Sounds like there may be a slow leak somewhere near the faucet and it is keeping hot water in the line near the valve so that when you open it you get instant hot water. If you don't have a drip in the faucet I would check within a couple of feet of the valve for a leak. If you can't find it and there are no wet spots monitor your water use to see if you have a leak at all and if you do you may need to call a plumber if you are not well versed at tracking down issues like this. Good luck.

sometimes when the heating element in the hot water heater is going out you will get hot surges as well.

I second the drip idea...instant hot water is good thing for most folks. I'm lucky in that my mechanical room is directly below the master bath..turning on the shower an we get hot water is 2-3 seconds. Which makes sense since the top of the hot water tank is only 4-5 feet below the valves.

Jeanette, I've found here with the heat we've had, water remains hot in the hot water pipes, allowing for almost instant hot water.

Yes, hot water is here in TX too...really bad in the water hoses to water the plants. Like too hot to bathe in !!!!! Same in the house also..its just HOT !

Good Luck Jeanetter-hope it is an easy fix!

My water started getting hot and then my water heater went out...hopefully that is not the case for you

That is what mine did when the heating element started going bad. It would surge hot....then it would be tepid and I would have to push the reset button. Finally had to replace the bottom element.

Huh-is that what happens when they need replaced? Ours have always leaked-maybe we have missed the signs that would have told us it needed replaced before it leaked.

The last water heater I replaced was 15 years old and was not giving us any trouble at all. I just knew it was getting to be about that time so I had it swapped out. The guy that did the work told me that it was full of sediment. So if you think your water heater is the problem why wait until you have some major issue, just replace it. Leaving a bit longer could be more costly than just getting rid of it and putting in a new one.

I agree with Paul. Better to be safe than sorry! We waited too long to replace a water heater we knew was going down hill fast and last January we had to replace ALL of our laminate flooring and the drywall around the water heater because the water heater supply line failed and flooded the living room and kitchen! Don't wait until you have a problem! Best of luck to you Jeanette!

Water damage is one of the leading "big ticket" repairs in a home. It is either a slow drip that leads to rotten sub floors and mold issues...to a catastrophic flood than can lead to near gut type restorations. Ah the joy of indoor plumbing...