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Why Does My Tankless Water Heater Sometimes Run Cold?

Auburn Tankless Water Heater Cold

Tankless water heaters are designed to give you endless hot water on demand. But if you’ve ever been in the middle of a shower in your Auburn home and suddenly felt an icy blast, you know that’s not always the case. It’s frustrating and disruptive—but the good news is, most of the time, there’s a simple explanation.

At 2 Sons Plumbing Auburn, we get calls about this issue all the time. In many cases, it comes down to maintenance or minor adjustments, not a major system failure.

Why Tankless Water Heaters Go Cold

If your water heater works fine one day and cuts out the next, here are the most common culprits we see in Auburn homes:

Low Water Flow

Tankless units need a minimum flow of water to activate the heating element. If you’re only running a trickle, the heater may shut off, leaving you with cold water.

Mineral Buildup

Hard water in Auburn leaves behind mineral deposits that settle inside the heat exchanger. Over time, this buildup slows efficiency and makes the unit inconsistent.

Thermostat Problems

Sometimes the solution is as easy as checking your settings. If your unit is set below 120°F, the water may never feel fully hot.

High Demand

Running multiple fixtures at once—like a shower, dishwasher, and washing machine—can push a tankless heater past its limit. When demand spikes, you may notice sudden temperature swings.

Quick Fixes You Can Try

Before calling in a plumber, here are a few safe steps you can try yourself:

Run another fixture. Tankless heaters often perform better with steady flow.
Check the thermostat. Make sure it’s set to at least 120°F.
Flush the system. If it’s been more than a year since your last flush, mineral buildup could be causing the problem. Using a vinegar flush kit may help if you’re comfortable doing it yourself.

When to Call a Plumber

Not every tankless issue can be fixed with a quick DIY step. Shut the system down and call 2 Sons Plumbing Auburn if:

You see error codes you don’t understand
You smell gas near the heater
The water never heats up no matter what you do

Our licensed plumbers can descale your system, replace faulty parts, check venting and gas connections, and make sure your unit is running safely.

Typical Costs in Auburn

Professional descaling service: $250–$500

Other repairs: Costs vary depending on the issue

Get Back to Reliable Hot Water

Cold surprises in the middle of a shower are frustrating, but they’re rarely permanent. Most tankless water heater problems can be fixed quickly once the cause is identified.

At 2 Sons Plumbing Auburn, we’ll inspect your system, explain what’s going on in plain language, and get it working the way it should. Whether it’s a simple flush or a repair, we’ll make sure you can rely on hot water again.

Call us today at (206) 487-1757 for tankless water heater service in Auburn. We’ll track down the issue, fix it fast, and keep the hot water flowing in your home.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3490 reviews

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Deann Minamino

22:05 02 Jan 26

We have used 2 Sons Plumbing quite a few times now and have never been disappointed! Courteous, professional, knowledgeable and efficient describes everyone from the office to the field teams! One of their team members, while here installing a sink fixture, overheard an estimate we were getting from a visiting sales rep for a project. Their team member (Carey) offered that the estimate was way over priced (by over $20k). We had 2 Sons price it out for us and they came in $23k less. We have a couple planned projects upcoming and plan to use them for that as well as any unexpected issues that arise. Just this week, they dispatched a team on NYE as our water heater broke. Once again, good price, courteous, professional and efficient! I/we are so pleased to have found this company! We highly recommend them! (NOTE/FYI: I, the posting party, copied this from my Yelp Review)

Deann Minamino

22:05 02 Jan 26

Ashley Dunn

21:37 01 Jan 26

Justin and Bryce were swift and thorough when we experienced an emergency leak in our daylight basement. They quickly identified the problem as a leaking water heater, provided a quote, and completed the work within just a few hours. The job included draining the old water heater, removing and properly disposing of it, and supplying and installing a brand-new unit. We are incredibly grateful that they came out on New Year’s Eve and ensured we didn’t start 2026 without running water. They also offered a great recommendation for addressing separate water damage caused by another issue. Highly appreciated and highly recommended

Ashley Dunn

21:37 01 Jan 26

Benjamin Grossman

05:40 30 Dec 25

Huge props to Adam. We had been trying to replace our kitchen sink ourselves but ran into some issues, so we called for help. They were able to come out the very same day, which was a huge relief. We needed a new faucet installation, a separate hot water faucet, and water tank set up.

Adam was fantastic. He fixed our kitchen sink and even helped with a stubborn screw we could not get undone (I spent 4 hours myself before trying to get it out) , all with incredible patience and friendliness. He explained everything he was doing clearly, which made the whole process easy to understand and feel confident about. The new installation looks fantastic. Will definitely use them again.

Benjamin Grossman

05:40 30 Dec 25

Heejae Yang

02:27 30 Dec 25

Great service for people who hate money

This is a wonderful company to repair your plumbing issues, including storm drains and sewer lines—ONLY if you have the disposable income of a tech bro or sis. I don't.
I called because the storm drain receiving my downspout was clogged. It was adjacent to work they have done before. Without even coming to the site, a technician diagnosed a total failure over the phone. Their solution? Demolish the concrete, access and remove the P-trap, and redo the entire install for a "discounted" manager promo of $4,000.
I ended up fixing the issue in 5 minutes with a Shop-Vac. Total cost: $0.
I’ve used them for a sewer line repair before and now realize I likely funded their entire holiday party. Why fix a drain for free when you can pay $4,000 to have your walkway ripped up? This is the team for you if your budget is infinite and your patience for common sense is zero.

UPDATE: A real pro checks for a simple clog before recommending a sledgehammer. We all know they were looking for a payday.

Heejae Yang

02:27 30 Dec 25

Maggie McNish

00:43 30 Dec 25

Adam came to my house and gave excellent service and worked very efficiently. He was incredibly professional and personable and kind. He educated me on my plumbing situation so that I’m better equipped to prevent issues in the future and to preserve integrity of items and appliances I use and in a way easy for me to understand. I hope every experience for every customer with 2 Sons goes this way. Everyone I’ve had come to my house with 2 Sons has been great — competent, kind, professional, and transparent. Adam was terrific.

Maggie McNish

00:43 30 Dec 25

Melissah Watts

02:23 12 Dec 25

I had a wicked combo of 50 yr old bathtub faucets ( the hot water completely frozen in the “on” position) and a 13 year old hot water heater …. Yep, on Saturday … 2 Sons sent Carey out on Sunday and he advised me to wait until Monday when he could really solve my problem with high quality hardware and a new hot water heater! Carey came out Monday with Micah , beautiful copper pipes, a new hot water heater and a modern bathtub faucet. In 5 hours I had a new bathtub faucet and a new hot water heater. On top of really good craftsmanship , they respected and protected my existing tub/ toilet / sink. Thanks for a job well done!! M & M Watts

Melissah Watts

02:23 12 Dec 25

Anon

20:53 08 Dec 25

Have used 2 Sons multiple times to help with the plumbing in our house and every time has always been great. This time was no exception. Dave was amazing - very knowledgeable and reasonable in his suggestions and treatment of our plumbing issues. He was also very kind and was respectful of our house and space. Would definitely hire him again.

Anon

20:53 08 Dec 25

Marshall Harnish

21:22 05 Dec 25

2 Sons Plumbing did a fantastic job! I had a difficult water line replacement job, and they were friendly, quick and professional. The work turned out great. I had Dave as the project manager and he was honest and great to work with.

Would use them again for sure.

Marshall Harnish

21:22 05 Dec 25

Mark Ondrake

23:58 04 Dec 25

The 2 Sons company was prompt, thorough, clean, and performed precise, high-quality work. The office staff and plumbing technician showed professionalism and a focus on details. The finished repair exceeded our expectations, the price was very reasonable (high value for the quoted price), and the technician left the Job site spotless. See attached photo, they used the Big Bertha Motorized Snake to clear a clogged drain, the obstruction was 25 feet away!!

Mark Ondrake

23:58 04 Dec 25

Laura Mueser

23:11 03 Dec 25

Great service over a holiday weekend. Total failure of our sewer line was fixed with a ten year warranty. Clean, great communication, full fix. It cost a lot -- I mean, it was a major repair in a hundred year old house-- but was reasonable for what we received, and the pricing was very transparent. Seth, Jorge, Shane, Dan, and others were all perfectionists and appreciated.

Laura Mueser

23:11 03 Dec 25