment has accumulated in the water heater over the years though.

Are there any simple repairs to the water heater so that I don’t see as much of a temperate drop between uses? Would it help to drain the water heater? Probably unrelated, would replacing the original anode rod with a new one be advisable in a 15 year old water heater? I would like to avoid replacing the water heater as long as it's running reasonably efficient and performing reasonably well.

Thanks….

 

[Twowaxhack]

Sounds like a bad thermostat gas control.

Replace the water heater, it’s kinda getting old.

 

[Quibbley]

Thanks Twowaxhack. Agreed, it’s not worth investing a lot of money to repair given its age.