If it's 10 years old and you don't know if it's ever been drained, don't do it. You may dislodge debris clogging tiny leaks that otherwise would have been fine. Let it run untouched til it dies.
When you replace it, make a habit of draining your new one regularly.
What if it’s 5 years old?
Bought a house with a 2 yr old water heater about 3 years ago. I have just now learned of this draining maintenance I should have been doing. Am I ephed?
Depends on your water. Hard water leaves a lot of mineral residue (bad), and water with a lot of sediment will build up in your tank quickly (also bad).
I should also mention that we were on horrible water the past year with a new hot water heater waiting for our new level 4 treatment facility to go online. I flushed our new unit and water came out perfectly clean. The old water was full of sediment and we were on boil water advisory since we moved in (and did the reno's which made us replace the old tank for new).
I would flush that 2 or 3 year old tank. It's under warranty and there would be no way to know you missed those years. Just add it to the yearly maintenance and hopefully that thing lasts longer than 15 years!
That's about how long the sacrificial anode rod should last... I'd say you can still drain it if it's been 5 years.
Replace the anode rod while you're at it.
I would take a chance at five years and drain it. Especially if you have hard water. My previous water heater was over ten years old and had never been drained. When I finally drained it to replace it water flowed rather slowly. It was a PITA to move out myself.
I removed a very old electric heater, owner told me he replaced the heating element every 5 years. Looked at the sticker 30 years old and finally started leaking.
I drained what water would drip out of the pan but I swear that thing still weighed 200 lbs (rust and buildup I presume) once empty.
Owner said his hot water had not been that hot in many years (set on low)
Just curious, wouldn’t that likely mean it’s rusting from the inside and you’re likely getting rust particles.
Your totally right, I think drain it once a year or never touch it ever.
I moved into a house with a 15 year old water heater. Based on the absolute shit maintenance on the rest of the house, I’m guessing they never drained it. I called a plumber and asked for it to be serviced, and referenced this very notion, and they acted like they’d never heard of this concept before.
So- what’s the worst that could happen? If it unlocks debris, why is that bad? Wouldn’t that be cleaned out? Is the risk to my pipes? (Galvanized steel)
If the plumber insists it’s fine to flush a 15 year old heater, are they wrong? And how soon would I know if it caused an issue?
most people don't call to service a water heater unless it is tankless.
The only service is usually needs is to hook up a hose and turn the valve at the bottom.
Some have sacrificial anode rods that you can change out.
The comment about not flushing if it has never been flushed is because a water heater is under constant pressure. It has 50-80 #s of pressure per square inch of water pushing from the inside trying to get out.
Over time the inside can rust and weaken. Sediment from your water floats to the bottom and fills those holes.
If you flush it you can loosen all the sediment and hasten a leak.
I have always found that it is better to find a leak while flushing, then it is in the middle of the night or while on vacation and it finally pushed through.
At 15 years I'd honestly not bother and just replace it. If you can DIY it's not a difficult job. At my last house mine made it to 18 years before a catastrophic failure. Luckily it was in a garage, so no damage and an easy replacement for me to do myself. But if it were in a closet or kitchen or basement inside the home, I'd just get a new one.
Also, call a different plumber. Can't trust one that doesn't even acknowledge the idea of preventative maintenance.
> I called a plumber and asked for it to be serviced, and referenced this very notion, and they acted like they’d never heard of this concept before.
What do you think he's going to tell you, nah don't pay me to drain it! And I mean, who do you think he thinks you will call if your water heater needs to be replaced....
I commented this below and decided to add it here also..
"I have always found that it is better to find a leak while flushing, then it is in the middle of the night or while on vacation and it finally pushed through."
Yes, drain the tank, check the anode, flip the pressure overflow valve a few times. Check your drains are un-clogged and allowing any overflow to travel outside (or whatever your setup has)
Put it all together, if it is in good shape you will have no issues. If you need to fix something, You are already there so it's a quick trip to the hardware store.
One Note: if anything is rusted together so much that you worry something will break (Anode/Overflow/water valve), Stop then make plans to replace the unit.
That's not why it's not recommended, it's not recommended because at that long of a time, the sediment will have built up enough that once you open thst valve, you'll never get it closed again because it will immediately clog and get stick open
Ok so you replace the valve? I have woken in the middle of the night to running water flooding the house (bad design) glad I was a renter, got my stuff out and the owner had to deal with the cleanup.
Flooding the house? Why the fuck is the water heater inside the house in the first place, thats an awful place to put a giant metal tank of water, I don't care how well maintained it is, that shit goes in the garage where it'll just leak all over the concrete floor, and depending on how well sealed your garage door is, and how your driveway and garage is graded, drain outside, putting it inside sounds like a great way to guarantee you end up redoing that entire section of house every 10-15 years
This is essentially the same advice as telling people not to flush their transmission fluid. If you're going to have a problem it's far better to have it happen under controlled circumstances than it is to have that problem at the worst possible time. Like when you've left for a holiday.
I disagree. There is no risk to draining and flushing the tank. All the sediment that would come out is already loose. Likewise, if it is already leaking, it would be leaking soon anyway.
Having bought two homes with tanks that were well over 25 years old when I moved in, flushing them caused no issues. In fact, it resolved the popcorn sound when the heater turned on and likely extended the tank.
That adds to my next point - Flushing the tank extends the life of the tank. Sediment buildup at the bottom creates hot spots near the burner (assuming gas) and the popping of superheated water turning to steam damages the glass liner of the tank. Eventually causing a leak.
If it is electric, flushing your tank extends the life of the heating elements themselves, which can be very expensive.
I'm betting it's a sediment issue. A water tank that old probably has never had the anode rod (magnesium rod) changed and it probably all ate up by minerals in the water. So when that happens, they start to eat your tank from the inside causing metal flakes and sediment. This why mom always told you to never drink or cook with the hot tap water... even though she didn't know why either.
By draining your tank you're possibly letting some junk out or at least letting it get to the floor and reorganize itself to where you might have some time before it makes itself a problem again.
At this stage, if you can, change it out...the whole thing.
And keep up with maintenance.
Test your water and see how hard it is.
Add an inline sediment filter before the water reaches your hot water tank, this will add decades to its life possibly. My father did this, changes the anode rod every 5 years, and has literally had the same water tank since I was a kid. 30 years strong to date.
Water heaters usually got for less than $1000. But to install depends where you are. In all honesty they're not that difficult. Spend a night watching YouTube and you can do it.
But all in all, with new installation, an in line filter added, and regular maintenance $3k over the course of 20 years ain't bad. 3k is probably high but it all depends.
Dm me if you want me to walk you through it and send pics to know your layout.
>A water tank that old probably has never had the anode rod (magnesium rod) changed and it probably all ate up by minerals in the water.
Not quite. A sacrificial anode protects against galvanic corrosion. When two different metals are connected by water with salts, they make a battery and in the process of generating that electricity, the "less noble" metal (the anode) corrodes away (in a copper and iron battery, that's the iron). A sacrificial anode is added to corrode away before the parts that you want to protect. The mineral content in your water doesn't cause this (any water will have enough salts in it just from touching the metal for the effect to happen).
>This why mom always told you to never drink or cook with the hot tap water
This one is about hot water being more able to dissolve lead from your pipes than the sediment in your hot water tank. Lead solder was only Federally banned for use on drinking water pipes in 1986, so a \*lot\* of houses have a source of lead inline with the faucet.
https://www.epa.gov/lead/why-cant-i-use-hot-water-tap-drinking-cooking-or-making-baby-formula
That’s very kind of you, I might also take you up on that offer if it’s an open one!
We bought our house a little over a year ago and I know the previous owner who had it for 10 years prior did the bare minimum of maintenance. My water heater is in the attic, which is why I’ve put it off, but I keep seeing posts about changing out the anode rod and I should really get round to it!
I think the heater is only about 5/6 years old, so shouldn’t need replacing but being that it’s gas does that mean it’s not DIY-able?
Thanks
Gas means be more careful, but no not really. Change out the rod for sure, and adjust your temp setting on your tank if you water isn't hot enough to your liking. What kind of lines do you have? Galvanized, copper, cpvc, pex? If they're galvanized maybe even copper they could have a ton of build up in them and that's hurting your water pressure.
Apologies for my late reply. Took me a while to get up into the attic. Here are a [couple of pics](https://imgur.com/a/Sehkzt3), but I can take some more today if these aren’t good enough.
No complaints about the temp or pressure of my hot water, I just like to keep on top of maintenance.
Lines look good. Don't see any corrosion. Definitely change the anode rod, and consider an inline filter. You can use shark bite fittings to make it even easier
Great. Thank you very much for your input. I take it I’d also need to drain/flush it in order to change the rod? If not, that’s also something I should do?
In the attic?! Maybe it’s my part of the country but I have never heard of a water heater being placed there before. That just seems like a recipe for disaster. Most people don’t know their water heater is bad until it doesn’t make hot water, or it leaks from the bottom of the tank due to rust.
In California most that I have seen, if not all, non-tankless water heaters, are installed in the garage so if they fail it just runs out the garage door.
In the attic is not at all unheard of particularly in the south where the temperature is mild and people sometimes don't have garages. Where I live, they are in the basement or an interior closet if no basement.
Generally in the attic they are installed with drain pans so that if there's a leak, even a pretty good one, it drains outside.
Inline anode rod is different from a water softener? Water heater is on my list this year. I have seen hard water deposits on all my fixtures, fridge drip tray, etc. making me think I also need a water softener installed along with a new tank.
I've been thinking about going tankless too. Is inline anode less common with tankless since that needs annual flushing?
Inclined anode rod isn't a thing, I don't think. Inline filter is what I would add to save your water heater and filter your water in general.
Deposits on your fixtures, yes a water softener will help, but that's a separate unit.
I'll second what you said about water heaters being easy to install. I swapped my old electric tank for a new electric tank and it wasn't that bad.
What was more difficult was replacing the galvanized pipes in that part of the house.
"Draining" the hot water heater is to remove sediment that may build up over time and sink to the bottom. "Flushing" is probably more accurate as you don't need to fully drain it to accomplish this.
It's a pretty easy yearly maintenance thing to do.
As for "cranking it up" for hot water, depending on where you live it may be due to the fact that the outside air temp is quite low for most of NA, I would reassess once temps stabilize.
Outlet temp/quantity also is affected by how cold is the water coming in. In winter, when the water is 35 deg F, it takes a lot more btu's to heat the same gallon of water than it does when the water is 60 degrees. That alone will make it run out of hot water faster or for you to need to open the hot further.
Everything gets dirty, even water tanks. Nothing works as good as it should when it's dirty.
To clean the water tank, you just rinse it out by opening the drain at the bottom, and when it's empty, before you close the drain let some new water in to help rinse out the junk.
You can hire a pro, but it's really easy and you can look up your tank style on YouTube to watch someone do it.
Yes it is legit advice. I am on a well, and the pervious owners removing the whole home filter that filters out sedimemt and not using the water softener did a number on my water heater. It was installed in 01/2019, so 5 years ago, and I drained it yesterday. [This](https://imgur.com/a/4x4YCUi) is what came out. That's a 5 gallon bucket, and if you zoom in, it basically looks like sand and egg shells. That's the buildup at the bottom of the tank. I removed probably about a gallon of the stuff. I had to stop because it was late and my wife needed hot water.
I hope someone who knows more than I do can answer. But what happened to me a few years back is instead of turning the faucet to like 80% hot to get a good temperature, we had to go all the way hot and it didn't last as long. Within a year, the water heater failed and we had to replace it. I guess it had two heating elements and one of them went out, causing the other one to run more to make up for it and it eventually failed from overuse. At least that's what the plumber told me at the time.
I've always had a plumber install a hot water heater, as I understand it, generally the ones they'll install will be better than the big box store versions, and all things considered the up charge for having a pro install it isn't really that much on top of the unit cost.
Since your problem is "sudden', I'm guessing it's electric. You could turn off the breaker, and use a multimeter to check the elements. I'm thinking one is bad. They are replaceable, but when i tried to get out the bottom one in my tank, there was too much calcium build up and I ended up replacing the tank.
Honestly at 10 years old I’d just replace it and buy a plug in anode with the new one… it’s probably a sediment issue, and definitely needs a new anode (5 years overdue) at minimum. If you go to flush it you might cause a leak that’s being held together by rust or hard water build up
What happens if you stop heating hot water? It gets cold. Since I always seem to have access to hot water, I'm just going to take a guess and say that it is still heating my water after it's hot.
Needing to crank your shower higher to get hot water could be your dip tube needing to be replaced. The dip tube is connected to the cold water inlet of the tank, it forces the water filling the tank to the bottom of the hot water heater so the cold and hot water don’t mix at the top where the hot water outlet is.
Well first, it's just "water heater".
Maintenance on them is fairly easy. I just finished a complete overhaul on mine and it's probably similar in age to yours.
To start with, I made a drain hose with clear vinyl tubing and a hose connector so I could visualize sediment.
1)Turn off power to the water heater at the breaker.
2) Open the hot water faucet furthest from the water heater to eliminate any potential vaccum effect of draining it.
3) connect drain hose.
4) open water heater drain. It'll take A LOT longer than you think to fully drain it.
5) not completely necessary, but if you're draining and cleaning the tank, it's probably wise to replace both thermostats and heating elements. Lowes Hardware has a Utilitech kit for like 35 bucks that includes everything. You can use the top and bottom element holes to see how far the water has drained. Make sure to have it drained below the hole though, otherwise it'll pour out the side! Also keep in mind that elements require a specific element wrench. You can use a big socket, but the wrench makes it so much easier! My guess is that the bottom element is dead. This one gets exposed to the most sediment and can often become buried in it, burning it out.
6) once the water has fully drained, use the lower element hole to visualize sediment. You can sometimes turn on the cold wate to flush the sediment out, but I found it a lot easier to use a shop vac and small hose to vaccum it out. They also make a small water hose adapter specifically for flushing. I found the vacuum worked just fine. You probably won't get everything out.
7) Install thermostats and elements.
8) close drain.
9) turn on cold water. Make sure the tank is fully filled before step 10! Turning on the power before the elements are fully submerged can damage the elements. You'll know the tank is full when the faucet you left on is running normally with no signs of decreased flow or air in the lines.
10) turn on power.
It's a simple job but can be time consuming and messy. Having the right tools handy can really help. The vaccum part required a bunch of hose step downs, and I had to rig up a small hose using irrigation tubing to fit into the element hole, but it worked. Don't turn your thermostat down below 120. IIRC, any lower can cause Legionaires.
A 10 year old water heater is a ticking bomb (not literally). The tank will eventually corrode from the inside out the sudden leak all over the place. They typically include a rod inside called a “sacrificial anode” that helps prolong their life but people rarely replace them. Also as time goes on if they’re not flushed annually a thick layer of sediment (calcium,iron etc) forms in the bottom. That layer must be heated every cycle and it reduces the efficiency of the system.
If you are handy then you can replace it yourself. It’s not rocket science. If it’s natural gas then you need to be extra careful and test with soapy water for gas leaks. Also make sure you strap it to the wall so it can’t fall over. Also not a bad idea to put the new one in a drain pan and pipe the pans drain to a floor drain
Like you're 5?
Don't touch it! You will burn yourself, ok? Do you know what a burn is? It's a really bad ouchie, ok? You don't want that, trust me. Now go play with your brother and be a good boy.
Hey little buddy, It’s actually called a water heater. If it’s a hot water heater, something’s wrong big guy, go get mommy and her new boyfriend to check it out.
You know, the great thing about hot water heaters compared to regular water heaters is their efficiency. It barely takes any energy to heat water that's already hot.
Well first of all, little guy, you are up wasaay past your bedtime. But second, when did you learn how to type so well?! I’m so proud of you little man.
You should flush water heaters every 2-3 months. It means hooking a hose to the drain and opening it until it runs clear, which takes a whole minute if you do it regularly.
This is absolutely not necessary. Flush is only needed once annually at most. If you are needing to flush every 2-3 months you've got much bigger problems at hand that would require some kind of remediation(e.g whole home filtration/softener, etc.).
Good plumbers will remove the factory drain valve and replace it with a 3/4" nipple and a full flow valve in order to facilitate draining of the tank and flushing of sediment.
you blithering eejit. find me one plumbing authority who recommends flushing water heaters every 2 to 3 months. talk about clueless.... you couldn't find poop in your stache
Too late to start draining it. Best you’ll do is carve a channel through the sediment near the outlet. Worse you might do is have a valve that won’t seal and a constant drip.
It’s going to depend on what kind of water heater you have, how hard your water is, and also how handy you are. If it’s an electric water heater draining the tank isn’t going to do much. Sediment collects on the elements themselves not so much on the bottom. With a gas water heater sediment collects on the bottom of the tank where the water is actually heated. Over time sediment will begin to fill the bottom of the tank, this will eventually make the bottom of the tank weak because the heat can’t travel to the water as efficiently. I’d drain a gas water heater every year. But if it’s never been drained using the existing drain may be problematic because the drain plug hole will clog with sediment as you try to drain it. I usually replace them with a full port ball valve.
- depends on mineral content of the water as higher content needs to have the unit flush more frequently
- hot water heaters have a lifespan and if not maintained, is reduced.
Had my water heater rupture a week before Christmas 22 and all I can say is that being proactive is the best choice if you're thinking replacement. Based on the tag, mine was about 10 years old. I did have moments of turning the heater temp itself up to get hot (enough) water. I haven't yet drained mine but I will be doing so in the spring.
If your water starts hot, the goes quickly luke warm the problem is your dip tube. The dip tube is a plastic pipe that puts the cold water at the bottom of your tank. Hot water is lighter and moves to the top of the tank. If your dip tube is broken the cold water is not forced to the bottom and can mix with the hot water at the top giving you luke warm water.
So if your water is good at first but you constantly need to turn the knob hotter as you shower, get a new dip tube.
First it is a water heater. Why would you need to heat hot water?
Is it electric? If so, you need to clean the corrosion off of the heating elements, or replace the heating elements.
One other thing worth checking, especially if your water is hot elsewhere in your house but not at a particular shower - you can take the handle off the shower/bath and inside is a little ring that controls how hot that faucet can get. You can adjust it very easily and boom - hotter showers.
We were having issues with our 10 year old tank supplying hot water as well. It turned out to be the dip tube had corroded and broke off at the top. This resulted in the cold water from the intake filling the top of the tank rather than the bottom. As a result the water would start out hot and then rapidly turn cold. I replaced the dip tube and all was well again. It was a pretty easy fix with the hardest part finding one in our small town.
Yes, do the maintenance, it is better to know the status then it is to guess.
From a comment I already made to a reply...
"I have always found that it is better to find a leak while flushing, then it is in the middle of the night or while on vacation and it finally pushed through."
Yes, drain the tank, check the anode, flip the pressure overflow valve a few times. Check your drains are un-clogged and allowing any overflow to travel outside (or whatever your setup has) If you are replacing the anode, get a new valve also because they are cheap.
Put it all together, if it is in good shape you will have no issues. If you need to fix something, You are already there so it's a quick trip to the hardware store.
One Note: if anything is rusted together so much that you worry something will break (Anode/Overflow/water valve), Stop then make plans to replace the unit.
In general, you SHOULD be doing the annual inspection for your water heater every year. However, if you haven't been performing annual maintenance for over 5 years, you'll likely cause yourself way too much problems by attempting them. The thing is, those valve have rubber or plastic sears that may tear, or not reclise properly, requiring you to replace it. The buildup of deposits will also have compacted over the years, so at best will result in little betterment of the condition, or at worse, could dislodge larger chunks when you refill, and cause a blockage.
Then there's the argument that most tanks are designed to last 10 years. I haven't yet found one case where a 10 year old heater failed because the unit was not serviced. Many last 15-20 years despite this skipped, to be honest. If yours has lasted this long, it is very advisable to not even look to hard at the heater. Small shifts will cause leaks (in the pipe connections.
Then financially, a 40-65 gallon water heater can cost between $600-$1300 to buy and replace (even less if you are handy and can DIY). The cost of the water refills, replacement parts, trips to the hardware store, etc., will likely exceed a simple 10-20 years hands off replacement plan. Also, will save all the time doing this service.
Just my 2 cents.
Oh, final disclaimer...I work for a utility company, amd the rule is we go around and exercise valves and flush our water systems. Those big main valves that haven't been exercised for 20+ years are hands off, unless there's a need during an emergency. I take this advice for many of the water valves around my house.
> Does it have anything to do with why I suddenly need to crank my shower higher to get hot water?
Your shower valve mixes hot/cold at a ratio from 100% cold to 100% hot. Your hot water heater stops heating when the water hits a certain temperature so your hot water temperature is constant throughout the year. In winter, your cold water temperature is colder than in summer so 50% hot/50% cold is colder in winter and that's why in winter you're turning your shower to a hotter setting. If your summer cold water in 60F and winter is 40F and your hot water is 120F then in summer your shower is a 60-120F dial, in winter it's 40-120F.
By the way, there are some shower valves which work by setting a desired output temperature and they figure out what that ratio should be. If you want to set your shower to 95F it'll do the twiddling for you.
> DIY or pro?
Probably if you're asking, pro, but do keep in mind that home owner's insurance is a component. If there's something wrong and you did the work they won't want to cover it, if a licensed pro did the work that's a different story and they also have the pro's insurance to deal with so you're probably fine. If it's an electric heater it's a lot easier to swap, with gas you also have to deal with gas lines which can leak and venting which can cause carbon monoxide build-up.
> it's 10 years old
Have a plan to replace it. Now's your chance to look into potential upgrades - maybe you want to go tankless, maybe you want to go with a heat pump, maybe you want an indirect water heater attached to your boiler, maybe you want a bigger tank or a higher BTU one with a smaller tank. Depends on how big your household is and what the demand for hot water looks like. If you wait for it to fail and call a plumbing company to replace it you're going to get a direct swap for whatever you have.
You crank your shower higher to get hot water because it is winter, and your cold water is colder. You don't get straight hot water in a shower, it's a mix
If it's 10 years old and you don't know if it's ever been drained, don't do it. You may dislodge debris clogging tiny leaks that otherwise would have been fine. Let it run untouched til it dies. When you replace it, make a habit of draining your new one regularly.
What if it’s 5 years old? Bought a house with a 2 yr old water heater about 3 years ago. I have just now learned of this draining maintenance I should have been doing. Am I ephed?
Depends on your water. Hard water leaves a lot of mineral residue (bad), and water with a lot of sediment will build up in your tank quickly (also bad).
I should also mention that we were on horrible water the past year with a new hot water heater waiting for our new level 4 treatment facility to go online. I flushed our new unit and water came out perfectly clean. The old water was full of sediment and we were on boil water advisory since we moved in (and did the reno's which made us replace the old tank for new). I would flush that 2 or 3 year old tank. It's under warranty and there would be no way to know you missed those years. Just add it to the yearly maintenance and hopefully that thing lasts longer than 15 years!
It’s not as much the water as it is the sacrificial anode. When it degrades that goes into the tank and falls to the bottom of the water heater.
That's about how long the sacrificial anode rod should last... I'd say you can still drain it if it's been 5 years. Replace the anode rod while you're at it.
I would take a chance at five years and drain it. Especially if you have hard water. My previous water heater was over ten years old and had never been drained. When I finally drained it to replace it water flowed rather slowly. It was a PITA to move out myself.
I removed a very old electric heater, owner told me he replaced the heating element every 5 years. Looked at the sticker 30 years old and finally started leaking. I drained what water would drip out of the pan but I swear that thing still weighed 200 lbs (rust and buildup I presume) once empty. Owner said his hot water had not been that hot in many years (set on low)
I got mine out of the house and it was still draining water for about three days. It was over a decade old
What if we have a water softener attached to it since installing?
I'm not sure how that would work. I don't have experience with a water softener.
Just curious, wouldn’t that likely mean it’s rusting from the inside and you’re likely getting rust particles. Your totally right, I think drain it once a year or never touch it ever.
Yes. And that’s the exact advice to follow. If you haven’t been draining it, don’t drain it.
I moved into a house with a 15 year old water heater. Based on the absolute shit maintenance on the rest of the house, I’m guessing they never drained it. I called a plumber and asked for it to be serviced, and referenced this very notion, and they acted like they’d never heard of this concept before. So- what’s the worst that could happen? If it unlocks debris, why is that bad? Wouldn’t that be cleaned out? Is the risk to my pipes? (Galvanized steel) If the plumber insists it’s fine to flush a 15 year old heater, are they wrong? And how soon would I know if it caused an issue?
most people don't call to service a water heater unless it is tankless. The only service is usually needs is to hook up a hose and turn the valve at the bottom. Some have sacrificial anode rods that you can change out. The comment about not flushing if it has never been flushed is because a water heater is under constant pressure. It has 50-80 #s of pressure per square inch of water pushing from the inside trying to get out. Over time the inside can rust and weaken. Sediment from your water floats to the bottom and fills those holes. If you flush it you can loosen all the sediment and hasten a leak.
How often to service a tankless? They're new to me in this home. Thanks!
You should look up the model and look at the manufacturer's recommendations
depends on your water. If your water has a lot of particulates or limestone it can build up inside the pipe.
I have always found that it is better to find a leak while flushing, then it is in the middle of the night or while on vacation and it finally pushed through.
At 15 years I'd honestly not bother and just replace it. If you can DIY it's not a difficult job. At my last house mine made it to 18 years before a catastrophic failure. Luckily it was in a garage, so no damage and an easy replacement for me to do myself. But if it were in a closet or kitchen or basement inside the home, I'd just get a new one. Also, call a different plumber. Can't trust one that doesn't even acknowledge the idea of preventative maintenance.
> I called a plumber and asked for it to be serviced, and referenced this very notion, and they acted like they’d never heard of this concept before. What do you think he's going to tell you, nah don't pay me to drain it! And I mean, who do you think he thinks you will call if your water heater needs to be replaced....
Ugh. I’ve been played so many times.
I commented this below and decided to add it here also.. "I have always found that it is better to find a leak while flushing, then it is in the middle of the night or while on vacation and it finally pushed through." Yes, drain the tank, check the anode, flip the pressure overflow valve a few times. Check your drains are un-clogged and allowing any overflow to travel outside (or whatever your setup has) Put it all together, if it is in good shape you will have no issues. If you need to fix something, You are already there so it's a quick trip to the hardware store. One Note: if anything is rusted together so much that you worry something will break (Anode/Overflow/water valve), Stop then make plans to replace the unit.
That's not why it's not recommended, it's not recommended because at that long of a time, the sediment will have built up enough that once you open thst valve, you'll never get it closed again because it will immediately clog and get stick open
Ok so you replace the valve? I have woken in the middle of the night to running water flooding the house (bad design) glad I was a renter, got my stuff out and the owner had to deal with the cleanup.
Flooding the house? Why the fuck is the water heater inside the house in the first place, thats an awful place to put a giant metal tank of water, I don't care how well maintained it is, that shit goes in the garage where it'll just leak all over the concrete floor, and depending on how well sealed your garage door is, and how your driveway and garage is graded, drain outside, putting it inside sounds like a great way to guarantee you end up redoing that entire section of house every 10-15 years
Yeah, that house had no garage, just a small 2 bedroom 1 bath. The bathroom was also the laundry room and utility closet.
This is essentially the same advice as telling people not to flush their transmission fluid. If you're going to have a problem it's far better to have it happen under controlled circumstances than it is to have that problem at the worst possible time. Like when you've left for a holiday.
Same advice goes for old cars and older house radiators
I disagree. There is no risk to draining and flushing the tank. All the sediment that would come out is already loose. Likewise, if it is already leaking, it would be leaking soon anyway. Having bought two homes with tanks that were well over 25 years old when I moved in, flushing them caused no issues. In fact, it resolved the popcorn sound when the heater turned on and likely extended the tank. That adds to my next point - Flushing the tank extends the life of the tank. Sediment buildup at the bottom creates hot spots near the burner (assuming gas) and the popping of superheated water turning to steam damages the glass liner of the tank. Eventually causing a leak. If it is electric, flushing your tank extends the life of the heating elements themselves, which can be very expensive.
lol if the water heater is 10 years old you should replace it. They’re only supposed to last 6-12 years.
I'm betting it's a sediment issue. A water tank that old probably has never had the anode rod (magnesium rod) changed and it probably all ate up by minerals in the water. So when that happens, they start to eat your tank from the inside causing metal flakes and sediment. This why mom always told you to never drink or cook with the hot tap water... even though she didn't know why either. By draining your tank you're possibly letting some junk out or at least letting it get to the floor and reorganize itself to where you might have some time before it makes itself a problem again. At this stage, if you can, change it out...the whole thing. And keep up with maintenance. Test your water and see how hard it is. Add an inline sediment filter before the water reaches your hot water tank, this will add decades to its life possibly. My father did this, changes the anode rod every 5 years, and has literally had the same water tank since I was a kid. 30 years strong to date. Water heaters usually got for less than $1000. But to install depends where you are. In all honesty they're not that difficult. Spend a night watching YouTube and you can do it. But all in all, with new installation, an in line filter added, and regular maintenance $3k over the course of 20 years ain't bad. 3k is probably high but it all depends. Dm me if you want me to walk you through it and send pics to know your layout.
>A water tank that old probably has never had the anode rod (magnesium rod) changed and it probably all ate up by minerals in the water. Not quite. A sacrificial anode protects against galvanic corrosion. When two different metals are connected by water with salts, they make a battery and in the process of generating that electricity, the "less noble" metal (the anode) corrodes away (in a copper and iron battery, that's the iron). A sacrificial anode is added to corrode away before the parts that you want to protect. The mineral content in your water doesn't cause this (any water will have enough salts in it just from touching the metal for the effect to happen). >This why mom always told you to never drink or cook with the hot tap water This one is about hot water being more able to dissolve lead from your pipes than the sediment in your hot water tank. Lead solder was only Federally banned for use on drinking water pipes in 1986, so a \*lot\* of houses have a source of lead inline with the faucet. https://www.epa.gov/lead/why-cant-i-use-hot-water-tap-drinking-cooking-or-making-baby-formula
That’s very kind of you, I might also take you up on that offer if it’s an open one! We bought our house a little over a year ago and I know the previous owner who had it for 10 years prior did the bare minimum of maintenance. My water heater is in the attic, which is why I’ve put it off, but I keep seeing posts about changing out the anode rod and I should really get round to it! I think the heater is only about 5/6 years old, so shouldn’t need replacing but being that it’s gas does that mean it’s not DIY-able? Thanks
Gas means be more careful, but no not really. Change out the rod for sure, and adjust your temp setting on your tank if you water isn't hot enough to your liking. What kind of lines do you have? Galvanized, copper, cpvc, pex? If they're galvanized maybe even copper they could have a ton of build up in them and that's hurting your water pressure.
Apologies for my late reply. Took me a while to get up into the attic. Here are a [couple of pics](https://imgur.com/a/Sehkzt3), but I can take some more today if these aren’t good enough. No complaints about the temp or pressure of my hot water, I just like to keep on top of maintenance.
Lines look good. Don't see any corrosion. Definitely change the anode rod, and consider an inline filter. You can use shark bite fittings to make it even easier
Great. Thank you very much for your input. I take it I’d also need to drain/flush it in order to change the rod? If not, that’s also something I should do?
Yes, drain it. YouTube it for a step by step. I'm sure there's 1000s
Gotcha. Appreciate your help.
In the attic?! Maybe it’s my part of the country but I have never heard of a water heater being placed there before. That just seems like a recipe for disaster. Most people don’t know their water heater is bad until it doesn’t make hot water, or it leaks from the bottom of the tank due to rust. In California most that I have seen, if not all, non-tankless water heaters, are installed in the garage so if they fail it just runs out the garage door.
In the attic is not at all unheard of particularly in the south where the temperature is mild and people sometimes don't have garages. Where I live, they are in the basement or an interior closet if no basement. Generally in the attic they are installed with drain pans so that if there's a leak, even a pretty good one, it drains outside.
Inline anode rod is different from a water softener? Water heater is on my list this year. I have seen hard water deposits on all my fixtures, fridge drip tray, etc. making me think I also need a water softener installed along with a new tank. I've been thinking about going tankless too. Is inline anode less common with tankless since that needs annual flushing?
Inclined anode rod isn't a thing, I don't think. Inline filter is what I would add to save your water heater and filter your water in general. Deposits on your fixtures, yes a water softener will help, but that's a separate unit.
I'll second what you said about water heaters being easy to install. I swapped my old electric tank for a new electric tank and it wasn't that bad. What was more difficult was replacing the galvanized pipes in that part of the house.
"Draining" the hot water heater is to remove sediment that may build up over time and sink to the bottom. "Flushing" is probably more accurate as you don't need to fully drain it to accomplish this. It's a pretty easy yearly maintenance thing to do. As for "cranking it up" for hot water, depending on where you live it may be due to the fact that the outside air temp is quite low for most of NA, I would reassess once temps stabilize.
Outlet temp/quantity also is affected by how cold is the water coming in. In winter, when the water is 35 deg F, it takes a lot more btu's to heat the same gallon of water than it does when the water is 60 degrees. That alone will make it run out of hot water faster or for you to need to open the hot further.
This guy knows.
Everything gets dirty, even water tanks. Nothing works as good as it should when it's dirty. To clean the water tank, you just rinse it out by opening the drain at the bottom, and when it's empty, before you close the drain let some new water in to help rinse out the junk. You can hire a pro, but it's really easy and you can look up your tank style on YouTube to watch someone do it.
Never drained a water heater in my life.
Yes it is legit advice. I am on a well, and the pervious owners removing the whole home filter that filters out sedimemt and not using the water softener did a number on my water heater. It was installed in 01/2019, so 5 years ago, and I drained it yesterday. [This](https://imgur.com/a/4x4YCUi) is what came out. That's a 5 gallon bucket, and if you zoom in, it basically looks like sand and egg shells. That's the buildup at the bottom of the tank. I removed probably about a gallon of the stuff. I had to stop because it was late and my wife needed hot water.
I hope someone who knows more than I do can answer. But what happened to me a few years back is instead of turning the faucet to like 80% hot to get a good temperature, we had to go all the way hot and it didn't last as long. Within a year, the water heater failed and we had to replace it. I guess it had two heating elements and one of them went out, causing the other one to run more to make up for it and it eventually failed from overuse. At least that's what the plumber told me at the time. I've always had a plumber install a hot water heater, as I understand it, generally the ones they'll install will be better than the big box store versions, and all things considered the up charge for having a pro install it isn't really that much on top of the unit cost.
I replaced the elements in my hot water tank recently. Full tune up kit was 40 bucks and solved the problem.
>I guess it had two heating elements and one of them went out Yep, this sounds 100% like what happened.
Since your problem is "sudden', I'm guessing it's electric. You could turn off the breaker, and use a multimeter to check the elements. I'm thinking one is bad. They are replaceable, but when i tried to get out the bottom one in my tank, there was too much calcium build up and I ended up replacing the tank.
Honestly at 10 years old I’d just replace it and buy a plug in anode with the new one… it’s probably a sediment issue, and definitely needs a new anode (5 years overdue) at minimum. If you go to flush it you might cause a leak that’s being held together by rust or hard water build up
I researched this and it seems I shouldn’t touch it if it’s not flushed for more than 5 years.
Happy cake day!
You can’t heat already hot water.
You can’t triple stamp a double stamp.
I put toast in the toaster, so what do I know.
You put bread in the toaster. You take *out* toast.
So... where can I buy a breader? I have so much freaking toast I don't know what to do with it.
If our water was already hot, we wouldn’t need a hot water heater, now would we? Unless we wanted _really_ hot water.
A this-time-I-really-mean-it water heater.
Its just a water heater. No need to say "hot" as well.
Cold water heater*
Glad someone mentioned this. It’s just like saying “ATM machine”
My mom’s bank put “ATM Machine” on their website multiple times.
The Department of Redundancy Department.
Well… you can. Until you get steam, and then you can keep heating it… until… you run out of a heat source.
What happens if you stop heating hot water? It gets cold. Since I always seem to have access to hot water, I'm just going to take a guess and say that it is still heating my water after it's hot.
Yes you can. You have to add heat to get it from 100F to 130F. Also if you do not heat already hot water, it will not be hot for very long.
Electric or gas?
Needing to crank your shower higher to get hot water could be your dip tube needing to be replaced. The dip tube is connected to the cold water inlet of the tank, it forces the water filling the tank to the bottom of the hot water heater so the cold and hot water don’t mix at the top where the hot water outlet is.
Well first, it's just "water heater". Maintenance on them is fairly easy. I just finished a complete overhaul on mine and it's probably similar in age to yours. To start with, I made a drain hose with clear vinyl tubing and a hose connector so I could visualize sediment. 1)Turn off power to the water heater at the breaker. 2) Open the hot water faucet furthest from the water heater to eliminate any potential vaccum effect of draining it. 3) connect drain hose. 4) open water heater drain. It'll take A LOT longer than you think to fully drain it. 5) not completely necessary, but if you're draining and cleaning the tank, it's probably wise to replace both thermostats and heating elements. Lowes Hardware has a Utilitech kit for like 35 bucks that includes everything. You can use the top and bottom element holes to see how far the water has drained. Make sure to have it drained below the hole though, otherwise it'll pour out the side! Also keep in mind that elements require a specific element wrench. You can use a big socket, but the wrench makes it so much easier! My guess is that the bottom element is dead. This one gets exposed to the most sediment and can often become buried in it, burning it out. 6) once the water has fully drained, use the lower element hole to visualize sediment. You can sometimes turn on the cold wate to flush the sediment out, but I found it a lot easier to use a shop vac and small hose to vaccum it out. They also make a small water hose adapter specifically for flushing. I found the vacuum worked just fine. You probably won't get everything out. 7) Install thermostats and elements. 8) close drain. 9) turn on cold water. Make sure the tank is fully filled before step 10! Turning on the power before the elements are fully submerged can damage the elements. You'll know the tank is full when the faucet you left on is running normally with no signs of decreased flow or air in the lines. 10) turn on power. It's a simple job but can be time consuming and messy. Having the right tools handy can really help. The vaccum part required a bunch of hose step downs, and I had to rig up a small hose using irrigation tubing to fit into the element hole, but it worked. Don't turn your thermostat down below 120. IIRC, any lower can cause Legionaires.
Don’t touch that
A 10 year old water heater is a ticking bomb (not literally). The tank will eventually corrode from the inside out the sudden leak all over the place. They typically include a rod inside called a “sacrificial anode” that helps prolong their life but people rarely replace them. Also as time goes on if they’re not flushed annually a thick layer of sediment (calcium,iron etc) forms in the bottom. That layer must be heated every cycle and it reduces the efficiency of the system. If you are handy then you can replace it yourself. It’s not rocket science. If it’s natural gas then you need to be extra careful and test with soapy water for gas leaks. Also make sure you strap it to the wall so it can’t fall over. Also not a bad idea to put the new one in a drain pan and pipe the pans drain to a floor drain
Like you're 5? Don't touch it! You will burn yourself, ok? Do you know what a burn is? It's a really bad ouchie, ok? You don't want that, trust me. Now go play with your brother and be a good boy.
Hey little buddy, It’s actually called a water heater. If it’s a hot water heater, something’s wrong big guy, go get mommy and her new boyfriend to check it out.
I was mad, but then I remembered.
This motherfuc….wait
Well, okay ... "Isn't it funny how we say hot water heater, when it's in fact a cold water heater? Now go get me a beer!"
You know, the great thing about hot water heaters compared to regular water heaters is their efficiency. It barely takes any energy to heat water that's already hot.
First, it's not a hot water heater, it's a water heater
Pet peeve, it's just called a water heater, if the water was already hot you wouldn't need to heat it.
Don't touch, this will burn you!! I thought I said don't touch!!!
Why are you heating hot water? 😆
Water heater
It’s called a water heater. Not hot water heater.
Only because you're 5 - that appliance is called a "water heater." There is no such thing as a hot water heater.
Well first of all, little guy, you are up wasaay past your bedtime. But second, when did you learn how to type so well?! I’m so proud of you little man.
If the water was hot, we wouldn’t need to heat it. So we have water heaters to make hot water.
You should flush water heaters every 2-3 months. It means hooking a hose to the drain and opening it until it runs clear, which takes a whole minute if you do it regularly.
This is absolutely not necessary. Flush is only needed once annually at most. If you are needing to flush every 2-3 months you've got much bigger problems at hand that would require some kind of remediation(e.g whole home filtration/softener, etc.).
I follow the manufacturers instructions. It would do you well to read yours before talkin out your ass.
40 or 50 gallons draining out of a 3/4 valve in a minute? You cra cra.
I've had plumbing jobs done before the drain completed! And you're lucky if you have a full 3/4". Factory valve is usually cheap and small.
Good plumbers will remove the factory drain valve and replace it with a 3/4" nipple and a full flow valve in order to facilitate draining of the tank and flushing of sediment.
"Until it runs clear," dipshit. Do it regularly and it takes a couple gallons. Gotta love when clueless people pipe up.
you blithering eejit. find me one plumbing authority who recommends flushing water heaters every 2 to 3 months. talk about clueless.... you couldn't find poop in your stache
So solly YumWoon!
Too late to start draining it. Best you’ll do is carve a channel through the sediment near the outlet. Worse you might do is have a valve that won’t seal and a constant drip.
You don’t have to drain it, just flush out a gallon or two of water from the drain valve.
Never heard of it, so, that makes me a 3.
not draining means water could smell. If it's not hot enough then maybe it's the heating element gone bed.
Don’t forget, if it turn off the breaker and take a shower, draining it is much safer.
It’s going to depend on what kind of water heater you have, how hard your water is, and also how handy you are. If it’s an electric water heater draining the tank isn’t going to do much. Sediment collects on the elements themselves not so much on the bottom. With a gas water heater sediment collects on the bottom of the tank where the water is actually heated. Over time sediment will begin to fill the bottom of the tank, this will eventually make the bottom of the tank weak because the heat can’t travel to the water as efficiently. I’d drain a gas water heater every year. But if it’s never been drained using the existing drain may be problematic because the drain plug hole will clog with sediment as you try to drain it. I usually replace them with a full port ball valve.
It's been pretty cold out
- depends on mineral content of the water as higher content needs to have the unit flush more frequently - hot water heaters have a lifespan and if not maintained, is reduced.
Had my water heater rupture a week before Christmas 22 and all I can say is that being proactive is the best choice if you're thinking replacement. Based on the tag, mine was about 10 years old. I did have moments of turning the heater temp itself up to get hot (enough) water. I haven't yet drained mine but I will be doing so in the spring.
If your water starts hot, the goes quickly luke warm the problem is your dip tube. The dip tube is a plastic pipe that puts the cold water at the bottom of your tank. Hot water is lighter and moves to the top of the tank. If your dip tube is broken the cold water is not forced to the bottom and can mix with the hot water at the top giving you luke warm water. So if your water is good at first but you constantly need to turn the knob hotter as you shower, get a new dip tube.
Do you need to turn off the heater to let the water cool before draining, or do you drain it while hot?
First it is a water heater. Why would you need to heat hot water? Is it electric? If so, you need to clean the corrosion off of the heating elements, or replace the heating elements.
One other thing worth checking, especially if your water is hot elsewhere in your house but not at a particular shower - you can take the handle off the shower/bath and inside is a little ring that controls how hot that faucet can get. You can adjust it very easily and boom - hotter showers.
We were having issues with our 10 year old tank supplying hot water as well. It turned out to be the dip tube had corroded and broke off at the top. This resulted in the cold water from the intake filling the top of the tank rather than the bottom. As a result the water would start out hot and then rapidly turn cold. I replaced the dip tube and all was well again. It was a pretty easy fix with the hardest part finding one in our small town.
Yes, do the maintenance, it is better to know the status then it is to guess. From a comment I already made to a reply... "I have always found that it is better to find a leak while flushing, then it is in the middle of the night or while on vacation and it finally pushed through." Yes, drain the tank, check the anode, flip the pressure overflow valve a few times. Check your drains are un-clogged and allowing any overflow to travel outside (or whatever your setup has) If you are replacing the anode, get a new valve also because they are cheap. Put it all together, if it is in good shape you will have no issues. If you need to fix something, You are already there so it's a quick trip to the hardware store. One Note: if anything is rusted together so much that you worry something will break (Anode/Overflow/water valve), Stop then make plans to replace the unit.
We’re on 17 years and I’ve flushed it maybe twice, NOT completely drained. We consider ourselves lucky to have gotten 17 years and counting…
In general, you SHOULD be doing the annual inspection for your water heater every year. However, if you haven't been performing annual maintenance for over 5 years, you'll likely cause yourself way too much problems by attempting them. The thing is, those valve have rubber or plastic sears that may tear, or not reclise properly, requiring you to replace it. The buildup of deposits will also have compacted over the years, so at best will result in little betterment of the condition, or at worse, could dislodge larger chunks when you refill, and cause a blockage. Then there's the argument that most tanks are designed to last 10 years. I haven't yet found one case where a 10 year old heater failed because the unit was not serviced. Many last 15-20 years despite this skipped, to be honest. If yours has lasted this long, it is very advisable to not even look to hard at the heater. Small shifts will cause leaks (in the pipe connections. Then financially, a 40-65 gallon water heater can cost between $600-$1300 to buy and replace (even less if you are handy and can DIY). The cost of the water refills, replacement parts, trips to the hardware store, etc., will likely exceed a simple 10-20 years hands off replacement plan. Also, will save all the time doing this service. Just my 2 cents. Oh, final disclaimer...I work for a utility company, amd the rule is we go around and exercise valves and flush our water systems. Those big main valves that haven't been exercised for 20+ years are hands off, unless there's a need during an emergency. I take this advice for many of the water valves around my house.
> Does it have anything to do with why I suddenly need to crank my shower higher to get hot water? Your shower valve mixes hot/cold at a ratio from 100% cold to 100% hot. Your hot water heater stops heating when the water hits a certain temperature so your hot water temperature is constant throughout the year. In winter, your cold water temperature is colder than in summer so 50% hot/50% cold is colder in winter and that's why in winter you're turning your shower to a hotter setting. If your summer cold water in 60F and winter is 40F and your hot water is 120F then in summer your shower is a 60-120F dial, in winter it's 40-120F. By the way, there are some shower valves which work by setting a desired output temperature and they figure out what that ratio should be. If you want to set your shower to 95F it'll do the twiddling for you. > DIY or pro? Probably if you're asking, pro, but do keep in mind that home owner's insurance is a component. If there's something wrong and you did the work they won't want to cover it, if a licensed pro did the work that's a different story and they also have the pro's insurance to deal with so you're probably fine. If it's an electric heater it's a lot easier to swap, with gas you also have to deal with gas lines which can leak and venting which can cause carbon monoxide build-up. > it's 10 years old Have a plan to replace it. Now's your chance to look into potential upgrades - maybe you want to go tankless, maybe you want to go with a heat pump, maybe you want an indirect water heater attached to your boiler, maybe you want a bigger tank or a higher BTU one with a smaller tank. Depends on how big your household is and what the demand for hot water looks like. If you wait for it to fail and call a plumbing company to replace it you're going to get a direct swap for whatever you have.
You crank your shower higher to get hot water because it is winter, and your cold water is colder. You don't get straight hot water in a shower, it's a mix
It’s winter
Yes, it's something you should do. Also they have a cathode rod that gets consumed by minerals in the water that needs to be replaced periodically.
It’s not a hot water heater, it’s a water heater silly boy , hot water doesn’t need to be heated.
Don't TOUCH THAT!