hot water heater blues...

[peejman]

This thread made me decide to drain my hot water tank to remove some of the sediment. I turned off the gas and water to the tank. I connected the garden hose to the drain valve/spigot, and turned on the valve/spigot. No water came out.

I was expecting the water to drain from the tank, but water will only come out of the hose while the water to the tank is turned on. Am I missing something?

 

 

It's just like putting a straw in your glass, putting your thumb over the end and pulling the straw back out of the glass.  The liquid won't drain until you remove your thumb.   The water trying to exit the tank from the drain is pulling a vacuum on the house plumbing.  You've got to open a valve to let air replace the water in the pipes.  If there's a valve on the outlet from the tank, you need to open it.  You also need to open the hot water tap (faucet, shower, whatever) nearest the tank, perhaps even all of them, depending on how your house is plumbed. 

 

 

And this thread has reminded me of 2 things... 1) I haven't flushed my water heater in a while.  2) The term "hot" water heater still annoys me.  If the water is already hot, why are you heating it?  ;) 

[TripleDigitRide]

The term "hot" water heater still annoys me.  If the water is already hot, why are you heating it?  ;)

Yes, I know. I caught that as I hit the "post" button. You quoted it before I was able to make myself look less stupid.  :shhh: 

[jtmaze]

To drain water heater you must turn on the hot water at the faucet closest to the heater to let the vacuum off the line then it will drain naturally


JTM
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[peejman]

Yes, I know. I caught that as I hit the "post" button. You quoted it before I was able to make myself look less stupid.  :shhh: 

 

You're welcome!  :)

[TripleDigitRide]

Guess mine is OK. I allowed it to drain with water supply turned off, then again with the water supply turned on. No discoloration in the water.

[broox]

Also remember: the incoming water supply is probably 30/40 degrees colder than it was a month or two ago. There is a chance nothing is wrong with your water heater, it just cools down much faster now and takes longer to recover.

[enfield]

I'm in the same boat with my gas water heater. Late last week it started running luke warm at best within just a few minutes. My money is on the dip tube at the moment. Guess I will be learning to solder copper pipes this week.

 

Get a set of flexible connector hoses to fit your installation.  Cut back your hot and cold water lines to a point you can reach with the flexible hoses.  Install the proper fitting on your hot and cold lines, connect your hoses and Bob's yer uncle.

 

The next time you have to replace the tank, it'll be that much easier.

[Ugly]

They have those shark bite fittings now too. They work great on pex.

[peejman]

Get a set of flexible connector hoses to fit your installation. Cut back your hot and cold water lines to a point you can reach with the flexible hoses. Install the proper fitting on your hot and cold lines, connect your hoses and Bob's yer uncle.

The next time you have to replace the tank, it'll be that much easier.

This. And if there's not an easily accessible valve on the inlet, add one. You could get fancy and add a bypass loop too.

[Dad03]

If its not leaking there is no need to replace it. You already have new elements and therms. Give it a good flushing and check the fill tube. I had one that would not fill properly due to some plastic ball thing Rheem puts in the fill tube sticking at the top. Symptoms were shortage of hot water like you described. I cut the bottom of the tube to get that out of it and reinstalled. Worked fine after that.

A broken fill tube  (water not getting to the bottom of the tank) will also give a shortage of hotwater as all you are getting out of it is the incoming cold at the top mixing with hot at the bottom.

You may be overlooking something because thats all there is to a water heater.

Edited December 1, 2014 by Dad03

[reed1285]

I am going to check the dip tube Wednesday. At this point it would just about have to be the problem. I know its cold out now but its never done this before. Last time I drained the tank, I had some sediment clog my drain valve on bottom of the tank. How would I go about clearing out the clog there?

[peejman]

I am going to check the dip tube Wednesday. At this point it would just about have to be the problem. I know its cold out now but its never done this before. Last time I drained the tank, I had some sediment clog my drain valve on bottom of the tank. How would I go about clearing out the clog there?

I'd hit it with compressed air.


And keep in mind, American Water Heater makes water heaters right here in Johnson City, TN.

[bersaguy]

This thread made me decide to drain my water heater to remove some of the sediment. I turned off the gas and water to the tank. I connected the garden hose to the drain valve/spigot, and turned on the valve/spigot. No water came out.

I was expecting the water to drain from the tank, but water will only come out of the hose while the water to the tank is turned on. Am I missing something?

Just a question. Does your water heater have a pop off valve on top. If so with the heater turned off an cooled down you may be able to open the pop off valve and vent the heater and get a water flow through your hose. That is how I empty mine..........jmho

[TripleDigitRide]

Just a question. Does your water heater have a pop off valve on top. If so with the heater turned off an cooled down you may be able to open the pop off valve and vent the heater and get a water flow through your hose. That is how I empty mine..........jmho

Along with turning on a few of the sink faucets, that's what I did. Worked like a charm.

[enfield]

I'd hit it with compressed air.
And keep in mind, American Water Heater makes water heaters right here in Johnson City, TN.

AFAIK, AWH is the only domestic manufacturer of tank-type water heaters, so all of the brands come from the same manufacturer.

[peejman]

Just a question. Does your water heater have a pop off valve on top. If so with the heater turned off an cooled down you may be able to open the pop off valve and vent the heater and get a water flow through your hose. That is how I empty mine..........jmho

Put a coffee can or a small bucket under the drain tube coming from the valve. In my experience, once you open that valve it'll never seal right again and will leak occasionally.


And speaking of that, y'all see the myth busters where they disabled the valve and blew up a water heater? Yikes!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jbreKn4PoAc Edited December 2, 2014 by peejman

[Ray Z]

So I've been researching new hot water heaters and each one has a year in the name i.e. "GE 6 yr hot water heater". Is this the expected lifespan of them?


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GE refers to that as predetermined obsolescents. Very large words that mean " we aren't going to use a prophylactic"

Edited December 2, 2014 by Ray Z

[Ray Z]

This thread made me decide to drain my water heater to remove some of the sediment. I turned off the gas and water to the tank. I connected the garden hose to the drain valve/spigot, and turned on the valve/spigot. No water came out.

I was expecting the water to drain from the tank, but water will only come out of the hose while the water to the tank is turned on. Am I missing something?

I wonder how much of the lime buildup is going on in gas water heaters. I know in electric heaters it is part of an electrolytic process with the current flow through the elements.