can a water softener affect the hot water temp

SDE

Well-known Member
I need to go to my Dad's and look at his water softener. He says that the hot water is only warm and he wants me to check the water softener settings. Does one affect the other? I will check the heating elements first.
Thank you
SDE
 
The only way the softener can affect the water heater setting is if the softener is not doing it's job and letting lime build up in the heater. I had my house built and installed a softener 30 years go. In that 30 years the only water heater problem I have had was when a tank thermostat went bad and burned out an element. I had really hot water for a few days, and then only warm water not as hot as normal. Also had leaks at the hot water fitting on top of the tank from the different expansion rates of the metal tank and plastic screw in fitting.
 
Hi John,

I'm messing with our softener this week also. My wife claims that if I turn it way up (70 vs 30, but I don't know what the number is) that the dishes in the dishwasher are drier in the morning? Is she just imagining things?
 
sde,

Perhaps a look into the dip tube can be revealing. The tube has been known to "break" off and allow cold water into the hot line.

D.
 
First thing would be to hook a garden hose to the bottom spigot of the water heater. See how much crap blows out of the hose. With a lime type system like I have you can get a huge pile of junk in the bottom of the heater. Then the dip tube, elements, etc.
 
Why can't you just take it as given.
Fix the water heater and add salt.
psssst: grab an element or pair on the way
wham bam
love ya dad.
 
(quoted from post at 14:24:12 12/04/18) I need to go to my Dad's and look at his water softener. He says that the hot water is only warm and he wants me to check the water softener settings. Does one affect the other? I will check the heating elements first.
Thank you
SDE

About the only way I can think of that a softener is going to affect water temp is if it had not been working for a long long time.

If the softener is not working over time you get a build up of minerals inside of the tank.

The thermostat is mounted on the outside of the tank.

The mineral build up acts as a layer of insulation that causes a lag time before the thermostat senses the right temperature and shuts off the power to the elements resulting in the water temp overshooting what the thermostat is set for.

A rise in water temp is usually a good indication it is time to clean the crud out of your tank if you do not have a softener.

As what I have said typically results in higher than normal water temperature and this is not the symptoms yours has I would be guessing one of the elements in the tank is not doing it's job.

Check wiring, connections and elements, rare to see a bad thermostat but anything is possible.
 
Ask your dad some more questions about what is the problem. Some water heaters can vary in temperature by close to ten degrees F. Often when you open a hot water tap first thing in the morning, the temperature seems cool until the water heater kicks in.
 

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