beekeyknee
Well-known member
Mark,
Put a hose on the drain valve, open it and run some water into a bucket. See if you get sediment. If you do, turn off the burner or breaker, depending if you have gas or electric. Run water out until the sediment quits coming out or slows down. If you want to do a more thorough cleaning of the tank, proceed as follows.
Shut off the water supply to the w/h on the cold side. There should be a valve on the cold water supply to the heater. It should be a gate valve. If it's not it might be a stem valve with knob. If it's a gate valve and it seems stuck, put some penetrating oil on it (like PB Blaster). If it's a stem valve, clean away any corrosion from the stem with some light sandpaper or a brass brush. Get the stem as clean as possible. If the valve doesn't want to turn put some penetrating oil on the stem where it meets the packing nut. Let it soak. Then put some plumbers grease on the stem and try and turn the valve off. You may want to support the pipe if it doesn't want to turn. Don't want any broken fittings. Open the T&P valve on top of the heater or another hot water faucet in the house, like the bath tub or other high volume faucet. If your T&P valve hasn't been opened before it maybe stuck shut or may leak when you close it and try to refill the tank. T&P valves should be checked every year or two to be sure they are working. A stuck T&P valve can turn your w/h into a rocket if the thermostat malfunctions, although this doesn't usually happen. The most likely thing is that they start to leak. Drain all the water out of the heater with the hose. If you go outside and down hill it will go faster.
After the tank is drained, close the T&P valve or other hot water faucet you have opened. Then turn the cold water supply valve to the w/h back on all the way while leaving the drain valve at the bottom of the heater open. The water will rush into the tank and stir up/ dislodge sediment in the tank bottom and should flush it out. If the dip tube is still in good condition this will be more affective. The dip tube shoots the water out at the bottom of the tank for more affective heating of the water. The cold water is released at the bottom of the tank where it is heated and the hot water is drawn off the top of the tank. If there is a lot of sediment you may have to do this several times and over a period of several weeks or months. You'll get tired of doing it after awhile. Also, depending on what type of drain valve is on your tank it may become plugged during your flushing process. In that case you can blow through the valve during the empty tank part of the cycle or you can hook a hose up to the valve and force water back through the valve from another faucet such as an outdoor hydrant.
As I've referred to before, waterheaterrescue.com is your best source of information. Good luck.
B.
p.s. If your dip tube is shot that's a more in depth repair.
Put a hose on the drain valve, open it and run some water into a bucket. See if you get sediment. If you do, turn off the burner or breaker, depending if you have gas or electric. Run water out until the sediment quits coming out or slows down. If you want to do a more thorough cleaning of the tank, proceed as follows.
Shut off the water supply to the w/h on the cold side. There should be a valve on the cold water supply to the heater. It should be a gate valve. If it's not it might be a stem valve with knob. If it's a gate valve and it seems stuck, put some penetrating oil on it (like PB Blaster). If it's a stem valve, clean away any corrosion from the stem with some light sandpaper or a brass brush. Get the stem as clean as possible. If the valve doesn't want to turn put some penetrating oil on the stem where it meets the packing nut. Let it soak. Then put some plumbers grease on the stem and try and turn the valve off. You may want to support the pipe if it doesn't want to turn. Don't want any broken fittings. Open the T&P valve on top of the heater or another hot water faucet in the house, like the bath tub or other high volume faucet. If your T&P valve hasn't been opened before it maybe stuck shut or may leak when you close it and try to refill the tank. T&P valves should be checked every year or two to be sure they are working. A stuck T&P valve can turn your w/h into a rocket if the thermostat malfunctions, although this doesn't usually happen. The most likely thing is that they start to leak. Drain all the water out of the heater with the hose. If you go outside and down hill it will go faster.
After the tank is drained, close the T&P valve or other hot water faucet you have opened. Then turn the cold water supply valve to the w/h back on all the way while leaving the drain valve at the bottom of the heater open. The water will rush into the tank and stir up/ dislodge sediment in the tank bottom and should flush it out. If the dip tube is still in good condition this will be more affective. The dip tube shoots the water out at the bottom of the tank for more affective heating of the water. The cold water is released at the bottom of the tank where it is heated and the hot water is drawn off the top of the tank. If there is a lot of sediment you may have to do this several times and over a period of several weeks or months. You'll get tired of doing it after awhile. Also, depending on what type of drain valve is on your tank it may become plugged during your flushing process. In that case you can blow through the valve during the empty tank part of the cycle or you can hook a hose up to the valve and force water back through the valve from another faucet such as an outdoor hydrant.
As I've referred to before, waterheaterrescue.com is your best source of information. Good luck.
B.
p.s. If your dip tube is shot that's a more in depth repair.
