My water heater is still only putting out warm water. Well, let me correct that...it will put out hot water for 2-3 minutes then it goes down to luke warm and stays like that for at least the duration of a normal shower.

I called GE last night and they walked me through testing the heating elements and thermostats with a voltmeter. The unit is electric and based on our readings, both elements and thermostats are working properly.

Here is the model number: GE40M06AAG/487-675 (40 gallon electric)

The breaker is a dedicated breaker only for the water heater is as old as the WH itself (roughly 2 years). It is drained on a regular basis and is in the garage, so it does not have an insulation blanket around it.

Any other ideas before I call a plumber?

It sounds like it is the short circuiting the water inside the tank. In other words the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet are too close together. This could have happened because some internal piping broke.

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It sounds like it is the short circuiting the water inside the tank. In other words the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet are too close together. This could have happened because some internal piping broke.

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This sounds like I need a whole new unit.

If that is the problem then yes, you would need a new heater. However, I can't say for sure that is the problem. I would call GE back and ask if that is possible based on the unit design.

Some models have a plastic tube in the cold side that takes the cold water to the bottom. It can be replaced.

The 'magic' part to look for is a "dip tube" which is used on almost all waterheaters to bring cold water to the bottom of the tank, to prevent "short cycling."

That being said, if the tank is of a certain age, the threads for the cold water inlet and dip tube can be, well, rotten. So, getting the old tube out can be destructive to the unit.

Then, there's also the nagging possibility that--depending on your water--there could be a deep pile of sediment on the bottom of the tank (since almost none of us follow the tank-maker's instructions to cut off the water and drain the tank every six months).

If the sediment is deeper than the dip tube, it will often cause a dip tube failure. But, it also makes putting a new one in a distinct pain in the fundament.

My first thought would be your upper heating element is out, but if you've checked that, then my second would be the dip tube. If it is broken, then it would allow cold and hot water to mix in the tank, making it lukewarm. IIRC, you said it was only two years old, so hopefully it's not corroded too bad and you get it off. It's certainly replaceable, and while you're at it, you could take a look at your sacrificial anode rod - if you have harsh water, that could have contributed to the dip tube failing, and your anode rod failing next (followed by your water heater rusting out).

Welcome to home ownership!
*Disclaimer: I'm definitely not a plumber, but just have dealt with this crap before.

[This message has been edited by Ark03 (edited 12/9/2011 3:29p).]

capn and Ark - thank you to both of you. I think the dip tube was mentioned on my last thread about this damn WH. When I was on the phone with GE, I asked if this model had a dip tube and it does. They said I had to remove the cold water inlet to check it. That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen for me, so I might have to call a plumber.

I know there is a shutoff valve right there, so maybe it is easy. But I don't want to attempt that without supervision.

capn - in response to your statement about draining it regularly, I do do that. Last time was about 2-3 months ago when this problem started. I didn't see a lot of sendiment come out, so either it wasn't that dirty or I did it wrong.

Have you checked your voltage at the plug? I just walked a friend through this and it turned out his beaker was bad and he only had 120v at the plug.

Edit. Although you would probably have 0 cold water if you only had 120. But it wouldn't hurt to check.

[This message has been edited by 87ie (edited 12/9/2011 6:57p).]