Areas We Serve

Areas We Serve

Why Does My Hot Water Run Out So Quickly?

Ever jump in the shower, get comfortable, and then—bam—the water turns lukewarm after just a few minutes? It’s one of the most common complaints we hear from Bellevue homeowners, and it can make daily routines pretty frustrating. At 2 Sons Plumbing Bellevue, we’ve seen it all, and the good news is there’s always a solution.

Common Reasons Hot Water Doesn’t Last

Water heaters are built to give your home a steady supply of hot water, but a few common issues can cut that supply short.

A Broken Dip Tube

Inside the tank, a plastic dip tube directs incoming cold water to the bottom so hot water can rise to the top. If the tube cracks or breaks, cold water mixes with the hot and lowers the temperature almost immediately.

Sediment Buildup

Over time, minerals in Bellevue’s water supply settle at the bottom of the tank. This layer of sediment makes the heater less efficient and reduces the usable space for hot water. Eventually, you end up with less hot water than you should.

A Tank That’s Too Small

Sometimes the problem isn’t a repair issue—it’s that your household simply needs more capacity. If your family has grown, or if multiple appliances run at once, your water heater might not be big enough for your current needs.

Simple DIY Steps to Try First

Before calling a plumber, you can try a couple of quick checks on your own:

Drain and flush the tank. Once a year, drain a few gallons from the heater to wash out sediment. This helps extend the life of the unit.
Check the thermostat. Make sure it’s set to around 120°F. Any lower, and you’ll feel like hot water runs out too quickly.

These steps are good maintenance practices. But if your water still goes cold after just a few minutes, it’s time for a closer look.

When to Call a Bellevue Plumbing Professional

There are situations where DIY won’t cut it, and you need an expert. Call 2 Sons Plumbing Bellevue if you notice:

Hot water that lasts only a few minutes before going cold
Rusty or discolored water coming from your taps
Leaks around the base of the tank
Unusual noises like popping or rumbling from the heater

Our licensed plumbers use professional inspection tools to determine if the dip tube needs replacing, if sediment has caused damage, or if it’s time to upgrade your water heater.

Typical Costs in Bellevue

Dip tube replacement: $200–$500
Full tank replacement: $1,200–$4,500, depending on size and efficiency

Keep Hot Water Flowing in Your Bellevue Home

Running out of hot water doesn’t have to be your new normal. Whether your water heater needs a simple repair or a full replacement, the experts at 2 Sons Plumbing Bellevue will find the problem and fix it the right way.

Call us today at (206) 487-1757 to schedule a water heater inspection. We’ll make sure you get steady, reliable hot water—so your next shower stays warm from start to finish.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3339 reviews

review us on

Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25

Our house decided to replace our own toilet, but we got stuck halfway through because we didn’t have the right tools and accidentally broke an anchor bolt. I called 2 Sons Plumbing, and they showed up within an hour to help us out. Derek, our plumber, was super friendly, explained everything clearly, and got the job done quickly and professionally. Excellent service all around—highly recommend!

Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Dave and David came and cleared out a huge clog in my kitchen sink (both sides) that has been plaguing us for a while as well a ton of glass shards that got into the drain when our glass fridge shelf broke. Dave walked us through each step of the process and explained everything which was excellent. He also gave us advice about galvanized piping replacement. They even gave us a few free parts for the sink drain that had eroded away and didn’t charge extra for it!! All around 5 star service!!!

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Fantastic service and communication. Local company. Solved my clogged basement laundry utility sink. Dave and David were courteous, informative, professional and easy to engage with. Scheduling was easy (they came the next day) and they arrived within the expected time window. Transparent pricing and i could also apply a coupon. I will use them again.

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Great service and Dave their plumber is the best. We have an odd house with even odder plumbing. The pipes are a mess of grandfathered-in open air nonsense, when our pump started making some noises (and a little leaking) after some DIY heat tape adventures (getting ready for colder weather), we were worried that we would need a massive repair but Dave came and looked at it and immediately realized we had unplugged the float plug from the pump plug which was 90% of the problem and the leak just need a little tightening of a flex joint. The company was quick and didn't charge for an estimate or in this case a quick "thats not plugged in right". The experience and the overall professionalism has convinced me that when I do finally need that big repair job, I'll call these guys.

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

Booking an appointment was extremely easy, and we were able to get one just the next day. Communication was excellent with timely reminders and a call before our appointment. Kerry did a fantastic job both advising us and effectively resolving our issue.

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

I have all good things to say about 2 Sons Plumbing. My first experience was a few years ago and the whole process went very smoothly. Making the appointment was easy and quick, the repair was done with no problem and I thought the price was fair. Recently, Dave from 2 Sons came out to look at several plumbing problems I was having and, within a matter of minutes, all of the problems were diagnosed. Dave gave me options and estimates all before he left my house. I haven’t had the work done yet but appreciate the information and the prices seemed fair to me. Dave was on time, professional and very knowledgeable. 2 Sons are my go to Plumbers.

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Bob at 2 Sons Plumbing was amazing! We had a horribly backed up kitchen sink drain and he was able to fix it, and save us some money in the process! He heard what we had to say about our issue and double checked everything. Super friendly and very helpful. Thank you for the amazing work Bob!

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

I had great experience with Chase, Riley, Seth, Manu, Nolan with a recent fix. They showed up promptly, transparent about the price upfront, set the expectations right, very professional, got things done perfectly, great communication and very honest and patient to answer all my questions, I will definitely use 2 sons again and will recommend it to my friends and neighbors.

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

Stellar job by Carey and his team at 2sons today. I had a complex job -- installing a yard hydrant/faucet for a garden across the (private) street. They had to go into the floor of the garage, run piping under the floor, out of the house, across the road. Had to cut into the asphalt, trench down a couple feet, then patch it all up again, including fixing the garage concrete floor. Super job. Looks really clean. Got it all done in a day.

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

A wonderful experience every time with 2 Sons plumbing. Jake and Angelo helped us with our plumbing issue. They showed up on time and gave a very reasonable estimate for the repair. We ended up replacing a couple of toilets and a part of a sink drain. They came back the next day to complete the work due to our schedule. Excellent communication, prompt, and hard working! Thank you so much Jake and Angelo!! We are very happy with 2 Sons and have used them multiple times.

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25