"Helpful household tip"

[prometheus578]

When was the last time you drained yer hot water heater? Yeah, thought so.
(Mine had been leaking ever so slightly on the garage floor for many years, so I knew it was on it's way out, so I really didn't care too much)
Anyway.... these silly things are supposed to be drained once in a while to get the accumulated sediment flushed out of the bottom. Pain in the ass to remember to do, but an easy task... just need a garden hose.
Anyway... reason for this rant... Just finally replaced mine last month. (I'd only get about 10 minutes of hot water out of it). The sediment had built up so high, that it covered the bottom heating element, and since it couldn't dissipate the heat, burnt up. (no biggie, as I take five minute showers, anyway)
What was interesting, though... was the sediment build up. I estimate about 10 inches thick... a rock-hard, solid mass of calcified who knows what.
When draining the tank to replace it, this stuff wouldn't come out, obviously. Was like 100 pounds of solid cement.
So... just a hint... drain it, before the sediment builds up to the point where it's permanent.

(I feel sorry for you now... as everytime you walk past your hot water heater, or take a shower... you're gonna think about this until you get it done)

[kf4anm]

I helped my neighbor change his a few weeks ago. in a trailer house a gas unit is required to only be accessed from outside. you get a little trap door and good luck. his had been leaking for years and the pedistal and floor were shot. suprising the pilot light didn't burn down his house. we disconnected everything and it wouldn't come out. the door compartment was about 6 inches to small. we figured they put the heater in then ran the gas line so the pipes blocked the bottom of the heater preventing one from lifting it up and jacking out from the bottom. our solution, get the stinking sawzall. a fresh metal blade and some wd40 and the dealt went to town. one trip all the way around and it collapsed on itself and slid right out. no pbr or duct tape involved but once again the sawzall proved invaluable.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Prom,

Yeah, in our previous house we had one in the Garage that was later converted to a bedroom. Cement slab, the utility room slab where the hot water heater sat was a few inches higher, when it blew, it flooded the garage=bedroom, ruined carpet, etc.!!

We have a different house with a GAS hot water heater, wondering if sediment builds up in that as fast since it heats from the bottom up, bubbling action of the gas burning the bottom like a pot of rolling boil water possibly stirring up the sediment and causing it to flow out the top as you run the hot water??

Thanks, another "project" to do before I leave for the VJMC Rally in Suches in a couple of weeks!
T.C.

[Dragonrider]

Now just think...your kidneys get to filter out all that sediment stuff from your drinking water...

[LoHo]

Naw, Danny, that sediment is full of minerals you pay for in your vitamins. The stuff that stays in solution is good for teeth and bones. And scrubbing the hard water deposits off of sinks and toilets is great for ones upper body strength!

[Dragonrider]

Heh...yeah, but does it taste like chicken?

[DiverRay]

Danny, with the tap water you have in Dallas, I know why bottled water sells so well!
IF you can get past the smell, it still tastes BAD.
DAMHIK
Ray

[oseaghdha]

Dallas water smells like swamp spooge.

[prometheus578]

your kidneys get to filter out all that sediment stuff from your drinking water...

Yeah, but you drain that tank several times a day

[xschop]

water tank replacement

Yeah, I just replaced my water tank because it was leaking. The electric heating elements' positive charge attracts the negative charge of Ca- and Mg- in the water (that's the yellowish-white cement on your electrode) so you should drain it at least once a year, more if your water is hard. I installed a new electric tankless water heater (about the size of a laptop)and now I don't have a gas bill anymore. I just recently sent my final drive to AKMAC in the heater box.

[fredintoon]

failure mode

Used to live in Pinawa Manitoba, small town, no piped gas, everyone had an electric water heater. Those beggars didn't sludge up, they failed in a different way.
There's a sacrificial anode hanging from the top of the tank. It's a zinc rod with a steel wire core. The zinc gets eaten away to save the rest of the system but the top,
where the water level is, goes first, leaving the bare steel core to rust through. Then the rod drops to the bottom of the tank and leans over to touch the inside of the tank wall. Then the tank wall rusts through where the rod touches. You never know it's happened until the hot water ain't hot, you go down the basement and the floor is covered in clean warm water. They are carefully designed to not pinhole through until the warranty has expired.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[tommystinson]

Hey xschop, I'm curious. How large is the branch service to the tankless electric? 50A, 240V or something like that? I'm putting in a tankless natural gas water heater this year and it will put out 200,000 BTU/hr. at full tilt. That's over twice what my home heating boiler does!

[xschop]

breaker

I installed 60 amp double breaker 220V. I used the Titan Model, I stole it off ebay for 230 bucks NEW, included overnight shipping....The water will burn you on 3/4 setting.... Plus it only comes on when you turn on the faucet.....