Perhaps the best way to inspect the innards of a water heate is to shut it off, drain it, and then poke a small flex camera into the opening to view the interior. I now have such a unit, and the next time I check the anode rod on my 30+ year old Monkey Ward 40 gallon, I'll be using it.
The heater works fine, doesn't leak, but tends to bump a bit when heating from time to time. I attribute this to sediment at the bottom, which I've tried several times to flush out. The camera will probably tell a better story. I worry that the cold water inlet tube may have deteriorated and pieces of it are bumping around the bottom of the tank. But then I haven't found any shreds thereof in the hot water faucet screens, either. Just in case I have a new cold water inlet tube ready to place into the heater the next time it's serviced.
The heater works fine, doesn't leak, but tends to bump a bit when heating from time to time. I attribute this to sediment at the bottom, which I've tried several times to flush out. The camera will probably tell a better story. I worry that the cold water inlet tube may have deteriorated and pieces of it are bumping around the bottom of the tank. But then I haven't found any shreds thereof in the hot water faucet screens, either. Just in case I have a new cold water inlet tube ready to place into the heater the next time it's serviced.
