A double garden hose splitter attached to drain valve works just as well. One hookup goes to compressed air tank at 40 psi and other is your discharge hose/line. Both manifolds have its own valve so you can toggle between compressed air and discharge hose.
As a property manager taking over a legacy account, I had to fix a lot of "deferred" (not ever done) maintence issues. A tenant complained of no hot water, so I checked the 13 year old electric heater, which was working, and asked the tenant if anyone had ever drained the tank. He said not to his knowledge, so I shut off the power and cold inlet, and hooked a 6 ft washer hose to the drain(it was an elevated tank in a mobil home with outdoor access). Upon opening the valve, I saw no flow, so I put the hose to my lips like a bugle and blew into it, and dislodged the sediment, which then properly drained out. That was MY sediment buster. And BTW, I was 75 years old, so excessive strength was not a factor. I think the volume of air flow was more important than the pressure.
Volume definitely, short bursts of air might move the sediment a little but it isn't going to move it and break it up to where it will not almost immediately clog up the tank's outlet again.
I'm always wary of commercial channels, and I always thought yours was one. But I've started watching more of your content. I appreciate the knowledge you share. Thanks!
I’ve always connected my hose and started to drain before turning off the water which will force any blockages out using street pressure. You can also just use a Milwaukee transfer pump which will suck the sediment out as well as drain the heater in like 6 minutes.
I use city water pressure with a hose hooked up at the bottom of the tank and let that blow the crud out of the tank . I let it run under city water pressure for 4 to 5 minutes, that usually makes a good path through the crud. If it’s so bad that that doesn’t work , unscrew the pop off and put a pice of Pex pipe through the hole and pump it out with a transfer pump . Crimp a hose bib connection one end of the pex and use a washing machine hose to go to your pump , run it out with a large garden hose .
I just picked up a Y from walmart, and used a quick connect coupling for a water hose, the nipple on it fits a air hose rubber nipple tight, then put water hose on the other Y, and just crack the valve and shoot compressed air in it shut valve and repeat, cost like 8$ in parts, compared to like 40$ for that thing.
Exactly what i was thinking. Tons of plumbing “hacks” are pretty cheap. Also turning out the drain and putting a 3/4 nipple,ball valve and 3/4 male by hose adapter usually defeats the sediment (under vacuum of course)
Hey roger... i recommend when doing this kind of maintenance, leaving the gas valve on pilot setting because if im not mistaken thats the setting you were talking about. I believe the vacation setting will still turn on the flame as to keep the water at minimum temperature so not to allow build up of bacteria when not in use for a long time. Again i could be mistaken
Thanks for this. You've just solved a couple of problems for me. I've been planning to replace a water heater that's been in place for 52 years. So much sediment that there is no way to drain it, and I cannot move it by myself while it's full. This just might do the trick, and save me a whole lot of toil and sweat. And I have a similar situation with one that's been in place for 27 years. If it works for me, this thing will be worth every penny of the $40 it costs. 👍👍👍
@@RogerWakefield It's electric and still working fine. But I suspect its capacity is seriously compromised. You're welcome to come cut it open. Just a short jaunt up to Oregon. 😁
@@DrMaseratiYou can pull the dip tube or the anode rod and use a shop vac or a siphon to remove water from the top if the drain valve is clogged with sediment.
@@mannys9130 Yeah, I could do that if I could get one of those things out without moving it first. Considering how old it is, I doubt either will come out without destroying the water heater. And I'll probably continue to use it for a short time before replacing it.
Believe or not.. I still see a tank in service that has never been touched for > 60 years straight, not leaking and still doing it's job. It's a a Toastmaster that advertised that it had heating elements that could never burn out! To up that. It has been fed nothing but hard well water it whole life! Boy oh boy! A total shame of why they can't build things today like they used to
As an apprentice (former) - I asked the master plumber about a sky valve… now I am applying to be an electrician apprentice or erosion control inspector.
I drain my tank, pump 5 gal of vinegar into tank using small sump pump. Then hook up air compressor and a really small opening so air continually agitates vinegar. After 6 hours, drain vinegar. Then suck with shop vac to get as much sludge out as possible. Works for me.
I bought the sediment buster and it worked fine with a bicycle pump. I could hear the huge bubbling on the inside of the tank. It really did work to unclog the drain and get sediment out. Dont be afraid to try a plain old bike pump first.
The Milwaukee M18 pump is awesome for draining water heaters. I feel like that pump with this attachment could flush a water heater FAST. With the impeller design of the M18 pump, it would handle that size debris fine.
All you have to do is drain the tank completely then turn the water back on blast the settlement out the bottom drain a few times till it completely clean and no more settlement coming out the hose and then hook it all back up
Finally, this is the best one you've found. I hope you delete your other one with that damn drain snake you use a drill with to ruin the inside of your tank. You're gonna have some pissed off people when they mess up their tanks with that thing. This Sediment Buster is far better for the user and the unit. I'm serious, that other video could come back to haunt you. This one is good; the best out there so far. You don't need that other video in your library here. We learn, make mistakes, fix them and go forward. Thanks for the video.
I replaced my tanks original twist open drain valve with a 3/4" 90 degree ball valve to speed up the drain process and eliminate the clogging issue. I use a clear hose to drain it too so I can see what comes out of it. I refill and drain it 3 times to flush it out well each time I do it every 6 months. That's probably overkill but it gives me peace of mind. I have a private well so there's no cost of using all that water to drain and flush it out.
I use a full port valve and a vacuum hose into a drain. Water runs through like Mexican food at a baseball game. I also try to flush my tank once or twice a year since my water is so terrible. It should be better now however since our village got an RO system installed.
I cut a failed water heater open from my own house. Not only was I shocked to find the leaks and future leaks, were at the top! But heated water rises. Also surprised, but the cold water inlet tube was bent 90 degrees near the bottom and circles 75% of the sediment area with little spray holes drilled in it every 3”. This will keep sediment loose for draining. But the ironic point was the glass lining at the top thinned allowing hot water to rust pin holes at the top! If I drain my tank to keep it efficient, and it plugged, I have an air blower to attach to one of 6 air hoses at 50’ in length. I have lots of air hose with 130 PSI compressor. Thanks kindly for the information.
I'm going to have to find your video on the water heater settlement that you were talking about about once a year but it sounds like it might need a little more cleaning or a little more thorough cleaning than what we usually do
Replace the cheap drain valve with a good globe valve with a handle after draining the water out. Then, with the drain valve still open, open the water supply valve and let that water, poring and splashing onto the bottom of the tank, stir up the remaining sediment and wash it out through the drain valve. Then when the water runs clear you can close the drain valve and let the tank fill up until it starts coming out of the hot water faucet. Then close the hot water faucet and turn the hot water heater back on. Drain some water out every three to four months to clean any sediment out and it should never be a problem again.
It would be nice if you put up a video about how a 100-gallon commercial water heater installation job , from moving a 800 lbs commercial water heater into the space , like if there is any specific equipment out there to carry that , and how to install it .
If I ever get a job to do that, I will for sure film it! 😅 I made a video about commercial water heaters and have seen people moving them around with those two person harnesses or dollies...not easy work
my 15 yr old water heater started leaking. I had changed anode a couple of times. after it was out i looked it over. plastic valve was the culprit. could have been easy fix. and tank looked like new inside. our Culligan water filter had done its job
That's a good setup to drain a water heater because they do get clogged a lot. But I would definitely change out the water heater for a new one and keep it updated. Trying to get every inch of life out of a water heater is a extremely bad idea. Will cause problems down the road and most likely leak and cause damage. The water heater 14 years old needs to be changed out. There's that much sediment in the water heater a house filter needs to be installed and changed regularly. A lot of sediment in the water heater will cause loss in water capacity, People may think they need a larger water heater or an on demand system which is not the case. Take care of the water going into the tank.pre Ventive maintenance is key. Big Ds plumbing Medford Oregon
Add more water and get the sediment moving around...do that a couple of times, gets the sediment off the bottom\. Might not get it all but you can get alot.
You stirred up all the sediment running the water hose in the tank, not near as much would have come out had this been done on a normal tank. But I can see the benefit of using the air pressure when crud clogs the valve, as I have had that happen a few times.
I enjoyed the video. There are those that say drain, those that say never drain. If youre going to drain it, you need to move fast. Anyone thats ever drained a bucket after flushing supply lines knows that sediment is heavier by far than water. My solution is simple. Take your (assuming you have one) trusty 3/4 gas line leak pressure gauge, hook it up to the cold. With your handy dandy air compressor, blast SOME air, in bursts, using your pressure gauge as a guide. Usually it wont hold pressure. If it does, youre doing it wrong or there is a major problem. Air pressure is stronger than water as it reacts differently via the rates of insertion and the forces at play. Specific gravity, etc and wont go into all that. The air, in my experience, will continually stir the sediment, whilst evacuate the water.
Roger, I’m finding out that on well water there’s not a whole lot of sediment in a water heater. I have changed out a lot of water heaters on city water that are full of sediment after five years. On my water heater at my house it was 20 years old, and there was no sediment in it. I went ahead and changed it out cause I had a fear of it starting to leak.
If a long hose causes back pressure issues how can you get the water out efficiently? The drain valve is at the bottom of the water heater 6 maybe 8 inches from the floor not on a bench. A short hose would need to drain into a low pan. Lots of time spent emptying the pan.
Use a large diameter hose and make sure there is no rise in the hose. It will drain ok...also if its slow you can close the valve in the house and give the tank a short burst of air...the pressure will force the water out. I have also used a shop vac to suck the water out.
So, just thinkin here, this could totally be dumb. Would it make sense to close both lines on top of the water heater and pressurize the water heater up to 50 PSI? It would force air in, breaking up that crud, and then the pressure would force water out, forcefully sucking junk out with it. I'm sure they dont want you to do that in the instructions because someone's going to give it 180 PSI and cause problems.
Yeah and I mentioned that when we filmed, but cut it out. I would want that pressure in the tank, like you said, to break all the sediment up. For this video I followed the instructions they gave me
You should have one valve on the cold side if you have one on the hot side also you are making a pressure cooker if you shut them both off the heater could blow up if the re,if valve fails !!!
The reason you saw murky water quickly was because you just got through spraying the hose a d stirred up things. Also, how could that air loosen the sediment on the bottom of the tank? Not sure how effective this would be.
The sediment is already in your tank and can be carried to your faucets already. Flushing the tank will help to get rid of most if not all of the sediment and extend the life of your water heater. I do see a potential for a greater amount of sediment in the water if you try to use hot water IMMEDIATELY, but by the time your tank heats back up, everything should have settled back down to how it was before.
If you want to avoid this, just run your bathtub for a few minutes after you flush the heater. This will give any big sediment chunks a larger pipe to find their way out. But you usually don't have to worry about it
@@nickbryant2318Many bath tub faucets pass water through a small temp balancing mixing valve that's pretty complicated and often hard to remove. I'd suggest taking the hose off the washing machine and purging through that for a minute or so rather than flowing through any valves.
Or forget about ever flushing your tank that 99.99% of people, even professional plumbers never do with thier own tank. Way more problems created than solved like cheap plastic drain valve not resealing same reason to never touch the T&P valve on. If you haven't flushed such tank starting off with year 1 of it's life. Zero point/ benefit of doing so.. Only harm can be caused vs. 0 benefit. Tankless a whole different story. If you don't flush with descaler like vinegar in many years.. Then say goodbye to hot water and your fancy water heater 😅 I believe Roger once said he reccomend to replace anode after 1st year??? Why Roger, why Roger?? Something else that no normal person ever does. If you do and it prolongs the tanks life by not leaking. Then 100% for sure gas valve and temperature control will fail before tank starts leaking. Of your not a handy person that can replace a water heater on your own professionally, then calling a plumber to replace gas valve will cost you about as much to replace the entire tank and get a at least 6 yr warranty on all parts for it + one yr labor guarantee from a decent proffesional
My hot water heater whenever I take a shower, afterwards, sounds like it's getting a lot of air inside, it kind of "gurgles". What does one do about that?
I had the same thought, but you just know someone would give it a billion PSI and explode the tool, or worse. I'm just saying I would do it under pressure, but I see why the manufacturer (and their lawyers) wouldnt want to encourage it.
Exactly… then someone wouldn’t be getting paid to sell a product that would not be needed almost ever…I have been a plumber for 30 years and cannot remember ever having sediment blocking the outlet maybe slow it down a little but then all it take is a shake of the tank….
SO, theoretically if you drain the whole thing you crack upen the cold water valve to refill it and literally 'rinse and repeat'? Also will cracking the pressure relief valve help speed up the process vs keeping the hot water valve in the tub open? Always enjoy the informative videos, Mr Roger
Anything wrong with leaving the city water on and hook the hose to the tank and then turning the valve to drain the tank. My tank will drain with city water on. It won't drain without it.
The new ikon valve that’s used on the majority of water heaters doesn’t have a vacation setting. It has a pilot setting which is the same thing. Most people won’t be able to find a vacation mode when they look for it.
Easy fix for this. Manufacturers using larger valves to allow complete drainage of all sediment. Valve body for the drain should be the same size as the electric heat element that would allow for most sediment to flow out into the hose from there it can be dealt with by the homeowner or the technician. But that would reduce new water heater sales so why do that and don’t give me any BS about cost!
So now I got to cut my hose , elevate my tank for good flow (cause mine is on the basement floor ) guess also cut my tank in half to dump the rest out . And it’s backed by a plumber tech 😂😂😂
After it drains completely but still murky, why not turn on the cold inlet for a few minutes and repeat the process untits clear to your satisfaction. My 2 cents.
The scale/sediment in my tank is so bad i actually have to take the bottom element off now and then to scoop/wet vac it out to keep it from the bottom element. This is what happens when you dont clear it out every year like you're supposed to (didnt know it was that important until the past few years even though the house is 24 years old and the tank was replaced a number of years ago). With that said, i would not call that tool a sediment "BUSTER" as it doesnt Bust anything. This was kind of a click bait video.
This is how the water heater ends up costing the homeowner an extra $500+ per year to maintain it over its lifetime, which may never actually get extended, or its performance substantivly increased over any other traditional method of doing the same thing
@@BackForwardPunch call a plumber and ask them how much they would charge to do this service, and then weigh that proportionally against the value of a water heater during it's normal serviceable lifespan
Tbh wouldn’t waste my time with this as a professional. I can see how it would benefit a homeowner or a beginner. Either syphon from top if replacing the WH or hot swap a prefabbed nipple and full port if keeping WH.
Dumbest gimmick I have seen. All ya need to do is remove the drain valve and replace it with a stainless steel 3/4" gate valve. Before ya drain the tank to replace the drain valve go ahead and replace the anode and replace the anode every four years and drain your tank every year or every six months depending on your water. YW
@@RogerWakefield for those of us who perform routine maint on household items(in this case the w/h) this serves almost no purpose, for those folks who help pay the van payment for the plumber this would be an ok purchase 🤠
A double garden hose splitter attached to drain valve works just as well. One hookup goes to compressed air tank at 40 psi and other is your discharge hose/line. Both manifolds have its own valve so you can toggle between compressed air and discharge hose.
As a property manager taking over a legacy account, I had to fix a lot of "deferred" (not ever done) maintence issues. A tenant complained of no hot water, so I
checked the 13 year old electric heater, which was working, and asked the tenant if anyone had ever drained the tank. He said not to his
knowledge, so I shut off the power and cold inlet, and hooked a 6 ft washer hose to the drain(it was an elevated tank in a mobil home with outdoor access). Upon opening the valve, I saw no flow, so I put the hose to my lips like a bugle and blew into it, and dislodged the sediment, which then properly drained out. That was MY sediment buster. And BTW, I was 75 years old, so excessive strength was not a factor. I think the volume of air flow was more important than the pressure.
Volume definitely, short bursts of air might move the sediment a little but it isn't going to move it and break it up to where it will not almost immediately clog up the tank's outlet again.
I'm always wary of commercial channels, and I always thought yours was one.
But I've started watching more of your content. I appreciate the knowledge you share. Thanks!
I’ve always connected my hose and started to drain before turning off the water which will force any blockages out using street pressure.
You can also just use a Milwaukee transfer pump which will suck the sediment out as well as drain the heater in like 6 minutes.
same here
I will quick burst on the cold Intake to stir the sediment...kinda like what the tool does
I use city water pressure with a hose hooked up at the bottom of the tank and let that blow the crud out of the tank . I let it run under city water pressure for 4 to 5 minutes, that usually makes a good path through the crud. If it’s so bad that that doesn’t work , unscrew the pop off and put a pice of Pex pipe through the hole and pump it out with a transfer pump . Crimp a hose bib connection one end of the pex and use a washing machine hose to go to your pump , run it out with a large garden hose .
This property manager aggrees with you
I just picked up a Y from walmart, and used a quick connect coupling for a water hose, the nipple on it fits a air hose rubber nipple tight, then put water hose on the other Y, and just crack the valve and shoot compressed air in it shut valve and repeat, cost like 8$ in parts, compared to like 40$ for that thing.
Exactly what i was thinking. Tons of plumbing “hacks” are pretty cheap. Also turning out the drain and putting a 3/4 nipple,ball valve and 3/4 male by hose adapter usually defeats the sediment (under vacuum of course)
Yup! I’ve been using a garden hose splitter to do this exact same process for years.
Hey roger... i recommend when doing this kind of maintenance, leaving the gas valve on pilot setting because if im not mistaken thats the setting you were talking about. I believe the vacation setting will still turn on the flame as to keep the water at minimum temperature so not to allow build up of bacteria when not in use for a long time. Again i could be mistaken
Thanks for this. You've just solved a couple of problems for me. I've been planning to replace a water heater that's been in place for 52 years. So much sediment that there is no way to drain it, and I cannot move it by myself while it's full. This just might do the trick, and save me a whole lot of toil and sweat.
And I have a similar situation with one that's been in place for 27 years. If it works for me, this thing will be worth every penny of the $40 it costs. 👍👍👍
I would LOVE to see the inside of that 52 year old water heater! That is crazy! Is it gas or electric?
@@RogerWakefield It's electric and still working fine. But I suspect its capacity is seriously compromised. You're welcome to come cut it open. Just a short jaunt up to Oregon. 😁
@@DrMaseratiYou can pull the dip tube or the anode rod and use a shop vac or a siphon to remove water from the top if the drain valve is clogged with sediment.
@@mannys9130 Yeah, I could do that if I could get one of those things out without moving it first. Considering how old it is, I doubt either will come out without destroying the water heater. And I'll probably continue to use it for a short time before replacing it.
Believe or not.. I still see a tank in service that has never been touched for > 60 years straight, not leaking and still doing it's job.
It's a a Toastmaster that advertised that it had heating elements that could never burn out! To up that. It has been fed nothing but hard well water it whole life!
Boy oh boy! A total shame of why they can't build things today like they used to
As an apprentice (former) - I asked the master plumber about a sky valve… now I am applying to be an electrician apprentice or erosion control inspector.
😂
Was that the same master plumber that had you go out to the work truck and get the pipe stretchers and a roll of fallopian tube?
@@robertgarrett7007 no… that was in the past when I was working on becoming a *Master Harbor Freighter*
Better find a fluorescent tube bender now so you’ll know what one is when the electrician sends you for one.
I drain my tank, pump 5 gal of vinegar into tank using small sump pump. Then hook up air compressor and a really small opening so air continually agitates vinegar. After 6 hours, drain vinegar. Then suck with shop vac to get as much sludge out as possible. Works for me.
I use the industrisl strength 15pct vineager from Lowes $20/gallon...it dissolves the crud much faster
I bought the sediment buster and it worked fine with a bicycle pump. I could hear the huge bubbling on the inside of the tank. It really did work to unclog the drain and get sediment out. Dont be afraid to try a plain old bike pump first.
I did try the bicycle pump after the video and you're right, it does work 👍🏽
The Milwaukee M18 pump is awesome for draining water heaters. I feel like that pump with this attachment could flush a water heater FAST. With the impeller design of the M18 pump, it would handle that size debris fine.
I worked for the gentleman who created this tool, he’s a plumber by trade very good guy, it works I have one.
Just bought 1 last week and this video showed up a week later 🤣
I think that was the best idea that that guy ever did keep on going❤
All you have to do is drain the tank completely then turn the water back on blast the settlement out the bottom drain a few times till it completely clean and no more settlement coming out the hose and then hook it all back up
Finally, this is the best one you've found. I hope you delete your other one with that damn drain snake you use a drill with to ruin the inside of your tank. You're gonna have some pissed off people when they mess up their tanks with that thing. This Sediment Buster is far better for the user and the unit. I'm serious, that other video could come back to haunt you. This one is good; the best out there so far. You don't need that other video in your library here. We learn, make mistakes, fix them and go forward. Thanks for the video.
I have a double filter system before the hot water tank. So when I drain my tank yearly, I have no settlements at all in my tank.
I replaced my tanks original twist open drain valve with a 3/4" 90 degree ball valve to speed up the drain process and eliminate the clogging issue. I use a clear hose to drain it too so I can see what comes out of it. I refill and drain it 3 times to flush it out well each time I do it every 6 months. That's probably overkill but it gives me peace of mind. I have a private well so there's no cost of using all that water to drain and flush it out.
I use a full port valve and a vacuum hose into a drain. Water runs through like Mexican food at a baseball game. I also try to flush my tank once or twice a year since my water is so terrible. It should be better now however since our village got an RO system installed.
I cut a failed water heater open from my own house. Not only was I shocked to find the leaks and future leaks, were at the top! But heated water rises.
Also surprised, but the cold water inlet tube was bent 90 degrees near the bottom and circles 75% of the sediment area with little spray holes drilled in it every 3”. This will keep sediment loose for draining. But the ironic point was the glass lining at the top thinned allowing hot water to rust pin holes at the top!
If I drain my tank to keep it efficient, and it plugged, I have an air blower to attach to one of 6 air hoses at 50’ in length. I have lots of air hose with 130 PSI compressor. Thanks kindly for the information.
I'm going to have to find your video on the water heater settlement that you were talking about about once a year but it sounds like it might need a little more cleaning or a little more thorough cleaning than what we usually do
Replace the cheap drain valve with a good globe valve with a handle after draining the water out. Then, with the drain valve still open, open the water supply valve and let that water, poring and splashing onto the bottom of the tank, stir up the remaining sediment and wash it out through the drain valve. Then when the water runs clear you can close the drain valve and let the tank fill up until it starts coming out of the hot water faucet. Then close the hot water faucet and turn the hot water heater back on.
Drain some water out every three to four months to clean any sediment out and it should never be a problem again.
That gadget would have helped my gray water barrel too. Nice. Thanks for sharing!!
You bet!
When I first saw you using that bicycle pump on the water tank, I thought that you must be testing the temperature and pressure relief valve.
It would be nice if you put up a video about how a 100-gallon commercial water heater installation job , from moving a 800 lbs commercial water heater into the space , like if there is any specific equipment out there to carry that , and how to install it .
If I ever get a job to do that, I will for sure film it! 😅 I made a video about commercial water heaters and have seen people moving them around with those two person harnesses or dollies...not easy work
my 15 yr old water heater started leaking. I had changed anode a couple of times. after it was out i looked it over. plastic valve was the culprit. could have been easy fix. and tank looked like new inside. our Culligan water filter had done its job
That's a good setup to drain a water heater because they do get clogged a lot. But I would definitely change out the water heater for a new one and keep it updated. Trying to get every inch of life out of a water heater is a extremely bad idea. Will cause problems down the road and most likely leak and cause damage. The water heater 14 years old needs to be changed out. There's that much sediment in the water heater a house filter needs to be installed and changed regularly. A lot of sediment in the water heater will cause loss in water capacity, People may think they need a larger water heater or an on demand system which is not the case. Take care of the water going into the tank.pre Ventive maintenance is key. Big Ds plumbing Medford Oregon
So how do I get all the sediment that's below the valve? There's a good 08-10 inches of sediment that will not come out.
Add more water and get the sediment moving around...do that a couple of times, gets the sediment off the bottom\. Might not get it all but you can get alot.
Do you think this would work on an RV water heater?10 gallon Suburban.If so what PSI would you recommend?
What is all the sedement? When I drain mine I get white stuff & stuff like rust. I thought they were glass lined so what is rusting?
Is this supposed to be a better solution than the turbo flush tool?
depends on your situation on if it's "better" but it is a different solution
You stirred up all the sediment running the water hose in the tank, not near as much would have come out had this been done on a normal tank. But I can see the benefit of using the air pressure when crud clogs the valve, as I have had that happen a few times.
I’m thinking repeat the process by turning on the cold water to stir up any remaining sediment on the bottom
Can direct vent FVIR rated gas water heater be placed on the floor in a garage?
Thank you
Just bought one with your link. Will take a month to get here but should be worth it. Thanks!
Hope you enjoy it!
I enjoyed the video. There are those that say drain, those that say never drain. If youre going to drain it, you need to move fast. Anyone thats ever drained a bucket after flushing supply lines knows that sediment is heavier by far than water. My solution is simple. Take your (assuming you have one) trusty 3/4 gas line leak pressure gauge, hook it up to the cold. With your handy dandy air compressor, blast SOME air, in bursts, using your pressure gauge as a guide. Usually it wont hold pressure. If it does, youre doing it wrong or there is a major problem. Air pressure is stronger than water as it reacts differently via the rates of insertion and the forces at play. Specific gravity, etc and wont go into all that. The air, in my experience, will continually stir the sediment, whilst evacuate the water.
@RogerWakefield what about a water heater in a basement with a septic? Where would you drain to do that the septic doesn’t get clogged up?
I liked how you had a water heater cut open to see the inside.
What's your hourly rate?
Roger, I’m finding out that on well water there’s not a whole lot of sediment in a water heater. I have changed out a lot of water heaters on city water that are full of sediment after five years. On my water heater at my house it was 20 years old, and there was no sediment in it. I went ahead and changed it out cause I had a fear of it starting to leak.
Is ok just regular 12v. Eletric tire pump for car ? Instead hand pump
If a long hose causes back pressure issues how can you get the water out efficiently? The drain valve is at the bottom of the water heater 6 maybe 8 inches from the floor not on a bench. A short hose would need to drain into a low pan. Lots of time spent emptying the pan.
Use a large diameter hose and make sure there is no rise in the hose. It will drain ok...also if its slow you can close the valve in the house and give the tank a short burst of air...the pressure will force the water out. I have also used a shop vac to suck the water out.
You would think pushing air into the tank would force water out it would be under pressure?
He opened a valve in the house...if he closes the valve then the tank will pressure up. I do that to drain the tank quicker.
Was that well water or utility water? Filtered?
City water not filteref
So, just thinkin here, this could totally be dumb. Would it make sense to close both lines on top of the water heater and pressurize the water heater up to 50 PSI? It would force air in, breaking up that crud, and then the pressure would force water out, forcefully sucking junk out with it.
I'm sure they dont want you to do that in the instructions because someone's going to give it 180 PSI and cause problems.
Yeah and I mentioned that when we filmed, but cut it out. I would want that pressure in the tank, like you said, to break all the sediment up. For this video I followed the instructions they gave me
You should have one valve on the cold side if you have one on the hot side also you are making a pressure cooker if you shut them both off the heater could blow up if the re,if valve fails !!!
Why don’t they make a “settlement “ tray that’s removable since all of the settlement wind up at the bottom of the tank?
Try it with a transfer pump?
i'm assuming it would work on an electric water heater also right?
Any water heater with a drain 😅
That item appears to no longer be available on Amazon! I'm sad.
Use a garden hose splitter, which you can find at any hardware store (and about 80% cheaper).
My Question is...Will this work on those "stupid" plastic turn valves, they don't open all the way as it is. Would this work with those??
if it does open all the way, you shouldn't have a problem...I'm like you, I hate the plastic valves....I always change them out if I can
From the time I saw Roger with the bicycle pump I told myself I HAVE to watch this video! So 8 Minutes later here I am! 😂😂
Well I'm glad you stuck around to watch! I appreciate it
@@RogerWakefield Very Welcome Sir! It's Educators like you that make us keep returning to your channel for guidance!
The reason you saw murky water quickly was because you just got through spraying the hose a d stirred up things. Also, how could that air loosen the sediment on the bottom of the tank? Not sure how effective this would be.
I'm worried that if I flush my water heater, leftover sediments might liberate in the next weeks and gunk up my faucets 😢 Is that possible?
The sediment is already in your tank and can be carried to your faucets already. Flushing the tank will help to get rid of most if not all of the sediment and extend the life of your water heater. I do see a potential for a greater amount of sediment in the water if you try to use hot water IMMEDIATELY, but by the time your tank heats back up, everything should have settled back down to how it was before.
If you want to avoid this, just run your bathtub for a few minutes after you flush the heater. This will give any big sediment chunks a larger pipe to find their way out. But you usually don't have to worry about it
@@nickbryant2318Many bath tub faucets pass water through a small temp balancing mixing valve that's pretty complicated and often hard to remove. I'd suggest taking the hose off the washing machine and purging through that for a minute or so rather than flowing through any valves.
Call a plumber
Or forget about ever flushing your tank that 99.99% of people, even professional plumbers never do with thier own tank. Way more problems created than solved like cheap plastic drain valve not resealing same reason to never touch the T&P valve on.
If you haven't flushed such tank starting off with year 1 of it's life. Zero point/ benefit of doing so.. Only harm can be caused vs. 0 benefit.
Tankless a whole different story. If you don't flush with descaler like vinegar in many years.. Then say goodbye to hot water and your fancy water heater 😅
I believe Roger once said he reccomend to replace anode after 1st year???
Why Roger, why Roger??
Something else that no normal person ever does. If you do and it prolongs the tanks life by not leaking. Then 100% for sure gas valve and temperature control will fail before tank starts leaking.
Of your not a handy person that can replace a water heater on your own professionally, then calling a plumber to replace gas valve will cost you about as much to replace the entire tank and get a at least 6 yr warranty on all parts for it + one yr labor guarantee from a decent proffesional
My hot water heater whenever I take a shower, afterwards, sounds like it's getting a lot of air inside, it kind of "gurgles". What does one do about that?
I replace the factory drain with a full port ball valve with a hose adapterthe end. end.
Or have to get a air compressor better ?
Why not drain under pressure to force out the sediment?
I had the same thought, but you just know someone would give it a billion PSI and explode the tool, or worse. I'm just saying I would do it under pressure, but I see why the manufacturer (and their lawyers) wouldnt want to encourage it.
I think the idea is that the sediment will just be suspended in the tank
Not enough pressure. If you get a chunk of scale stuck over the drain port, standard water pressure usually won't blow it past the bottleneck.
@@kennethmc2601 The same people who would try and air their tires to 100%
Exactly… then someone wouldn’t be getting paid to sell a product that would not be needed almost ever…I have been a plumber for 30 years and cannot remember ever having sediment blocking the outlet maybe slow it down a little but then all it take is a shake of the tank….
They have pumps that will drain that out in 2 min
SO, theoretically if you drain the whole thing you crack upen the cold water valve to refill it and literally 'rinse and repeat'? Also will cracking the pressure relief valve help speed up the process vs keeping the hot water valve in the tub open? Always enjoy the informative videos, Mr Roger
Awesome video Roger.
Thanks brother
Anything wrong with leaving the city water on and hook the hose to the tank and then turning the valve to drain the tank. My tank will drain with city water on. It won't drain without it.
Good deal Roger.....
Just connect hose blast out with its own water pressure till its flowing
“Vacation” 😂 Roger has not been in the field for awhile!
Really starting to mislead people.
Unless if I am not understanding your comment, Roger is correct. I have the same water heater, and there is definitely a Vacation Mode selection.
The new ikon valve that’s used on the majority of water heaters doesn’t have a vacation setting. It has a pilot setting which is the same thing. Most people won’t be able to find a vacation mode when they look for it.
😂😂😂...
You're funny.
He's making benjamins really easy!
And you are making only Washingtons killing your ass in the field!
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@chandlershelby5025 I see, thank you for the explanation.
If you're flushing your tank, it's a good time to replace that anode rod.
How come they don't use the same design for a camper septic clean out
This guy is a trip man. I dont know how he does it...🤣
And as a bonus they are offering a FREE sky valve with purchase
i would imagine a hose nozzle in the anode rod hole would do a better job
What's a sediment buster?
That small attachment I put on the drain to the water heater...helps flush it...
Cheaper to replace the tank then all this labor
You thought this was a lot of work? Hook up a hose and the air pump and let it drain..
When you factor in how many times you do this over the lifespan of a 6 year tank yes.
Cool
Or you could crank the thermostat
i forgot to drain the hot water from the faucet, when I undid the anode bolt, I got a nice hot shower.
Easy fix for this. Manufacturers using larger valves to allow complete drainage of all sediment. Valve body for the drain should be the same size as the electric heat element that would allow for most sediment to flow out into the hose from there it can be dealt with by the homeowner or the technician. But that would reduce new water heater sales so why do that and don’t give me any BS about cost!
So now I got to cut my hose , elevate my tank for good flow (cause mine is on the basement floor ) guess also cut my tank in half to dump the rest out . And it’s backed by a plumber tech 😂😂😂
Seems like it would be good for draining when replacing... Does it get enough debris out to make it good for being proactive... I don't think so..
After it drains completely but still murky, why not turn on the cold inlet for a few minutes and repeat the process untits clear to your satisfaction. My 2 cents.
Bill Nye the science guy snorkel episode why doesn't a 50 foot snorkel work?
Now compare it to the turbo tank cleaner!!!
I've done a video on the turbo tank cleaner ua-cam.com/video/2ikQ6Zuh7LA/v-deo.htmlsi=6lvAOf8by11vmWZl
@@RogerWakefield Nice!!!
I could see using this gadget if opening the drain found it plugged up, but not worth the effort otherwise.
Poindexter over here playing with his science project
Out of stock everywhere
Really? Did you check the link in my bio?
The scale/sediment in my tank is so bad i actually have to take the bottom element off now and then to scoop/wet vac it out to keep it from the bottom element. This is what happens when you dont clear it out every year like you're supposed to (didnt know it was that important until the past few years even though the house is 24 years old and the tank was replaced a number of years ago). With that said, i would not call that tool a sediment "BUSTER" as it doesnt Bust anything. This was kind of a click bait video.
This is how the water heater ends up costing the homeowner an extra $500+ per year to maintain it over its lifetime, which may never actually get extended, or its performance substantivly increased over any other traditional method of doing the same thing
seems like its just helping clean it
@@BackForwardPunch call a plumber and ask them how much they would charge to do this service, and then weigh that proportionally against the value of a water heater during it's normal serviceable lifespan
If you had this tool, you probably don't have to call a plumber to flush it...this makes it easy
@RogerWakefield that's the only way it makes economic sense, is for the homeowner to have it
The size of your hose is very. 😂😂😂
Tbh wouldn’t waste my time with this as a professional. I can see how it would benefit a homeowner or a beginner.
Either syphon from top if replacing the WH or hot swap a prefabbed nipple and full port if keeping WH.
I hate when I get a flat water heater and have to use the donut.
Fuking awesome
Talk about "half-baked" instruction.
Someone will give it 300 psi and blow up pex pipes
Unless it's also bad, water heaters have a temperature and pressure relief valve. Which would blow long before. But I see your point. People are Dum
Dumbest gimmick I have seen. All ya need to do is remove the drain valve and replace it with a stainless steel 3/4" gate valve. Before ya drain the tank to replace the drain valve go ahead and replace the anode and replace the anode every four years and drain your tank every year or every six months depending on your water. YW
minimal fix/outcome, I'll pass 🤠
Did you see the tub that it was emptying into? It definitely got a lot of sediment out
@@RogerWakefield for those of us who perform routine maint on household items(in this case the w/h) this serves almost no purpose, for those folks who help pay the van payment for the plumber this would be an ok purchase 🤠
See all this left sediment 🤮 Next: Scrubbing Waterheater using a endoscopic camera and tiny shopvac hose
There does exist a contraption that puts something like a drain snake in through the drain port and flops around with a drill busting up the sediment
Only $40, this needs not be a professional tool, any homeowner can buy it and maintain their own.
Now I gotta go find the drain port on my heater.
Should be near the bottom 🤣
After 6/10 years buy a new one . Because you are taking a dirty shower
salesman , not a plumber , trying to sell your stuff you don't need.
Please stop promoting such useless gimmicks Roger
Did you see how well it worked? It's not useless...
Just open the T and p valve.