Suddenly No Hot Water in the Apartment

• Call the Apartment Office Immediately

If you had hot water, but now you don't, this usually indicates a critical failure of the plumbing system. Maybe the water heater stopped working, or maybe there's a leak that is already causing water damage.

Because leaks constitute as a building maintenance emergency and equipment failures can be just as urgent, your apartment office will appreciate an immediate call. Get someone live on the line, don't just submit a repair request. Suddenly having no hot water can be the first sign of a serious problem that requires immediate repairs to minimize possible damage to the building.

Not Enough Hot Water in the Apartment

• Submit a Maintenance Request

Not all water heaters are equal. Your apartment may have a small water heater. You may even share a water heater with another apartment and they are using it up consistently. But it might also be an issue with your water heater performance, like a fill problem that is not heating enough water at once.

Many apartments have a limited amount of hot water. Small water heaters are normal. But if you can't get enough hot water to wash dishes or take a decent shower, contact your apartment manager. Let them know what the problem is. Your water heater may require maintenance, or you may be able to reasonably request a change in the water heater situation.

Water Not Hot Enough in the Apartment

• Submit a Maintenance Request

Water needs to reach a certain heat to be effective for cleaning or comfortable for bathing. If your hot water is only ever lukewarm, this may be an issue with the water heater performance. The temperature may be turned down too low, there may be an electrical problem, or there may be scale (mineral deposits) built up over the heating elements, which require cleaning.

You can submit a maintenance request for your water heater to be inspected, cleaned, and repaired to ensure that the water reaches a sufficient temperature for a safe, clean, and comfortable lifestyle.

Waiting for Hot Water: What to Do

If you are waiting for maintenance to fix your apartment's hot water, there are a few clever ways to ensure that you can still clean and bathe with water that is sufficiently hot.

Heat Water on the Stove in Large Pots

You can make your own hot water using pots on the stove. For small amounts of hot water to cook with, use a small or shallow pan of water, and the water will get hot very quickly.

For cleaning and bathing water, use your largest soup pot or wok to heat 1-6 gallons of water at a time. You can fill the sink, mop bucket, and even the bathtub for sufficiently hot water when and where you need it.

Handwash Dishes in Stove-Heated Water

If your dishwasher doesn't get hot enough, fill one half of your kitchen sink with water heated on the stove. Cool it with tap water until you can safely submerge your hands, then fill the sink with dishes. Wash in hot water and use cold tap water for rinsing to get your dishes clean.

Take a Traditional Bath

Taking a cold shower is no fun, but you can get clean in a warm bath even while your water heater is being fixed. Just use the old-fashioned approach to heating bath water.

Fill your bathtub with about six inches of water. Heat as much water as you can in soup pots and saucepans on the stove, then pour the water - boiling - into the cold bath water. The water will stay warm as you heat another batch, so you can get a bathtub pretty hot even if you start with cold water. This will allow you to bathe comfortably.

Identifying Hot Water Emergencies

Most of the time, an issue of no hot water in an apartment is not an emergency. It is an inconvenience and one that should be repaired quickly, but you don't need to panic. Most likely, a little work on your water heater will fix the problem up in a short period of time. However, sudden water failures or signs of a leak may constitute as an emergency that puts your apartment and the apartment building at risk.

However, because it is difficult to tell whether a hot water issue is an emergency, it's always best to share your concerns with your apartment manager so that they can have the issue investigated and act quickly if it is a leak or other matter that puts the building at risk.

Even if there is not an emergency, an attentive apartment community will address your maintenance concerns quickly enough to resolve the issue within a few days.

Explore More Apartment Lifestyle Tips

We hope these ideas and strategies are helpful should your hot water ever disappear! That said, we genuinely hope you never have to experience any water heating issues.

Village at Juban Lakes is one of Louisiana’s most well-loved apartment communities and features an impressive list of amenities such as a resort-style swimming pool, a professional fitness center, and an enclosed bark park for pets to play off leash.

If you’re on the search for your next home, then please visit us here by scheduling a tour. Our professional leasing team would love to guide you through our many expansive floor plan options.