Common Water Heater Myths Answered | Ask This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 14 май 2024
- Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shares some advice on maintaining water heaters
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Richard explains that most tank-type water heaters last for about 8-12 years. However, by changing the anode rod every 2 years, you can make the hot water tank last for as long as 30 years. The rods can be found at home centers.
Cost: $10 and up
Skill Level: Beginner
Shopping List:
Anode rod
Steps:
1. Look for a rating plate on the water heater that will tell when the tank was manufactured and the warranty life. Tanks that have reached the end of their warranty period are more likely to fail.
2. If you’re planning to change to a different style water heater, like going from a tank-style to a tankless, its better to change proactively.
3. Water heaters placement will also help determine when it should be replaced. A water heater in the living area or a finished basement could do more damage if it floods than one in an unfinished basement.
4. By proactively changing the anode rod in a tank style water heater every few years, a tank can be kept in service for many years. If the anode rod isn’t changed in the first few years of the water heater’s life, it may be impossible to remove later.
5. Periodically drain the water heater by attaching a hose to the draw off at the bottom of the tank, turn the water supply off, and then turn the water supply off and on a few times quickly.
6. If you notice a leak on the floor, turn off the water supply, attach a hose to the draw off, and drain the tank below the level of the leak. Call a plumber to replace the water heater.
Resources:
All types of water heaters can be found at home centers and plumbing supply houses.
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Common Water Heater Myths Answered | Ask This Old House
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So he asks the question we all want to know which is will the tank last longer if you drain it and he completely avoids the question by explaining how to drain it! Some expert!
My tank was made Feb 1978. It’s Dec 31 2021.
Still works.
GREAT. Means the tank was properly lined and that lining remained intact. Be sure to test the TPR valve each year.
Amazing!
I changed my anode rod today. I got super lucky and found them 80% off at my local Ace Hardware. a $6 fix to hopefully buy me a few more years on mine.
Wow that's a sweet deal. I replaced mine today and it had never been changed since 98-2000. All that was left was the metal threads and swollen PVC at the top.
Great work cheapasss
@m rapacki it's such a champ, I'm excited to see how long it lasts! As far as planned maintenance, yep it's a known aged element that will go. But judging from the reviews of much newer water heaters, this one very well could outlast a new one.
This is one of the cases where they don't make them like they used to. Then again, they didn't used to make all plastic ones or tankless. Everything changes. (Reviews from the UK find it absolutely nuts that Americans are replacing steel water tanks every 5-10 years, and I tend to agree)
@m rapacki when I bought my house and moved in, I had a hot water tank in there that was probably 30 years old. Ruud Copper-nickle was the name on it. It had a retro looking sunburst logo stamped out of brass or something like that on it. It finally leaked after having the house for about 3 years. Ive noticed on a lot of stuff made in the 50s, 60s and 70s that makes their modern day counterparts look like a tin can. Everything is throw away anymore, made as cheap as possible for the most money possible.
Edit: I did a little research and that tank was around 50 years old when I took it out.
@m rapacki sorry, I edited my comment too late. I did a little research, and I'm sure it was the original tank when the house was built, 1960. So 53 years old when I removed it.
Thanks for the tips. I did not know about replacing the sacrificial rod. That is great advice!
Richard Trethewey - Plumbing, HVAC and more. This man is the BEST with what he does on TV and now RUclips !!!! And he doesn't drown you with the fast talking 99mph speech spiel.
Outstanding gifted crew, you guys never fail learned a lot great teachers
Very informative! We just bought our current house last year and the water heater is less than two years old. I've made a note to rinse the inside and replace the anode rod when it hits the two year mark.
Two years probably is excessive. I think 5 years is more reasonable. I changed mine after 19 and they were actually fine.
@@kurtvonfricken6829 Alas, it's somewhat moot. I tried to remove the anode, and found it entirely unmovable.
@@hasufinheltain1390get a fancy impact drill
Warning: an anode rod is installed ridiculously tight at the factory, and it only gets worse with age. Sometimes removing one is impossible. The head can deform. Try loosening yours before spending the money on a replacement.
Thank you! Because of you I was able to service my water heater and replace the anode rod (which I never even knew existed before I saw this video). Top quality stuff, as always! 👍🏼
time to replace the rod in your water heater
@@nramos33 lol
My water heater started leaking from the top last year in August. We replaced it in September with a Home Depot water heater ourselves without having to call a plumber. If you have a well taken care of chimney it’ll draft no problem. The gas valves 30 years ago to today all sit at the same height so that makes things easy to swap. Just be sure to get the right height water heater.
Great information! Thanks guys!
I just changed my anode rod after 16 years. Changed both elements about 7 years ago. Never drained the tank. Had about 6 to 8 inches of corrosive stuff at the bottom of tank. Flushed it 10 or more times 5 or so gallons at a time. Swapped both elements, thermostats, anode rod. Working like a charm! 240 volts at each element when powered. Elements work one at a single time. They alternate when power is needed.
If you are draining the tank, make sure you turn off the elements, or you will burn them up.
If you need to be told that, put down the wrench and call a plumber.
@@dbrown6941 Thanks for the advice smartass. Next time keep it to yourself.
David:
Why aren't you a feisty little firecracker.
You're acting like he peed all over your sandwich instead of giving weekend warriors sound advice before they cause thousands of dollars worth of damage.
@@confusedwhale sound advice? He sounds more like a butt hurt plumber upset that RUclips videos are teaching the common man how to do things plumbers charge outrageous prices for. I had a quote to change out my tank for $800 in labor not including the cost of materials. Rediculous, i did it myself in less than 2 hours. I think he is just a little upset people have caught on to their rediculous fees and people are tired of getting ripped off.
@Moon Pie if you have a gas tank there will be none. Electric tanks have internal heating elements.
After watching over 20+ youtube vids this is by far the best & most useful, thank you for loading.
This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. ruclips.net/user/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).
Richard is very knowledgeable person.
Good info, thanks. I would’ve never known this before
Thanks for the tip..I just replaced my Anode Rod and they have flexable ones now...We'll see how this works...
I'll be sure to save this and show my landlord.
I love this! I literally grew up watching yall!
Wow 😳 very informed vid thanks!
I have a ao smith heater from 1977 still in operation on well water.
No one has changed the anode rod. Guess must be good water or a well built heater !!
A.o smith are decent but not great. The last one we had was a 9 year. Gave out after 4. So much sediment. Bad water. But even with good water theh suck. Anything made before 90's is going to last much longer. But I would never fell safe with a water heater that old. 1977???
Tank Water Heater is very conveniently , I truly recommend !!!
Thanks for ur very interesting n informative video explaining good basic advice. Planning to flush my water heater n the advice will be very helpful. Kudos. New subscriber because of this vid. Anticipating ur next one.
Great stuff 🎉 Learned a lot …Thank you 🙏🏽
Richard is fond of saying "but nobody does that" about plumbing failure prevention measures. Just know, Richard, that there are some among us who change anode rods every two years, and who turn off washing machine faucets between uses. And regarding not using the washing machine shutoffs, I blame plumbers. They install the water outlet boxes in places a homeowner cannot reach, short of moving the washing machine.
Gotta remember to tell them to turn off the electricity before draining an electric tank. The elements will instantly over heat and self destruct if on and not submerged in water.
Thanks for that tip... it's obvious after reading your comment, but I totally didn't think about it!
Great tip. Also before changing the temperature in an electric....learnt that the hard way through a zap
That’s was amazing 😉 good information I love it as a first time home owner of a older home
Excellent information!
Good info, thanks
Thanks guys and great content as always. With your videos I was able to replace my leaking T&P valve and anode rod and flush my water heater a few weeks ago. I also used a video borescope to look inside the tank while I was servicing it and see the coating inside the tank was still in excellent shape and the anode was still doing it’s job. Here’s to hopefully a few more years out of my water heater which since I’m in Houston is in my attic for some insane reason.
Yikes!
ESPECIALLY because it's in your attic, look into some kind of leak protection/notification. There's the automated solution, where you put a sensor around the tank and if it detects leaks it shuts off the supply. I'm not a plumber, but was looking at the Rheem tank with LeakGuard... so check that out for ideas.
@@brois841 Ring sells a water detection sensor. I put mine inside the pan and if it detects water, I get a notification immediately.
Awesome info thanks
I live in a trailer home,whrn we bought it it had an old electric heater,i never changed anything on it,recently replaced it with a bigger unit but never had a problem with it.
Previous owner didnt maintain it obviously it was a really good unit.
Very interesting info! But please check with your home insurrance if you're still covered with a water heater that's more than 10-12 years old. Many dont and you end up paying out of your own pocket for any damage caused by your old water heater.
Informative. Also, fun to watch at 1.75 speed.
My water heater was made in 1978 by W.L.Jackson. I changed the anode and heatinge elements when I bought the house in 1996. Still works
Hang on to it...the old ones are the good ones.
Had to change the elements in my water heater last year. Had over a foot of sediment in the bottom of it. No way it was washing out the through the drain valve. Got a 1/2" PVC pipe adapted to my shop vac and vacuumed 90% of it out. At least now the lower element is actually doing something and isn't buried in sediment.
Pilch Plays EXACTLY. I have had two times when mine stopped heating enough water. Part way through a shower the water turned cold. Lower element had burned out. Hit breaker, shut off supply line, drained water, took out element, used shop vac and home made tools to remove sediment, put in new element, filled tank, purged air out, breaker on. My tank still doing fine. Not bad for 87. (the tank, not me. I'm only 68)
@@kaybree6738 Go you, Kay! 👍
@@virglibrsaglove Thank you. God
Gives
Gifts 🙏
2:40 this rod is cheap at Home Depot. I’m replacing mine every 2 years.
Thank you so much!!!
Now that’s interesting, I had no idea you could change the sacrificial anodes in these boilers, that’s something they kept quite, many thanks for sharing 👍
How could anyone not know about the anode rod? There are hundreds of youtube videos including several made by TOH.
@@fuzzydrawrings269
How could you not know that those "hundreds of youtube videos" about anode rods are directed at people that don't know about anode rods?
he is right after few years its not worth changing it...can be impossible to remove them.
@@greennewdeal5539 my neighbor tried changing his after 5 years....he saw it on youtube and thought he could do it...long story short he calls me up because he broke the lines ....he tried using a 5 foot cheater bar over the ratchet to get the anode rod loose and he ended up twisting the entire heater and broke the lines lol....i replaced the lines he broke..we had a laugh but his wife was pissed at him lol
@@workingshlub8861 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Master Plumber for 20 yrs, I think I've changed two...
Great video guys, always fun to watch, learned a lot....Frank
1998 sears installed our hot water tank in san diego, cal... no leaking yet Haha ... so happy....
I love your guys videos !
Over here in New Zealand most houses from 1996 to now have a tankless infinaty hot water unit located outside if the house near bathrooms to prevent pressure loss
Not only due to pressure loss, think about the pipes in between and how long you'll have to purge chilled water out of the hot water line depending on the length of the hot water pipe.
Moon Pie That comment referring to gas hot water cylinders outside and we don’t get to nearly as cold as other parts of the world we might get -3 - 4 Celsius so it’s not really a concern have them out side
This is america and we dont need to stack the washer kitchen and bathrooms next to each other!!!!! America!!!!!
Matthew Kromer That's because American houses are built so cheaply it's cost effective to staple and glue another matchwood and tarpaper box onto the side when you need a bit more space. The rest of the world builds houses properly.
GREAT JOB
So where we live, we have to have an inline water filter from the mains supply, also, many have water softeners. This keeps everything running better.
Couple this with a 4-5 year descaling service and normal maintenance, our 300 litre water heater is running perfectly for the last 33 years.
Yes 33 years and only now we are think of having it replaced for a newer model. Only because, well 33 years!!
During the service the magnesium anode rod is always replaced, this service was just quoted to us for around $850, but a new replacement will run about $3200.
I moved into a 3000 sq,foot house built in the early 60's.
My first year i replaced the electric heater with gas. I had to vent it out of the basement wall and have a catalytic blower fan on ot to vent gas/fumes. Im sure you know what im talking about.
Four .mounths later i had a gas train furnace installed. It was all electric. Both of these items lasted 25 years amd went out one week a part
Hot water heater, four days later the furnace combustion chamber went belly up. Replaced both and also a new air unit, another Trane. Seven years strong.
I drain.my WH at least once a year as you described. WH was a Lowes HWH. CAN'T KNOCK THAT.
I try to flush out every year and recently changed the anodes. While the anodes were out I inserted a copper tube with a ball valve connected to my compressor to stir up the bottom so the water would carry the sediment out the drain which also required a few back flushes to clear.
Excellent video. When there is a water leak, the first thing to shut off is the gas.
Moon Pie no electric heaters don’t use gas
Moon Pie they have an upper and lower element that heats up also their a thermostat installed on them to tell u the temperature ,something like that but just google it or ask someone I’m not an expert
@Moon Pie they're electric haha duh
On an electric water heater...?
Thank You
A lot of times when I'm changing out a water heater the shut-off valve has been there the same amount of time or even longer than the Crusty water heater I prefer to shut off the main unless the homeowner is prepared to pay for a new shut-off valve replacement a lot of times after you shut them off and turn them back on they start leaking like my boy said because nobody ever flushes them I do love this show you guys are so cool and know so much and break it down so we can all understand it's great🔨🔧🛁🚿🚽💡🔑🚪🏠
Thank you
Interesting!
My water heater and furnace both installed in the 60's. Water heater replaced around 2000, no clue about the furnace. (No longer own the house)
This makes me glad that copper tanks are still available in the U.K. They last many decades. No anodes. Coppers is Naturally antibacterial. No rust.
I should order one from the UK.
Just wondering what is the cost of a copper tank? I never even knew they made copper water heaters. Take care
Copper is very expensive?
The only ones you see in the US that are incredibly old are copper tanks. I've seen many plumbers tell people to not even think about replacing their water heater if it's a copper tank.
@m rapacki Especially electric where you might need to upgrade your panel...no thanks!
Thanks 🙏
One thing that Richard (uncharacteristically) forgot to mention is truning off the power to the unit. Weather it be electrical or ntural gas (or LP) power needs to be shut off when draining the tank. Heating element can be damaged or destroyed by remaing on with no water to heat.
The way he described draining it involves keeping it relatively full of water the whole time (more of a flush than a drain) so elements should be fine
ive had several water heater installers tell me that you shouldnt set your water heater to "High"..set it on "medium heat" setting..your water heater will last way longer..so far, mine is over 20 years old..and its a G.E. brand 30 gallons model.
They didn't mention that water heaters should be set to at least 140 degrees F to kill legionella bacteria that cause Legionnaires' disease.
@m rapacki I think 140 is still necessary to prevent legionnaires, but one has to balance that risk with the risk of scalding. There is something that can be installed to reduce the temp at use to prevent scalding.
Keep it as long as you possibly can new water heaters are horrible for long life the one in my house was installed when house was built in 1976 never has been drained and still works great. Ohio and is on City water.
My is from 1999 and still working very good
As a maintenance supervisor over several multifamily complexes, we just replaced 7 critically failed water heaters and let me tell you what spending $1,000 on a water heater is much cheaper than $90,000 to fix the water damage from a busted one. DONT WAIT! If you see rust. If you notice mildew or moisture replace it or have a serviced by a professional!
Hello do you know if a water heater should always be on pilot or on thanks
Richard never mentioned it but adding a "expansion tank" helps to make them last longer too. Especially if you have a PRV (pressure reducing valve) on your water main.
FYI. I replaced my 40 gal heater with a 30 gal. 2 adults one child, 2 bedroom condo. A lot smaller, not once was there a shortage of hot water. Made my tiny utility room less cluttered. We've always been polite and never ran a dish or clothes washer if the shower is being used with any sized heater. It looks tiny compared to a full sized 40 gallon tank.
30 gal is 3/4 size, not much smaller
Both my water heaters are 17 yrs old and both are still good. Replaced anode rods, thermostats and heater elements. Today I replaced the expansion tank on one of them. They’ll last if you take care of them. Good video.
But what is inside that your family is taking in?
I wish we could clean the inside and know it's cleaned without ruining them.
@@ThirstyBacon They one thing you can do is to drain them entirely and flush them out watching for debris and then monitoring when the debris ceases to exit. A whole house filter would help longevity. The expansion tank I replaced was filled with a nefarious black goopy substance. Who knows what that is. I notice it in my tabletop water filter system. I observed this black goop clogging up all my faucets. I had to scrape it out monthly to improve flow in every faucet. Changing thermostats and heating elements periodically will help longevity. My heaters were hot and ran well prior to the sale of my home. I recommend a small 40 gal heater for the master suite. I don’t recommend instant in heaters. They don’t perform as well as expected and they’re more expansive than conventional.
@@ThirstyBacon We used to be able to take the water and have it examined for content. After Covid, some water testing facilities ceased taking in samples. I don’t know who to send it to but it is worth doing.
Brand?
This is super helpful. I need to purchase a water heater for a hair salon with 5 bowls. Would you suggest a tankless or tank and do you think a 40 gallon tank is enough but just add a tankless to the existing water heater (40 gal)?
Got a 1997 Bradford White electric water heater. It has no anode rod and has been in continuous service on well water. I check it every month. Not changing it until something bad rears it’s head.
I don't understand why RUclips recommended this to me, it has nothing to do with the thing s I usually watch but I like it. ☺️
Had a 25 year old tank that failed (technically catastrophically) by blowing at the rear seam. We thought it was just a leak, until the guys I had replace it showed that the exterior case was split in the back by at least an inch. We still had hot water, and it wasn't leaking heavily ... but we got lucky it blew out instead of up. We had never performed any maintenance on it, and it was here when we got the house in 2000.
Wow.... ive been plumbing for 15 years and never have I seen one last that long.
@@dollarznc The hot water heater in my custom built double wide is from 1999. The only problem I think we have with it now is because we have hard water. I know it has a lot built up in the bottom and the bottom element hasn't worked for a long time. Before we moved into the double wide we had a single wide mobile home across the road using the same water. I took the hot water tank out periodically and cleaned it out. It was always above the bottom element. That was in a 1975 mobile home.
@m rapacki Exterior shell doesn't necessarily represent the inside. Not sure how the b ack split like that with the little bit that was leaking. I'm wondering if there was enough sediment to prevent a massive leak... but was definitely a ticking time-bomb.
When I install a new water heater I install a ball straight valve in place of the drain valve to make it easier to flush. From my experience as a handyman for 35 years it seems like they last 7-10 years on city water with a lot of crud buildup. I have well water in my house. My water heater is 15 years old and still chugging along with no crud build up. I’ve changed out a water heater 4 times in the same house. For some reason well water doesn’t leave crud behind sometimes.
The life of a water heater 8-10 years is a guide only? Mine is right at 10 years with no bottom rust, so do I leave it and keep an eye on the heater? Appreciate the advice. Thank you.
@@mikejung1582 save the money for one and yes keep an eye on it they’re getting pricey
@@mikejung1582 it averages 7-10years they last that long
@@dormandavis2767 Thanks for the solid advice, it's my boy's house and not the money issue. Just priced 50gal. at HD today for $609. Will change it out.
@@mikejung1582 Be careful of hiring a plumber a lot of those guys are charging anywhere from $1200-$1500 to put in a job that only takes two hours. I’m a retired Indianapolis firefighter I had a handyman business for 35 years so I’ve put in 1000 water heaters if you want to find a decent handyman go to any fire station a lot of those guys have been in construction and with a 24 hour on duty 48 hour off duty and they have a side gig and most the time they just carry their business into a side business of their own like I did. I’ve been lucky I was originally trained heating and air-conditioning so I had to learn plumbing and electrical. I’ve been remodeling kitchens and bathrooms for 30 years I do a lot of odds and ends I have 1200 regular customers so I’ve really built my business up my problem is I have a hard time finding decent people would like to learn a trade
I have a really old heater that has never had anything fussed with it since it was put it 20 years ago. Still heats water good and lasts a while too for those long showers. This was back when Kenmore actually had great build quality.
Kenmore never built anything. That was a rebadged water heater made by one of the major manufacturers. Our water heater was a cheap builder’s model made by State and it lasted 16 years. It probably would have lasted more than 20 years had I changed the anode rod.
I have an indirect to oil burner just had replaced 11/2 yrs ago and I have scaling build up on galvanized fittings. What can I do to prevent it from ruining another water heater?
And how do I install a mixing valve?
Wish they talked about adding insulation to the outside of tank. Bet it helps during those cold months. Even if only a little.
Best way to do tapping
Richard a certified expert in describing water heater myths.
One thing is a "MUST REMEMBER" . . . IMPORTANT to turn-off your natural gas feed to the tank, at the control center of the water tank FIRST. You do not want an explosion because of the lack of a water feed supply to the tank. After you clean or drain out the tank and have turned the water feed supply on to fill the tank then, reignite your pilot flame.
I have a Lochinvar 26 yrs old . I only drained tank maybe 3 times. I'm thinking of getting same one again before this one goes.
thank you. my electric water heater had a hole in pipe next to heater and its 18 years old .
had hole repaired my next question is it time to repa\lace water heater. hope you can help me
Great info and at 4:43 Richard looks just like Tony Soprano
I moved in here in 96, It's 2022 I have the same water heater,(Well Water) I do have a timer on it. It comes on at 6am and off at 9am and back on at 5pm and off at 8pm I have put two sets of elements in it over the years. And a New timer this year. I do plan to replace it this Spring / Summer sometime. New water heaters at Lowes other day -Cheapest I could find there was right at 500 dollars. And Lowes said they would install it for little over 1400.00 dollars, Yeah!!! I said same thing! And then Some!! I'll do it!
The first thing you do when draining the tank or if it is leaking is shut off the electricity, gas, or oil that is used to heat the water. Big problems if you don't. Safety first!
If people only realized the damage that a pressurized hot water tank potentially could do , they would be in awe.. Water under pressure is comparable to sticks of dynamite.
@@orbitring how to reduce the pressure?
New build with A.O. Smith installed 11/03 Replaced on 1/2 16 (12 years+). Never drained it or anything.
A.O. Smith installed 1/2/16. Flushed every 6 months. Replaced on 1/3/18. Rotted the bottom out in 2 years. So you never know how long they’ll last...
My AO Smith 50 gallon with power vent is almost 17 years and have done nothing. Still going strong.
My AO Smith installed 2015 replaced due to leaking and flooding basement in 2019
@@itrthho I'm thinking due to age I should change mine this year. But I said that the last 5 years. Lol
In-laws had the same water heater for almost 25 yrs. Depends on the quality of your water and how much water flows through it.
Turn the hot water on inside your house then turn off the water supply
@mark broad, yep, just replaced an A.O. Smith that I had for almost 20 yrs. I drained it down a few times over it's life, never touched the anode rod. They didn't mention it in the video but people should also be mindful about shutting off the gas or electricity for electric water heaters when draining/servicing. It's also a good idea to put the water heater in a pan AND to route the relief valve to the outdoors in the event it fails or opens due to temp/pressure surge. It also helps to install a thermal expansion tank. What had bothered me about new construction is so often water heaters being installed in the attic space, considering that pans do corrode and can leak eventually and the fact that a gallon of water = ~8.33 lbs (3.77 kg), multiply that by 40, 50, 75 to 100+ gallons and that's a lot of weight in water sitting overhead.
So is it bad if you never use the hot water in your house or hardly ever? If someone takes mostly cold showers is that bad because I feel like the water no longer gets all the way freezing but I don’t know if the heat outside is affecting the pipes too
just went over 20yrs, running good
My old Reliant water lasted 23 years. It actually was still working but we got a lot of rain and the pilot kept going out and I can get down on my hands and knees to relight the pilot. New Bradford has a igniter button so no more getting matches to light the pilot. The other thing plumber did was spread roofers tar all around the hole that my vent exits to stop water getting inside the metal water heater closet.
I added two die electric connections at the hot & cold pipes . This prevents the flow of ions in the heater . When I replaced the old heater (12 yrs) the anode was still whole .
Draining the water is really important. I replaced my stock drain valve with a brass 3/4 ball valve setup. Why? The OEM plastic drain valve opening is deceiving; it accepts a garden hose size opening, but the inside port has a small hole. This restricts the bigger chunks of junk from your water heater from flowing out. With the new setup, I was able to flush out the bigger chunks. Then, I calibrated the water heater and was able to turn down the thermostat dial down a full notch. Improved heating efficiency. Got my parts at Home depot: water heater nipple>3/4 ball valve>3/4 MGH-3/4MIP brass adapter.
Calibrated your water heater? Can you go more into depth on what that is and how you do it please?
@@bojangles5747 , he probably checked the temperature of the hot water coming from a faucet and lowered the t-stat accordingly. The optimal temperature should be 120 to 125 degrees F. This saves energy and makes the water hot enough that you need to temper it with a little cold, but not so hot as to boil your skin off.
Nice, was that a plug and play adapter or did you have to drill the hole larger and tap it?
@@donaldshimkus539 Yep. It doesn't help that on those tanks the thermostat is deliberately vague about the temperature. Usually the dial goes "Pilot light - Vacation - Low - (Thick Line to mark the recommended temperature) - High - Very High etc" so gauging the actual temperature is difficult. It also doesn't help that the thermostat's probe in the tank can get covered with minerals too.
How will home water filtration systems affect the hot water tank and sediment buildup? Will adding a hard water filter help?
Just great. I should not have watched this.
Having done, so as sure as hell, this will be my next problem.
Great Video! Just had a new water heater installed and will look more into how to change the anode rod as stated. However, as I said, I just had a new WH installed and now I have black "specks" coming from all the hot water faucets. Any suggestions as to why and how to remedy? Thanks.
Legionnaires disease.
@@ShortArmStrongArm😮
All depends on water quality. I've ran across tanks from the 80s with no sediment buildup...ON A WELL. Just various greatly all over the place.
My water heater has a "lifetime warranty" and the plumber said not to touch it. No maintenance. It's 8 years old. Do I ask another plumber or does this sound right?
Your right , tank was from 1977 well water lasted till 2021
Did not leak gas valve thermostat failed did not leak
My original 18 yr old water heater just started leaking LOL. It only had a 5 yr warranty. I'm amazed it lasted that long!
35+ for mine and still OK.
@@wholeNwon wow amazing!
What about soft water entering the kettle? Is there a chance that would extend the life expectancy? And keeping it off the floor kinda sitting on cut outdoor retaining wall turned sideways with aluminum pan under that?
I've just had a new 60 gallon giant cascade water heater installed. But
my water tank breaker keeps tripping. The specs say that the tank
generates 40 amps and needs a 25-30 amp breaker, but I do have a 30 amp
breaker. What could the problem be? Thanks
Do I need to put insulation on my rheem 40 water heater for the upcoming winter?
How about making a video where you replace a standard electric water heater??
So your telling me that's what my hot water tank looks like inside??? That's it, I'm going back in time and just heat buckets on the stove and take baths Lol
Good video, thanks. My 7 year old electric water heater has never been drained. Had a plumber in for another job and asked him to drain it for me. He said not to touch it, since it's been so long. He said it would cause more problems than leaving it alone. Is he right?
We bought our house in 2004 new, and our water heater is still performing great. Should we change it out even though it seems to be working fine? Over 17 years old American Water Heater Proline 50 gl 40,000 BTU
We moved into a house last year, built in 2005, still has original Gas water heater
we are thinking of getting a powervent gas water heater but have heard they are very loud. Is that true? thanks you
I replace my anode rod yearly. I write the date around the opening to the rod. Make sure to turn your pilot to vacation before you turn off the cold water supply and drain a few gallons off before removing the rod. I also suck the sediment off of the bottom of the tank by using a bent 1/2 Inch electrical conduit attatched to a wet dry shop vac. I usually get about a gallon of sediment off the bottom every year.
@m rapacki About $20. Cheaper than a new water heater.
@m rapacki Hard well water in our area. The rod is half way rotted through in a year.
Do you recommend that a surge protector be mounted inline at a water heater? If yes, which one? My water heater is a high-end model that has sensitive electronics like a circuit board and LED display. That is why I ask. I do see lots of recommendations online for mounting a surge protector on an HVAC, but not on a hot water heater.