Four Water Heater Tanks Cut Open - Lessons to Learn
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- Опубликовано: 30 апр 2018
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Taking a deeper dive and closer look into the lessons learned from cutting open 4 different water heater tanks!
Thanks www.mooresupply.com/index.html in Austin for always letting us experiment and film!
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www.mattrisinger.com
I went to a certain elderly ladys house several times a year to basically just do maintenance on her plumbing. She was probably about 80+ years old and has since passed away recently, but she had a water heater from 1959 that still provided her hot water. She said her husband drained it monthly since they first bought it in that year, along with checking the elements and thermos. I loved going there because she still had several original fixtures from the 50s that still worked perfect. That just goes to show that proper maintenance can make things last.
Maintaining plumbing on 80 year old ladies. Is that what they call it nowadays?
they had a quality in manufacturing that does not exist today.
@@4skully Not really just less technology which is the failure point on everything today.
No it just goes to show that things built pre 80s was built to last. Not designed to fail so you constantly pre purchase.
And super inefficient, working a long time isn't always economically feasible,
The first thing I did on the new water heater, before installing it, is replace the drain valve with a full port valve. Then loosened the anode rod and re-tightened it. That was 12 years ago. Changed the anode rod 6 years later and now getting ready to change it again. Once a year I flush the tank and vacuum the inside as much as possible (attached a 1/2" I.D. flex tube to the shop vac) you would be amazed how much more comes out vs flushing alone.
Brilliant idea. Because changing the manufacturer installed drain valve is a P-I-A job and it can brake off while you attempting to replace it with a full port "Ball" valve. So do it before putting the heater in place as well as loosen and do not over-tighten the anode nut.
I have found that most electric heaters can be restored by vacumming out the pile of flakes, replacing elements, anode rod and thermostats. If its not rusted through you can get a lot more life for about 100$. And i just discovered a full port drain valve thats awesome!
I also removed my drain and replaced with a 3/4 nipple and a ball valve. Make flushing out so easy.
and if you hadn't done any of that there's no way to know that your tank might have lasted 30 years without any of your work.
@@tarlach1280x960 🤣
I just replaced my tank. It was built in about 1940. All copper of course. But 75 years of use is considerably better than the 15 years suggested here.
Planned obsolescence
@@Rampagedd Copper was cheap in 1940, which was just before US entry into WWII and subsequent wartime then post-war growth. Modern civilization requires enormous amounts of copper. Not everything is "planned obsolescence" and each example is worth examining. Carbon steel is affordable. Copper and stainless steel grades suitable for heater use are (much) more expensive, one reason locomotive and industrial boilers are generally made of carbon steels.
You could have a heater shell, ends, bungs etc fabricated from copper easily in 2023. If you can weld and fab it would not be very difficult to do yourself. (Model steam engine enthusiasts often make their own boilers which is much more demanding than a heater tank which is not a high pressure vessel.) The material cost would be the deal breaker for most people.
@@Rampagedd You can buy a stainless steel or fiberglass tank that's guaranteed for life but they cost about 2-3 times more.
Look...here's the low down on water heaters...when new, remove the drain valve and replace it with a 3/4" ball valve (Full Volume). screw a hose adapter onto it with about a 3 foot hose.... every 6 months, without turning off the water to the house, open it up all the way into a 5 gallon bucket and blast the sediment out several times. That keeps it pretty clean and it takes seconds. As far as life expectancy.....soft water is the best you can do. I have soft water and everything lasts much, much longer....especially shower heads, tub/shower valves....everything. Experience? 35 years a Union, Master Plumber. 10 years my own business.
Wouldn't having a good water filter (before the tank) cut back on the crud getting in? Also.....years ago hardware stores were selling insulation blankets for water heaters, have they gotten away from that (I don't see them anymore) or are they still a good idea?
@ Curt Brennan, "having a good water filter" is very subjective. I have an inexpensive ($40.00) pre-filter to protect my soft water machine from debris (replaceable cartridges $4.00 ea.) . I have a lot of debris so I change the cartridges about once every 2-3 months. There are filter systems that self clean that cost $1,000's, but do not remove calcium build-up. I recommend my set-up.
You can buy water heaters with R-8 or R-16 insulation factors. R-8 for indoor heaters and R-16 for outdoor or garage. A blanket benefits any water heater but to what extent I'm not sure.
OK, Thanks for the reply..... ;-)
Amen brother. And check the anode every 5 years, with a replacement sitting there waiting.
I should have said that but viewers would reply: "the ceiling isn't high enough"
WOW. Seriously, I didn't even know water heaters required maintenance. Glad I watched this video. I have an on-demand heater, but my parents just bought a new 80 gal tank. I'll make sure it gets periodic maintenance so it lasts them a long time.
On demand heaters also need maintenance! Read your manual!
Clear-cut, concise, well-presented, and no music = Excellent and appreciated! 👍
PS:. I have watched countless videos explaining the importance of changing out the anode rod and how to do it. But NOT ONE OF THEM have ever mentioned what to do if you don't have the basement ceiling height needed to change it (for all of us millions of people in older houses, etc). All the how-to videos are done in "perfect settings" of newer basements {or other areas) where height isn't a problem.
This is the FIRST video I've seen that mentions that problem and the flexible anode rods (I for one, never knew they even existed). Thank you, thank you!!
Unscrew, pull up as far as you can. Clamp vice grips around the anode, then tape plastic around it to keep shavings from entering the heater. Cut off length. Repeat as necessary to get it out. You'll need 2 sets of vice grips, tape, trash bag, plastic bag, and a hack saw.
@@shupshekitty Why thank you, very much appreciated!
I liked the birds in the background.
I'm having a house built, watching these kind of videos is helping ease my mind on some things and making me realize it's going to take work to maintain everything. I think I'm going to buy a notebook and keep my own form of maintenance records
Writing it on the tank with a marker or attached tag helps you remember too.
I started work for a plumbing company in the warehouse about 3 months ago. I came in not knowing a thing about plumbing, the plumbers here have taught me alot, but you and your channel has helped immensely. Every video I watch is a new lesson, and something I can apply to my job. I even have taught some of our plumbers a thing or two from these videos lol my boss said I've been progressing so she gave me a raise! Thanks, Matt!
Try to go into sales or service. They make more
Well there's a lesson, I had no idea you could maintain them. Thank you for the advice.
Hi Matt, I've been a plumber for 22 years, I think the amount of scale inside the water heaters is dependent on your location.
Also where the temperature is set, if the tank is set over 140°f, you will have more scale.
I'm in western Canada, our water is relatively hard.
I realise many will disagree, but I have found softners often cause water heaters to prematurely fail.
The salt will cause them to rust anywhere the glass lining may have a tiny crack from expansion and contraction.
The failures I see range from 3-7 years from date of installation.
On the other hand, I've seen many water heaters without softners last over twenty years.
I often unthread the drain cock to empty the tank more quickly, and I honestly haven't seen much scale in any without softners.
This has led me to infer that
softner salt, and high water pressure seem to be the biggest killers.
I guess if you live in a region that has extremely hard water, a softner may be considered to be essential.
Same with the sacrificial anode, we usually never need to touch them, unless it is in areas outside the city which have different water conditions.
My moms heater is 30 years or something. Should probably be changed. Here the water is hard and no chlorine added either.
im in southern ontario, and mine is 20 yrs old. i drained it but no sediment came out , and the water was clean. i flushed it with cold water and still no sediment, so guess ill wait for impending disaster lol but its right next to the furnace, so im always wondering.....
is Citric Acid harmful?
@@joel474 is it still working?
Even in the same city you’ll get different water qualities, in my house I flush the water heater without any sediments, If you drive 5minutes downtown water heaters build sediments to get clogged faucets in just 3 years
This video is now a few years old, but still very relevant.
That first, short and stubby, small water heater is just a miracle. One can wonder where it was, but my guess somewhere in the MW with very mineral rich water. The 2nd you looked at, likely had a a 'glass' glazing on the inside to prevent corrosion (common on pricier models).
All that said, plumbers and media have trained the US consumers into expecting that water heaters only last 10 years and you need to replace with - preferable - an expensive instant heater.
As you point out in the video, with very minor and regular maintenance, there is no reason a water heater cannot last 30 years or more. My 50 gallon natural gas heater is on its 22nd year - and I expect it to last another 10 years. I did replace the sacrificial anode after 14 years of service. The anode was - as expected - corroded (that's good) but not as bad as one could have suspected. And even though I have low clearing above water heater (low basement ceiling) I managed to get a solid new anode rod inserted w/o issues. Biggest task was getting the old one out, which did require the use of an impact wrench.
As long as people monitor their water supply (especially if very rich in minerals), flush the heater with some regularity to get rid of potential crud that accumulates at the bottom, and replace the sacrificial anode (a $20 part), these very simple and very basic appliances should just last (almost) forever.
Coming from northern Europe, it's essentially unheard of needing to replace a water heater after it's been installed. In houses with hydronic heating (wall mounted radiators), the water heater is either a copper coil or a container vessel, 'submerged' inside the boiler. The boiler will keep the surrounding water at a constant temp (70C or 160F) summer and winter, and indoor temp is controlled by 1) a shunt valve mixing the outgoing water to the radiators, and 2) individual valves (often thermostat controlled) on each radiator. Compared to our 'forced air', it provides for a very soft, comfortable, economical, and very reliable heat. Yes, it does cost a bit more to install day 1, but houses are built to last 100+ years. And most important, wall mounted radiators do not promote any dust.
The 'boiler' can be powered by fuel oil (very common up until 15 years ago), firewood, wood chips, pellets, electricity, heat pump, or in cities that have a centralized hot water plant, just by hot water (not steam) that is being piped around in a huge network of pipes in the streets. The 'boiler' in that case is just a heat exchanger, about the same size as one of our 'instant gas powered hot water heaters' here in the US. Very simple, clean, uncomplicated, with zero pollution from the individual home. drawback is that you are tied to one supplier (often a city owned utility) of hot water.
Your last comment was the best. 90% of water heaters aren’t maintained. The key is, know your water quality. In Western Washington water is so soft, generally, that flushing is pointless but increases the value of replacing your anode rod. Remove it when it’s new and reset it with Teflon tape, so it comes out when it needs to.
I cut mine open and found 100 gallons of water. Now my basement is flooded and I have no hot water. Wtf!
are you a democrat????
You no got a 100 gallon tank. Me thinks U gots no more dan a 60-70 gallion tank
@@vicentevillacorta101 Lol, home improvement is now politicized!
@@vicentevillacorta101 Great answer!!!
@@vicentevillacorta101 lmao
I agree with you. 97% never get maintained. People were never taught to do this like changing an a/c filter. Great video.
I clicked before I ever watched it. I have lived in hard water areas all my life. I wish I had back the money I have spent. I have invested/wasted much time and money on hot water heaters and their repair & maintenance. I am listening to this video as I type this comment and this man is no shill. He's right on with what he is sharing with us.This needs to be watched. Thank you for producing this video. It should help many.
Had a 18 year GE tank, no issues...just replaced it this past week as the wife wanted a new one...so I would definitely say the older tanks lasted well beyond the 9 year warranty it came with.
I never heard of draining for scale until last week and never heard of the anode rod until today.
Anon...I know nothing too. I'm on here because I've had my water heater for 26 years. I've never done anything to it. I called my plumber friend and he said, "if it ain't leaking don't fuck around with it".
David
Alberta
23 yeears experience ..... i found if you flush water heater just by opening drain valve on bottom..... the cold water dip tube that goes to bottom.of tank.... immediately stirs up sediment and does not give a good flush, since sediment begins swishing aroumd in tank.... it is better to BACKFLUSH, by turning off feeder valve to water heater, then cap off single handle faucet with a penny or dime in the aerator, then open up hot and cold on faucet..... cold will back flush through hot line, and pressure will.come from top of water heater, through hot side, keeping sediments from.swishing around in tank... sediments stay at bottom and out the drain hole..... just my 2 cents
Most do not.
Thanks Matt for the video. I always look to learn from your videos. What I just learned is the newer the model, 2016, vs. the 2000 model is just proof companies are making you buy less efficient and lower quality water heaters. This is why plumbers usually say if it’s an oldie keep it and take care if it as long as you can. Heard of the saying, it’s an oldie but a goodie. Here’s a really good example of this. New water heaters now use Honeywell plastic baloney. I recently replaced mine and it was is leaking gas. Had gas company come out and they tested it and agreed and said it was a good thing you caught it. So I had to go back back to HD and exchange it. Plumber that replaced it said almost all new ones have that plastic thermostat junk and that he usually replacing them. He also stated the old ones,when maintained, last a lot longer. I miss the good old days. Thanks for the lesson, think I’ll buy a anode rod now and just put next to heater to replace it in a about 3-5 years. This helped me out👍. On another note, do you think a water booster is a good buy?
My water comes from a 200 ft. deep drilled well. It is acidic and contains lots of iron. We installed a system to treat the iron problem, but were still getting the rotten -egg smell. I was told I should REMOVE the anode rod as it could be oxidizing the sulfur and causing the smell. I removed it, plugged the hole and presto, no more smell. I have a 15 year-old builder's grade electric Rheem water heater. Still going strong. I do flush it every year.
Matt, the one thing left out, which I understand, is what water systems did these heaters come from, city, well, coastal, etc... that can make a sizeable difference
Yes that would had been very helpful
Can you tell me? How would living on the coast in northern/mid California water from hatch hetchy(city water), electric,
Put in a Corro-Protec powered anode rod and it's good for 20 years. And it's short and easy to put in with low overhead clearance. It also eliminates permanently the sulfuric stink in the hot water; which is actually caused by the magnesium anode rod.
I've had some horribly sulfurous ground water but you're right if the stench is isolated to water heater output.
On the efficiency comment on the first tank. Instant efficiency is measured by the electric energy you put into the heating rod and the temperature change on the mass of water you have. That efficiency does not change because of the scale as all the heat still stays inside the tank. The scale can take also some heat but it will release it back to the water, so the electric bill will not double for that. What is going to change is the life of the heating rod as it will be at higher temperature to transfer the heat due to the insulation effect of the scale
If the mass of sediment is higher than that of water then wouldn't the total energy required to maintain temperature be higher?
Good comment. Heat does not just disappear. Now on the gas units it's a different story. You are losing heat up the flue and the insulation will resist thermal energy transfer, resulting in more time to heat the water
When you got more flakes and junk in your tank, it slowly and continuously travels thru your plumbing to damage your kitchen and bathroom faucets.
I can not believe you seriously waste time defending the scale and sediment in any tank.
@@dlyciousmusic i think you missed the point. We are talking about heat transfer. To your point. How often do you flush yours? I recommend one a year but i don't do it. I have never had sediment clog any of my faucets. It depends where you live and what the water quality is. Cheers
@@simclardy1 I'm a Plumber. I Repair/TuneUp/Power-Flush, or Install monthly about 30 water heaters. I always take a full assessment of my Customers plumbing in their kitchen, bathroom, washroom.
Sometimes i install Used WH's ... so I NEED NEED NEED to know their pressure and plumbing is in Excellent condition, so I can give a long-term Guarantee on my WH's and Service. And ...
About 60 Percent of the time, customers currently have additional plumbing problems. I remove and clean their screens, replace Valves broken with excessive sediment or rust.
(FYI... a WH should be Power-Flushed every 6 months).
What is your professional experience with customers?
Good idea on the segmented anode rod! I need one of these as I have a confined space for my water heater. Thank you!
THANKS YOU! Finally I know the reason it must be replaced and not fixed. People looked at me puzzled. I JUST want to know WHY! So glad I found you. Thanks thanks.
I've seen water heaters over 30 years old that still work. The one in my mother's house was installed before 1972 at least, and it was still there and working when she died in 2005. As far as I know it's still there. The one in my grandparent's ramshackle old home was even older, probably early-mid 60's, and it was still operating in 2006 when I sold the house. They were both electric. The sad thing is, they just don't make things like they used to.
glad they don't make things like they used to. Lead pipes, rotary phones, DDT,toxic chemicals in the ground, yeah, it was so much better...nope
@@cengeb There’s vastly more chemical and plastic pollution in the environment today than there ever was in the ‘50s or ‘60s.
@@guyonearth Go back in time where all the refinerys and chemical plants where , and see how they did stuff. we are paying the price now. the ground under those refinery and chemical plants are unusable. DuPont killed the Delaware river with the stuff they dumped into it over the decades of abuse in South Jersey. And Delaware...why do you think they broke up into 3 companys, to put the lawsuits on one company, that will pull the bankrupt scam, to not pay out billion$ owed for the cleaning up. The amount of lead and pollution in the air in the 50's and 60's was much higher than it is now....in the water, even the pipes where a problem, paint in homes, endless... It's much better than it was before. refinerys in Jersey basically moved all the pollution to Tx. cus they don't have any rules, Jersey woke up, and decided air and water matters. Why do you think in the 70's rules started to change big time. Coal fired furnaces in homes when i was a kid, it was nasty. It makes a big difference. Plastics is now a major problem, it's being attended to.
I'm so glad to find this video, and thank you! Here's my story: I had a Boch 32e oil fired wh which lasted me nearly 30 years, and yes I did replace anode rods a few times and flushed occasionally. When it finally started dripping I replaced it with a mini electric which I could carry down into basement by myself. However the Boch is still there! I have not figured out how to get it out yet. It's very heavy and probably full of crud. I was thinking of disassembling it and cutting the tank in half which is why it is so cool to find somebody who has cut into tanks! I was considering using a cutting torch but one concern was what was on the inside. hope to get to this soon.
Rent a gas cut off saw from the tool rental store it will cut you a square hole before you can say DAM
Did you cut your old tank apart?
I’ve taken apart many old appliances and sometimes cut parts but with a cutoff wheel on a grinder.
@@johnlee7085 yes I did, I cut the steel tank in half with a oxy-ace cutting torch, in my basement. Then I carried it out. The inside was full of crud. btw I have a video of this on youtube.
Thank You for the presentation. I learned a few things about anode rods, insulation, the inner workings of a water heater..👍👍👍
Holy crap Matt this was informative!! Last year I had an 8-year-old SuperStor tank replaced due to a leak. It was done under warranty (parts, not labor!) but the plumber who did the repair - the same plumber who installed it years back - never exchanged any words with me about maintenance, replacing an annode rod etc. I wish I could have seen the interior of the tank, as it's made of stainless steel and my town uses lots of calcium to soften the water.
As if you didn't already know, That 2nd tank is mild steel with a glass coating to protect it from corrosion. Except it doesn't!
Also that 2nd tank likely rusted out and leaked around the bottom plate weld.
If I was a betting man, I'd bet whom had that tank also used a salt water softener. Cheap made tanks with poorly applied glass coating at the most critical point "the lower plate weld" allows the slightly acidic softened water to find it's way to the steel and rust it out!!! Anode rod isn't going to help under such conditions either as it too is deteriorated sooner.
Looks nice and clean inside though doesn't it. Might make for a nice flower planter in the garden and when it rains, someone will see where it leaked from in the first place.
I think as Karl Niemeyer detailed (4 months ago) below. Water heater tanks used to be made out of monel which is a nickel alloy which would last 20-30 years or longer and companies realized they didn’t sell as many units so they started making them out of steel so they would last 5-7 years and they could sale more units.
My neighbor's water heater just crapped out and mine (4 years older) is still going strong. They have soft water and I don't.
the house i bought in 2016 was built in 1976, original gas furnace and original gas water heater. Heater still worked, no leaks, but only held 5 minutes worth of shower time lol. i wasnt going to try and drain it, put in a tankless instead but I was stunned a 40 year old water heater hadn't leaked yet. hard city water as well.
You nailed it right there. That's why I bought a stainless tank.
@@joschmoyo4532 Who has a stainless? What manufacturer does that?
@@Susan70003 Doubt if you can get stainless tanks in America but you can in Australia. It's the only way you can get a tank that lasts.
Proud to say we have a 25 year old 50 gallon gas tank still going strong. We're on a private well with softener. I replaced the anode after we moved in (8 years) it looked like a coat hanger. Went with the Mag/zinc rod from that point forward (3X's now). One downside is I've never been able to adequately flush the tank and I get rust colored hot water when I try to fill out spa tub which has 3/4" copper service to it. I'm assuming the rust colored water is a result of debris from the 3 expired anodes....and some iron from the well source. Every time I go to flush I just seen to stir up more muck and we'll get rust colored water at the hot taps. Might try what a poster below suggested by using the shop vac to get the junk off the bottom of the tank, ...,or I'll just retire this tank and run the aluminum anode. thoughts?
When replacing the anode rod I recommend using an impact gun. If you try to use a breaker bar it will twist the tank and possibly damage the water pipes. In my case, I had CPVC pipes which are prone to cracking if torqued. I bought an electric impact gun and a 27mm (sae 1 1/16) socket and it spun right out without twisting the tank and pipes.
What a Great Video and Explanation of These Water Heaters . I Grew Up in a Plumbing Family and All My Years , Never New Any of This . I Just
Learned So Much Here and Wish I Would Have Known This Info Before . Thank You Very Much and Stay Blessed my Friend . Bye
To get out a too long anode rod if space above is limited. Pull it up as far as you can. Use vise grips to clamp onto anode rod to hold it. Get a hack saw or other saw and cut off rod above the vise grips. Pull remaining rod out with vise grips. Then buy segmented anode rod to put back in as he showed.
Good video, I’ve been a heat guy for 38 years now, in my area, I think I’m one of the only guys around that actually change the anode rods and flush water heaters, I install mostly Buderus equipment, so if you don’t change the rods, it voids the warranty, so it’s so important to do. Great video with the cut always, a lot of people do t realize what actually goes on inside a tank or a boiler, AFUE ratings are very in general, in my opinion, I don’t believe they’re very accurate. 🤷🏽♂️
I had to replace a hot water tank in my son's new house recently. The previous owners didn't maintain anything in the house. Grand Rapids city water is pretty hard and no softener in the house.The heater was 5 YO and just out of warranty...so it was an extra expense for the better tank with a better warranty. Anyway, the big box store told me that 5 to 7 years was normal replacement time. That's only true if you never flush the tank, but people just except it as normal. Excellent video...thank you.
Hello from Norton Shores! Small world.
THE BEST TEN MINUTES YOU WILL SPEND LEARNING ABOUT WATER HEATERS XXXXCELLENT! Matt: how about doing on on hybrids next.
Great video! I just replaced the anode on our 6.5 YO heater a few weeks ago - it was completely gone! The hardest part about replacing them is the fact that they are usually so corroded in that you can't get them loose. I used a breaker bar and was moving a 50 gal heater full of water when I loosened the old one.
Also, if you have hard water, softening it will reduce the sediment but increase the corrosion since softeners replace the minerals with salt. Checking/replacing the anode more frequently may be in order if you have hard water.
Anode is useless for hard water because hard water is not corrosive.
@@pauld3327 That’s incorrect - the dissolved ions can cause galvanic corrosion. If you soften your water using salt then the increased salt content can also cause corrosion. Regardless of any scientific arguements, the fact that the sacrificial anode was sacrificed (i.e. gone) is evidence that corrosion can occur.
@@ptester1
Thank you for your response.
Do you mean that sacrificiel anode is still useful even with very hard water and no water softener ?
My understanding is that with hard water, the scale inside the tank will protect It from corrosion.
Matt, You must know scale is based upon the "Hardness" of the water along with a variety of other inputs caused by local or other conditions: Well vs Municipal supply, etc. I sold Water Heaters part time in a retail department store 30+ years ago and learned a lot. I also have used water softeners for the 2 owned homes over the last 40 years (Upper Midwest water is the hardest). I do not believe you can do much about scale (Personal opinion) but it does pay to change the Anode Rod for sure!! Most people have no idea about it. In 2017 I changed out our gas water heater here (First time I did one myself). The worst water heater I ever encountered was a Whirlpool about 15 years ago. The tech called me out to the street as he was about to throw it on the truck and showed me the white slime pouring out of it. It was ugly and gave me the creeps. The wife just reminded me about that case. We later learned a Class Action Lawsuit had been filed for those heaters. They do not make them like they used to. Water heaters used to last 20 years+. The new ones are junk as stated below.
Thank you Matt. You’re a good teacher. 👍🏼
Really cool video! I am one of the few who keeps an eye on the Anode rod. Had a 24 year old Kenmore gas water heater that I finally replaced simply because it was 24 years old. Figured why tempt fate? I wonder though, I bet it would have made it to 30 years.
Since we are geeking out here, one thing one can cheaply do is buy an inexpensive borescope and run it down into the tank through the anode rod hole and have a look inside. Since buying my borescope, I am constantly looking for things to stick it into to check out - engine intakes, water heaters, you name it - LMAO
I tried the bore scope and was somewhat disappointed. Seemed like I was getting enough light to get a good image. ....and it wasn't long enough to see the bottom of the tank....I know, that's what she said!
Do you have a channel where you share that?
The most interesting thing about magnesium anodes is of course lighting them as flares. 🙂
Throw a magnesium anode in your next campfire if you dare. It’s quite the light show.
Hey Matt, you needed to also mention the "Dip Tube" that fails also. It's made out of plastic and deteriorates usually falling into the tank. When it's to short, cold water is mixed with the HOT water at the top section of the tank cutting the temperature drastically. This dip tube is about 12" off the bottom of the tank and supply's cold water to the bottom where the burner is on a natural gas or propane tank.
It should also be mentioned it needs to extend to the bottom of the tank so when you are flushing the heater it will stir up the sediment so you can get it out!
took out a water heater from a house that was in there since 1988. it was a glass lined tank. never serviced, but rusted out at the drain gate valve in 2017.
For clarification, not evident in your explanations, the sacrificial anode is not there to prevent scale ( the insoluble minerals common in most water sources, e.g. lime ) ; but to prevent soluble metals in the source water from reacting with the metal parts of the heater. Copper and /or steel! Depending on the source water. A perfectly good anode rod can be present in a heater with pounds' of scale/sediment. TIP: To change the anode, shut off the water to the heater, relieve some pressure by opening a faucet; but do not drain the heater. The weight of the water will help to keep the heater from moving when trying to loosen the anode bolt head. The factory installs the anodes with so much torque that one needs a breaker bar or piece of iron pipe to extend a socket wrench to loosen the anode bolt head. Most heaters require a 1 1/16" socket. Otherwise, really good video. Thanks
An important thing to use is convection stop fittings on the inlet and outlet. This saves allot on energy. Up to a third. Keeps heat from going up the pipe. Also use pipe insulation.
Also the third heater is more heavily insulated because that is part of the new manufacturing standards set by UL. They are now supposed to have a 2" insulated wall around the tank.
I consider myself a pretty handy fellow and I had no idea about water heater maintenance. Thanks for the info!
Thank you for doing such a fantastic job!
Nice job Matt! Keep up the good work and God bless my friend! :)
Just a thought or idea. But can you do a video and test how water softeners and water conditioners affect hot water heaters and open up some tanks like you did in this video?
I am a rental property owner and real estate appraiser. I see a lot of water heaters. Those old white case with blue top water heaters are the best. I still have one going strong strong that was purchased in '96. Those newer gray ones are junk. Last about 6 years. Tanks always fail. So disappointing that American companies will build and sell crap. Just started buying stainless steel tank heaters. No anode needed. Too soon to have an answer on longevity. I like "Here To Help's" idea of installing a 3/4" ball valve at time of install. Also make up an air fitting adapter to connect from air compressor to water heater inlet nipple to quicken drain time at change out. You don't need a lot of pressure, and it sure helps to push the water and any sediment out through the low quality drain valve..
Matt, just uninstalled our 2 old electric water heaters, a 40 gal closet mounted one 35 years old & upstairs bath small closet 19 gal - 28 years old.
Neither had leaks but super inefficient - they were leaking heat into our home.
Installed Stiebel Eltron (German) 6kw tankless in place of 40 gal & 120v 6gal mini-tank in place of 19 gal.
A huge Upgrade - plenty of hot water, FAR less heat intrusion into our home & electric bill should decrease $20-40 per month.
I bet they both looked nasty like the first one you showed.
Hope this inspires others !
David in Texas
3:02 the flue tube and the inside of the tank is spayed with a liquid porcelain then ran through a furnace and like you said, baked on.
It’s a glass enamel the same stuff that’s on the inside of your range (oven)
ah yes, my old friend, the youtube recommendations algorithm, you have done it yet again
It *_reminds me_* of this water heater: ruclips.net/video/lrZQgWOenCo/видео.html&sse
@@justinmiller129 yyy ty y
Thank you for this amazing breakdown
From this video, it looks to me like adding insulation to the outside and top of a tank is a really good way to improve its performance, no matter how good it is to begin with.
The anode and flushing tips are gold though. Thanks for demonstrating why that is necessary too
Adding insulation can void warranty and actually lessen the life of the heater.
Every time I do something “smart” like drain my water heater the valve snaps and I lose my Saturday. Metal and water just don’t mix
I hate those cheap plastic drain valves. Whenever I replace my water heater, I buy a brass hose bibb and throw away the plastic one.
@@Brickkicker55 Or you just buy a better water heater that comes with a brass boiler drain.
@@joshm5816 Yup!! Not the standard lowes or home depot shit...
It *_reminds me_* of this water heater: ruclips.net/video/lrZQgWOenCo/видео.html&s
@B L You obviously do not understand that all water heaters are not created equal.
@6:53 Pro-tip; cut your water heater open at the store before you buy it, to check insulation thickness.
You cut it, you own it!
No need to any more, you can download the specs to your phone.
Make sure the gas is turned on when the sparks start flying !!
I learned a lot. Thanks Matt most importantly I know now what I must do for my heaters!
ours are in the garage here in Southwest Florida. probably super efficient because of that
Also besides flushing prefilter or water softener saves heater and other plumbing in home.
And you don’t need To do maintenance or very little maintenance
@@RealGalaxyGamers I'd rather do the maintenance than have soft water. I can not stand when it feels like the soap wont wash off. Its disgusting.
@@Badazz08 You can adjust that.
It *_reminds me_* of this water heater: ruclips.net/video/lrZQgWOenCo/видео.html&zaq
Hey Matt, thanks for the video. I've been on the fence on replacing mine, its a bit of a pain as its in a closet with gas lines blocking it. Its install date is Aug. 1988! Only flushed it once or twice in the past decade and never bothered changing the anode as I figured I'd be changing it any day.
is it still going? mine is from 2000 and still going strong
@@joel474 knock on wood, still strong. AO Smith rocks
It reminds me of the *_dark water in this video_* ruclips.net/video/Tl5oHZrIZo0/видео.html&.mtida
I just replaced my 40 gallon gas water heater and have unfiltered well water (high in iron, hard water) in South New Jersey. My heater was rated for 7 years i got 15 years out of it before it started to leak. I never flushed it. Due to Back issue, i cut it in half in my basement. Lo and behold no scale in the bottom!
Thank you for this informative video..I definitely will check out my hot water heater anode and flush.
Mine was installed in 2001, my water is softened and it is working like a champ.
Soft water is more dangerous for you tank than hard water. Very soft water is corrosive, hard water is not.
@@pauld3327 Most water tanks are luck to last 15 years, most don't make 10 years. The last water heater I replace was a 5 year old AO Smith water heater with a leaking tank.
@@bryanrocker5033 Is your water soft or hard ? Do you have a water softener ?
@@pauld3327 I have a water softener because my water is so hard. I also have a 5 micron whole house filter I change out regularly.
@@bryanrocker5033 I also have very hard water and I don't have a water softener. My water tank last 15 years.
I think your water tank leak was due to your water softener, It makes your water corrosive. You could change your water softener settings to make your water between soft and hard, your water tank will last longer.
The second one was likely replaced because that is a huge money maker for shady plumbers. I bought a house in Fort Worth with an 11 year old water heater. Yea, it's getting near the end of it's life. We drove across the country to get to the house, and the next morning found there was no hot water. It was a gas unit. Controller had a flashing light that indicated "overtemp shutdown". Called multiple plumbers, who told me "we dont work on home depot units" "it's too old" "you cant buy the parts for it" (you can) "the parts would cost as much as a new unit" (they dont). Every excuse they could come up with to sell me a new one. I got on youtube and found some obscure video telling me how to reset the code, and it has worked great ever since. Flushed it a few days ago and minimal sediment came out. Some plumber could have made $100+ to come turn a knob.
worthwhile comment Kenneth Mc.
The difference between a regular person and a typical "expert" is the fact that a "expert" does something rather than nothing.
Which means... they'll usually have enough incentive to get something accomplished, even if the wrong way, or expensive.
Don't be so quick to shit on plumbers man. That's a 75 gallon tank. That's coming from a big home. Sometimes rich people like spending money, so they might have just wanted to put in a tankless water heater or swap to a dual water heater setup for even more capacity. Who knows. People do a lot of stupid things, and that's compounded when their bank account is hardly affected by it.
@@some0ne8 Maybe in this one instance, but my point still stands.
@@kennethmc2601 I'm not a plumber but I still get it. Some of those reasons are also because it's not worth their time to come there to flip a switch or what happens when they flip the switch and it lets the smoke out? Then they're paying out of pocket to put in a new unit or you're going after their insurance.
It's not always as simple as saying they are trying to scam you because they want to put in a new unit.
@@some0ne8 So if you took your car to a mechanic, because your AC doesnt work, and the problem is a blown fuse, but they replace the entire AC system, you would be cool with that? I get your point, but lying to a potential customer is not ok with me.
Thanks Matt for your research and advise, i will get working on mine.
It reminds me of the *_dark water in this video_* ruclips.net/video/Tl5oHZrIZo0/видео.html&.iaixa
Great video! I’m just starting to learn about my water heater. I flushed it for the first time and it was actually in really good shape. I have a water softener. The unit is 13 years old. Then, I flushed my neighbor’s unit, which is newer, and hers actually had a lot more stuff come out than mine. A day after flushing mine, I noticed the temp and pressure valve was leaking badly, so tonight I replaced it. I think I should go ahead and replace the anode rod, after watching your video. My unit looks like a very low efficiency one, but it seems to have a lot more life in it, so it probably makes sense to do this small amount of maintenance and keep running it for a while longer.
And if your heater is within a space that needs heated in the winter, e.g. centrally located within the house, then you are not really loosing heat in the house, only in the hot water system.
But of course all heat is lost eventually.
With a water softener, you will have less sediments but you might have more corrosion. Hard water protects the tank from corrosion.
Never, ever herd of anyone replacing anode rods. Never knew you were supposed too.
Maybe this can be explained by your love for the eagles.
They are so frik'n hard to get out....nobody wants to. You'll tear a ($500 deductable) ligament trying.
@@readmore3634 good to know...thanks...so there's a not insignificant cost to doing water heater maintenance.
@@new2000car Look...here's the low down on water heaters...when new, remove the drain valve and replace it with a 3/4" nipple, a 3/4" ball valve (Full Volume).. and screw a garden hose adapter onto it with about a 3 foot hose.... Every 6 months, without turning off the water to the house, open it up all the way into a 5 gallon bucket and blast the sediment out several times. That keeps it pretty clean and it takes seconds. As far as life expectancy.....soft water is the best you can do. I have soft water and everything lasts much, much longer....especially shower heads, tub/shower valves....everything. Experience? 35 years a Union, Master Plumber. 10 years my own business.
@@readmore3634 Sure that's the right way to do it...but anything that takes more than a minute...like installing a better drain valve...in the real world is not going to get done by the vast majority of people...if they can get out of doing it. How much extra would you have to charge to do this? People want it fast and cheap. There's also the if it ain't broke, don't fix it thing. Take off a non-leaking, cheap garbage drain valve and endeavor to install a high quality ball valve (how much is just the part? Gotta go get one, but how...drive over to supply store, online?) Better install it right, and test it. Consumers do not want to spend the money to have this done, mostly. I think I learned the prevailing school of thought on this the hard way. I had offered to flush someone's hot water heater a long time ago and the act of just opening the drain valve and then closing it...guess what happened?
i need to install annode rods on the body of my truck
Or move away from salty roads.
They make anti electrolysis devices for road vehicles
What about under spray fluid Film.
@Craig Carmichael yes they make zinc spray paint for that purpose, fluid film is also a great option like another commenter mentioned
It *_reminds me_* of this water heater: ruclips.net/video/lrZQgWOenCo/видео.html&yui
Well you learn something new everyday I really appreciate that I was wondering what that little rusty skinny pole was in there
As a former markout man for a gas utility i have an observation i noticed. When marking a street for watermain replacement after the project was completed. I would notice over months many waterheaters were being replaced. Now u cannot put them out on the curb. This was over 12 years on the job and in many areas. I don't know if after years of being under pressure then no pressure was the result. I knew every str that had work done and it was something that i observed regularly
Matt, maybe you can do a video on flushing and replacing the anode rod in a gas/electric water heater?
Yes. Was thinking that as we edited this video. It’s in Cue now. I think it’s needed
Yes. I've been thinking about doing that to my 20-year old, completely unserviced, electric water heater for many years now....
But I'm worried that something will get stuck / broken and I'll have to buy a new one & get a pro to install ==> $$$
Great idea, we just replaced a water heater that developed a bulge on the side in Dec 2015. I have no started to flush once a year, and will be doing the anode road every 2 years (according to the manual) I havent done my anode rod yet, as Im worried of screwing something up.
Do you ever recommend wrapping your tank with an insulating blanket?
Matt Risinger puedes hacer un vídeo de cómo hacer una parrilla con un termotanque?
Pulls old water heater out - "Boy, this thing is heavy!"
Puts new one in - "This is much lighter!, Guess they really don't build 'um like they used to!"
I totally agree, not like they used to.
TheH454 7:12 knives , they really don't build 'um like they used to in Dundee's time !
The old ones have a foot of wet scale at the bottom that's why they are so heavy. The new ones are much better built.
I agree too. Mine installed in 1985 and still going. But its about time to replace it.
r/wooosh
My hot water heater is from the 90,s still working well , has always been on a water softener and iron filter.
I had no idea how to care for my hot water heater. Thanks to your video I know what to do.
In Dec. 2018 my water heater will be 30 years old. The only thing I have done to it is use it !
A new one will save your bills a lot, check for rebates from your utilities and be sure to have a drain pan/hazard insurance for the eventual leak out.
Janice Anmary we also never do anything to our water heaters. One was 21 years old when we moved, current two houses we own are 12 years old each
Nicholasville Littlejohn - She will save more money by keeping the current water heater for as long as it still works. There is no way saving a few dollars a month will pay for spending $700 or more for the water heater plus the cost of installation plus she would be starting the constant replacement cycle of current 10 years average lifespan heaters.
MIGHT WANT TO GET IT PUT INTO THE HOT WATER TANK MUSEUM AFTER IT FINALLY DIES. IF YOU WANT THEIR PHONE NUMBER LET ME KNOW.
Your like me. Ive never flushed mine or anything. I just turn on the sink and shower and its going on 21 years.
Magnesium, from what I've read, does better with rust prevention, but will deteriorate faster. Aluminum lasts longer but not as effective.
1) I replace anode rods often. I've never had a problem with height. If you did you could just cut off a length from the bottom with an angle grinder or hacksaw.
2) the anode ride was not going to break off at the top. It is being supported by a copper wire. The entire magnesium or aluminum or zinc could disappear and the copper wire down the middle will stay strong.
Awesome video. i put reminders in my calendar for maintenance now. Best channel on RUclips! Missing the "BUILD SHOW" enthusiastic final word though my man! ;)
I have a 1978 Rheem-Ruud electric tank...still kickin'
Made in USA.
Made in USA.
@@chieflouie2821 echo?
Impressive
If you were to add a wrap of insulation would that help with saving energy?
Not on a modern one. They have 4-5 inches of foam insulation and adding a wisp of fiberglass adds nothing really. Water heaters don't use that much energy any more (because of several rounds of appliance efficiency standards).
I bought a 10 year old house. Did a water hardness test and found it was really bad. So I bought a softner system and replaced the hot water heater. I cut the old tank up, (Didn't have $20 trash fee, had a box of cutoff wheels and time) and found 6"-7" of scale/sediment. The bottom coil was encased in scale. I installed the new tank with Sharkbite flexible connectors with shutoff valves, so I can actually pull the whole thing out if I need to. I'll replace the anode rod every 3 years after seeing this. I don't care if that's unnecessary, I've spent a lot of money on this house, the softner system, and the new tank. I'll spend a little more and get as much out of all of it as I can. Thanks for the advice!
I have 2 water heaters and you made me wonder. Well one is from 1992 and never beet flushed or rod checked but I am going to do it this week. Might save some money too! Thanks, Watch all your videos and there great.
I see no flush handle on my water heater? What do I do?
Sylvia is kidding. I hope you know that Lee. Do not drill a hole.
A reason that you don't know why the tanks are in the scrapyard is....Many homeowners buying new houses are advised to upgrade or renew the hot water heater regardless of the age. I don't know why but it happens. I take tanks out and give them to people in need. Pay it Forward and repurpose all in one.
Insurance
@Wayne Lewis Let's say you have filled the heater and gotten it to operating temperature. You open a faucet. The water in the heater is already hot, but it comes on as the temp drops a little. It is still hot. Therefore you are heating hot water in your heater. This makes it a hot water heater. You're welcome.
"You don't heat hot water." Nope, I don't. The hot water heater does that.
I wasn't aware water heater boxes were the source of information where we learn how to use language. Which is because they are not. Natural language is developed by how it is used, not the other way around. We can all call it anything we want so long as the intended meaning is what is communicated. If it would help I can bring up other examples where the best way to communicate something is to use the term everyone knows and it is different than what it says on the box of the product.
You assume "hot" is modifying "water" when it could actually be modifying "water heater".
If you are arguing that a water heater doesn't increase the temperature of water on a regular basis, you would be wrong. I would like to point out that there are different degrees of hot and I mean that literally: measured in Fahrenheit or Celsius. The temperature inside a water heater drops some when you run hot water and hot water moves out and fresh water comes in. It also drops gradually anyways because no insulation is perfect. A thermostat does not regulate temperature to be kept constant. It waits until it lowers to a certain point, then kicks in and _heats_ whatever it is up until it reaches a certain higher specified temperature, and then it shuts off.
People make mistakes. Calling someone a dipstick and commenting "Jeez" after a proposed correction is quite rude. I would hope we could all agree there is enough rudeness on RUclips as is and we would all be better of without adding to it.
@@Elrog3 finally some one else who gets it, to dam many English majors in this field, some people feel the need to this all the time, they don't usually have many friends. What does bug me a bit is those that insist on calling it buy a name that is contrary to the spelling, such as stihl chain saws pronounced steel.
I used to change out my anodes every 3 years but decided to try a powered anode. It's been 8 years now on a 17 year old heater. I also do flush out the tank once a year so that helps. Powered anodes are pricey but even when this tank needs to be replaced, I'll be moving the powered anode to the new one.
After getting rotten egg smell I replaced our rod with a powered one. It's been in there 7 years now.
As a plumber, I have seen water heaters last fifteen plus years without flushing, I have seen newer ones last only two. The calcium helps inhibit rust. From what I have seen it is basically a toss up whether to flush the w/h or not. Fifteen years seem to be the average no matter what you do.
I have owned a few homes and I never knew until say ten years ago of flushing the tank and changing the rod, most people just don't know and plumbers never tell you anything. I learned this after changing one myself and someone at the store told me.
I think the main reason these tanks get replaced is they leak. Even if the scale isn't too bad, the glass lining eventually gives up somewhere causing a pin hole leak.
Ty Curtin That reason and just general renovation. He says "I dont know why this one was replaced".
Duuhhh it's either because it leaked or it is old. Great 20/20 hindsight AFTER cutting a hole in it Matt.
@@DiscoFang hahahahahahahahaha
I am an electrician and worked with thousands of heating and plumbing contractors over the years. They love to upsell the high efficiently stuff as they charge a percentage of the material costs. Almost every single one of them will tell you, "I can sell you a heating system or water heater that can save a lot of energy but it will cost you more money in the long run". I do a lot of electric water tank swaps in flips and rentals and you can't beat a 40-60 gallon electric water tank for $300-$500 bucks. Just plumb them in with a couple unions and the biggest job is pumping out the tank. One trick I use is to run a 3/8 plastic tube from the hot water tank hose drain to the condensate pump of the heating and A/C system. Takes a little longer but empties the tank by gravity right down the drain.
Matt, I installed a Polaris water heater/furnace in 2005, and have flushed it 3 times. Each time the water was clear. I installed an Eddy water softener/conditioner 5 years ago and all the scale in my house has been reduced and the volume increased, while pressure remains steady. Check out the Eddy unit! Folks with high mineral content will be amazed! They come with a 1 year no questions asked GUARANTEE. I'm installing another unit on my rental property with a brand new tankless water heater. It should make the yearly flushing easy.
Leaking wAter 💦 is reason I replaced most heaters I’ve had. Any recommendations for tankless types ? Most world only use them
Expense offsets much of the savings. Also beware if you have well water with mineral buildup. You won’t see much mention of mineral buildup issues mentioned as most of what you see is sales hype. It’s conveniently missing in the energy saving pitch so look to the plumbers discussions for this not the companies🤥 selling them.
When I’m high and on RUclips everything is interesting to me.
Same
It *_reminds me_* of this water heater: ruclips.net/video/lrZQgWOenCo/видео.html&zaac
I'm here because I'm high...
Original water heater to when the house was built in '96! Just replaced it! Still worked, started leaking around fittings where copper met the steel!
I learned something new today! Thanks
My. Heater is 20 years old but I keep my water on the cooler side.
Same here. My water heater is about 26 years old. I set mine to not so hot. Mine is due to be replaced
Mine is also 20 years old and still kicking, and I’ve never done any maintenance on it!😳
@@eleanormassaro5195 yup I have never done maintenance on mine neither. I'm just learning about them now. The next one I get I'll definitely do maintenance
You need a real flashlight we can’t see what your pointing at
It *_reminds me_* of this water heater: ruclips.net/video/lrZQgWOenCo/видео.html&b
1) magnesium rod will give a smell like a rotten eggs unless you have a separate fountain for drinking water. (the video does not mention)
2) the magnesium rod will rust out faster than aluminum rod. (the video mentions exact opposite)
3) keep the set temperature of water lowest comfortable to minimize the scale one the walls. It will also provide higher efficiency because the exhaust will not be as hot compared to the setting that is set hotter. Also will extend the life of tank.
4) install a pressure regulator and reduce the pressure from 98 psi in my township to 65 psi. those 33 psi helps eliminate hammer effect which can jump the pressure to 400 psi momentarily when we we shut close any faucet(specially high-flow faucet). The plumbing system in my house never goes higher than 65psi regardless of how fast i close my faucet. This will significantly increase life of the heater without any doubt.
We have one in our small rental home that was installed by auntie in 2000. Doesn't even have a petzo lighter. They serviced it semi regularlly.changing the rod at least once. I regularly. drain some water out of it and installed a new rod 2 years ago. So installed 22 years again and still working in 2023 I also drain a little out of mine via the drain and the pressure relief valve ( they can freeze shut). Do that every few months. That sediment can add up quickly at the bottom making the burner not burn right.