Hot Water Question

RobertCDF

Got an interesting question here. I live in an apartment and when the heater turns on in the morning. If I dont turn it off 15-20 minutes before I turn on the shower the water is not hot its barley warm. Or if it turns on while I am in the shower the hot water runs out quickly. Did this in my old apartment too the water heater is gas and so is the heater.

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Robert Shaw
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Peladu

Now that is odd

Forced air heat? and still this problem?

I wont even ask what happens when the toilet flushes when your in the shower.

RobertCDF

Yeah forced air.
Nothing happens when you flush maybe gets a little warmer due to less cold water.

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K2

Robert, do you have your own furnace and your own water heater in your apartment? Domestic hot water and forced air should not affect each other.

jmic

Is it straight hot air system or a hydro-air system?

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Joe

RobertCDF

Yeah it is our own hvac and water heater. The only thing I can think of is maybe the furnace is pulling so much gas that the water heater does not have enough to work. But I dont think that really makes sense.

Not familiar with a hydro-air system what is it? But I imagine its a traditional forced air the unit is in the attic not really accessible to me.

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K2

Usually you would have 40 or 50 gallons heated and ready to go before your first morning shower. If you had an inadequate gas supply you would probably have other problems. Sounds like we're mssing something in the equation.

RobertCDF

That is what I would think too it just does not make sense to me just took an evening shower (with my wife ) and the heater turned on while we were in there. Within 3-4 minutes the water started getting colder. What I think is wierd is that we had the same problem in our old apartment too. BTW these are not cheap crappy apartments these are very nice and less than 5 years old.

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Robert Shaw
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K2

Are you in like a 4-plex or a complex. I usually argue with one of the mech/plumbing inspectors a couple of times a week. i'll see if he has any ideas.

RobertCDF

It is a complex of 4 per floor 12 on each side (24). We are on the 3rd floor. I know I could complain to the office but I doubt they would have any sort of clue at all. Besides I want to know why it might be doing this.

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K2

My guess is a central boiler with zone controls going through a forced air heat exchanger. If you have 24 gas meters on the side of your building then my guess would be incorrect. One big gas meter and I might be close.

RobertCDF

All individual gas meters.

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Robert Shaw
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jmic

If it's a Hy-dro system you could have a heat exchanger in the attic supplied by your hot water heater, I've seen this done many times.

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Joe

jmic

Robert,
Take a look at your hot water heater and look to see if it has a circulator coming off of it. If it does thats sending the hot water to your exchanger in the attic, if in fact what is in the attic is a heat exchanger.

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Joe

RobertCDF

Hey keep in mind I am a deck builder.... not even a clue as to what a circulator looks like. Let me snap a pic of the closet with the water heater in it and you tell me.

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RobertCDF

Ok here are some pics of the water heater set up thanks for all your help guys. http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=1/2322433757.jpg&s=x4
http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=1/2322415037.jpg&s=x4

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Bjd

That thing that has a green handle is the Taco mixer valve, it may be set wrong and to the wrong temptures.
It has a small allen screw in the middle, you may have to remove it to adjust the temps. With the screw removed adjut the temps by adjusting counter clock wise when you achive the desired temp resecure with allen screw.

You may look up Taco Hydronics and get the owners manual for this tempering valve, also known as a mixer.

BJD

K2

Robert, So do you have a furnace?? Looks like joe might be right with the hydro system but I would have a hard time believing that they would let them build a unit that is heated ony by a water heater in this area. I'd like to see a pic of anything that looks like a furnace or a heat exchanger. It's too cold to build a deck today anyway.

TimNJ

Nothing personal, but that sure is a sloppy looking piping job they did.

RobertCDF

The water heater is in an outside closet (idiots) so it has frozen many times before they put small heaters in the closets.

Here is some pics of the furnace in the attic looks like its some sort of hot water run heater. Unlike any I have ever seen before but I am just a deck builder and am pretty dumb when it comes to most everything else.

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Robert Shaw
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