Florida Plumbing Works, Inc. (FPW) is a plumbing service company with the accent on service. We take pride in doing professional work at reasonable rates. Our company has been located in the Daytona Beach area since 1991.

Water Heater Information

Q1. My water heater is leaking. What do I need to do?

A1. There are several steps to take when this happens:

Turn off the gas or electric to the heater:
Electric - Turn the power supply OFF at the heater or at the circuit breaker panel.
Gas - Twist the dial on top of the thermostat from the ON to the OFF position.
Turn the water supply OFF:
Twist the handle on the water valve above the water heater clockwise until it stops. If water does not stop, turn water off at the main water valve in front of the house.
Drain water heater, if necessary, to prevent water damage:
Attach a garden hose to the drain faucet connection at the bottom of the water heater. Run the other end of the hose to a lower location where hot or rusty water will not cause damage. Open a hot water faucet in the home to allow air to enter the water heater as the water drains.
Pull relief valve handle to let air enter system.
Get the make/model, serial #, US gallons, and height of the water heater. Also, notice whether it has a pan under the heater and whether there is free access to the heater. Then give us a call - in the local Daytona Beach area, call 255-4831; in the Jacksonville area, call 724-5454; outside those areas, call toll-free at 1-800-840-4831.
Relax and wait for the plumbers.

Q2. Why does my water heater run out of hot water so quick?

A2. Your hot water may run out quickly for several reasons, including:

If you have an older style shower head, the head can put out five gallons per minute. If you change to a newer water conservation showerhead - 2.5 gallons per minute - you double the length of time you have hot water in the shower.

The cold water inlet tube could break off. When this happens, the cold water does not enter at the bottom of the tank. Thus, the cold water mixes with the hot water at the top of the tank and makes the hot water run out quickly.

On electric water heaters, they usually have two elements - an upper and a lower element - that work in turns. First the upper element heats the top of the tank, and then the lower element gets the power to heat the bottom of the tank. If the lower element is out, only half of the tank is getting heated, reducing the amount of hot water available. If the upper element is out, there will be no hot water.