Top 5 Titan tankless water heater “not enough hot water” problems

Top 5 Titan tankless water heater “not enough hot water” problems.

1-  Sediment around the heating elements

When the incoming water carries too much sediment, that sediment accumulates over time all over the water path inside the tankless water heater. In some cases the sediment adheres to the walls of the heating elements which diminish the ability of the heating elements to transfer the heat to the water.  This can be very much controlled by installing a sediment filter in the cold water pipe before the water enters the water heater.

2-   One or more opened (non functional) heating element

Titan water heaters power rating vary with the amount of heating element inside them and the power rating of those elements. Titan water heaters can contain from one to four heating elements. If any of them opens (breaks), the water heater will continue working, but its heating capacity will be reduced for as much as the ratings of the broken heating element.  That, of course, will cause the water heater to only give worm water.

3-  Inappropriate water heater for the application or climate

If the water heater installed is not the appropriate for the application it’s being used for, you will definitely not get enough hot water. A tankless water heater designed for two bathrooms will not provide enough water for a house with three bathrooms that are being used at the same time. The same applies to the region's climate. The temperature rise chart of any Titan water heater model gives an idea of how many degrees that water heater can instantly increment the incoming water temperature to at certain amount of gallons per minute. If that information is not taken into consideration, and let’s say a Titan N-160 (which can increase the water temperate by 31deg F at 3.5gpm) is installed in a northern state where the incoming water temperature is let’s say 34deg F; you cannot expect to get the comfortable water temperature of 100 deg F when using 3.5gpm. Your water temperature will not be higher than 31 + 34 = 65 deg F unless you decrease the water flow to less than 3.5gpm.

4-  Low input voltage

Let’s take for example the Titan N-120 tankless water heater which is rated at 11.8KW, 54Amps at 220V. If the Titan N-120 is connected at 240V it will be rated at 13.9KW, 58Amps and will provide higher temperatures. If it is, however, connected to 208V it will be rated at 10.5KW, 50.4Amps and will provides less hot water. If you are wondering, the Titan N-120 will not work with 120V. Depending on your applications the voltage at which the water heater is connected to will or will not change the temperature of the water enough for you to notice it.

5-  Defective Electronic board or SCR (Silicone-Controlled Rectifier)

Although, not too common, it is possible that a pair of SCR (current controlling device) stop responding; not allowing current to pass through the heating element they are controlling.
Another rare possibility is that only a section of the electronic board that handles the SCRs becomes defective.  Both scenarios might cause the not enough hot water problems.