12-05-2021, 09:30 AM
Is a hot water heater an appliance?
Yes, because I'm posting here.
So the hot water heater started grumbling and growling every time it started heating up water. That means there's an accumulation of sentiment in the bottom. For most people it's sediment. But for us, we have an Emotion III water heater, so it builds up sentimrent.
Anyway, I researched on the web how to properly address this problem, and everyone and their grandma had their own take. They all involve draining, or partially draining, the tank to clear out the sludge. But one professional claimed it wasn't worth it, and even recommmended taking out the anode (!!!) because it didn't do anything useful. All mentioned a risk of the drain valve at the bottom leaking afterward, requiring replacement. The replacement looked scary, maybe requiring special wrenches, etc. Anyway, I got scared off.
But recently we talked to LCF's sister and her husband John, and John pressed me to go ahead with this maintenance.
So I did, two days ago. I emptied the whole tank, did some 20-second flushes afterward with the cold intake, and after about 5 of these the water coming out changed from the color of the St. Joe river (in Indiana where I grew up) after a hard rain to pristine or close to it.
Then I closed the drain valve (no leak!), filled her up, and all seems well. Not definite but I don't think I've heard any grumblings lately.
There's a whole lot of steps to this procedure, by the way, and I've oversimplified. But nothing that involves crawling. The worst of it was waiting for it to drain. Fifteen minutes, people said. No, more like an hour.
Anyway, all seems well for now.
Yes, because I'm posting here.
So the hot water heater started grumbling and growling every time it started heating up water. That means there's an accumulation of sentiment in the bottom. For most people it's sediment. But for us, we have an Emotion III water heater, so it builds up sentimrent.
Anyway, I researched on the web how to properly address this problem, and everyone and their grandma had their own take. They all involve draining, or partially draining, the tank to clear out the sludge. But one professional claimed it wasn't worth it, and even recommmended taking out the anode (!!!) because it didn't do anything useful. All mentioned a risk of the drain valve at the bottom leaking afterward, requiring replacement. The replacement looked scary, maybe requiring special wrenches, etc. Anyway, I got scared off.
But recently we talked to LCF's sister and her husband John, and John pressed me to go ahead with this maintenance.
So I did, two days ago. I emptied the whole tank, did some 20-second flushes afterward with the cold intake, and after about 5 of these the water coming out changed from the color of the St. Joe river (in Indiana where I grew up) after a hard rain to pristine or close to it.
Then I closed the drain valve (no leak!), filled her up, and all seems well. Not definite but I don't think I've heard any grumblings lately.
There's a whole lot of steps to this procedure, by the way, and I've oversimplified. But nothing that involves crawling. The worst of it was waiting for it to drain. Fifteen minutes, people said. No, more like an hour.
Anyway, all seems well for now.