Hot Water Heaters

[retromania]

Someone please tell me...

What the rumble rumble may have been in the gas water heater at my aunt's house when she turned on the hot tap at the kitchen sink?

 

[maytagbear]

Might be

calcium carbonate or other hard water minerals. They can cause noise in the tank, which is why prudent people drain a few gallons from the valve every year. Hard water minerals can act as insulation, causing the burner to run longer. At least, that's what my heating contractor told me before I entered Rental Hell.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[retromania]

Thanks!

We don't have hard water here where I live, but there are trace mineral deposits which may be the culprit. No. I doubt my aunt and uncle ever bled any water off. Thanks again!

 

[sudsmaster]

I get the same rumble occasionally on the 30 year old Monkey Ward hot water heater here. I've replaced the anode rod twice (last time it had a lot of fine fluffy white crud on it) and flush the tank every few years. It's also relatively soft water here. I have a remote inspection camera now so the next time I pull the anode rod I'll use it to inspect the inside of the tank.

Just in case I have a spare water heater (lightly used) that I could replace the Monkey Ward with. But the Ward seems just fine.

Thanks for the advice on the condensing furnace drain. I agree that the acid is most likely carbonic acid. The nearest stand pipe is in the laundry closet on the main house level (it's one story above a crawl, the furnace is in the crawl), but the drain line for the washer is copper, which runs for about 10 feet under the house to a cast iron line, so not sure I'd want acidic water dripping into it all the time.

 

[tomturbomatic]

If the furnace shares a drain with a washer, the weak acid would be flushed from time to time and would be somewhat diluted by the water in the trap. If you decide to go that woute, you could drop a calcium pill or a TUMS in the standpipe every other day or so during the heating season. At least the drain would not belch, unlike most people who take an antacid.

 

[sudsmaster]

Unfortunately the standpipe for the washer is recessed into the wall behind the washer, and not accessible unless the washer is pulled out of the laundry closet.

Well, the current (aged) furnace works well enough. Seems to be in pretty good shape; no CO detected in the home, either. Which is good since the furnace is about 33 years old now. And it's come in handy during our most recent cold snap (frosty windshields in the mornings).