Facts on Water Heater Maintenance | a plumber's fireside chat on flushing, mag rods, and warranties
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- This plumber sits down for a fireside chat on the facts on water heater maintenance. Don’t get ripped off by a fast-talking handyman, here is some honest advice from a seasoned plumber.
Jim shares his experience working on electric and gas water heaters, including why you shouldn’t replace the magnesium rod, why you are running out of water too fast, and when to flush a water heater.
Chapters: Facts on water heater maintenance
00:00 Intro
00:33 Replacing the magnesium rod
02:57 Flushing an electric water heater
03:16 Replacing an element on an electric water heater
03:30 Flushing a gas heater (don’t)
03:48 Warranty on a water heater and do you need to do maintenance?
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A proper dose of Grumpy Plumber gives your world a new perspective! Don't worry. I don't know what I just said either . . .
So glad I found you guys. I replaced my small condo electric water heater at the tune of $2,000. The old one was over 20 years old and working fine, but I was afraid it would leak when I wasn't home, so I went for a replacement. Sorry to hear the new ones don't last very long. The information you give out is great, thank you for this. I know a plumber needs to earn a living, and I believe in paying for a job well done, but yikes, only 6 years! Anyway, I will continue to view your videos and I do appreciate the information. I am 75 yrs. old, live alone and try to keep up my appliances, etc. Sadly, major stuff like, water heaters, refrigerators, etc. don't last very long anymore I guess they just don't make things like they use to. Thanks guys!
Rose, sorry to hear that you paid $2000 for an new heater. I had a customer who thought he had a drain problem on a weekend and so he called a company and they came out and quoted him $25,000. He called me immediately and I told him to not sign a contract and say that he would get back to them. I brought my drain cleaning guy in and he found that there was nothing wrong with the drain. Us old people have to watch out and get a couple of quotes. If you are worried about leaks, you should turn the water off at your condo before leaving. If you don’t have a shutoff, turn the water supply off at the heater. P. S. Don’t change the wh unless it is leaking. Elements can be replaced if you are not getting hot water. Thanks for your kind words.
You could of got a tankless for that. 🙈
Thanks, Jim. Appreciate it.
Great advice! Thanks for putting my mind at rest.
Always enjoy your videos and advice, good sir! Thank you, from one grumpy man to another!🇺🇸👊
I love your videos, sir! Always straight forward and informative. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your experience
Thank you, I was about to try draining my gas water heater this weekend since it is 11 years old and I never have and just saw instructional videos on doing it. I won't waste my time now, I was afraid I would damage it as well.
That's good advise as always Grumpy . I replaced my water heater just before Christmas , I had an 11 year old Rheem 40 gallon gas , I installed a 50 gallon gas Rheem this time , the50 gallon was 40 dollars cheaper than the 40 gallon . WTH ????? The old one was starting run out of hot water so before it crapped out I swapped it . I agree with you , flushing a gas heater is crazy . I enjoy your channel Sir .
Barry, more 50 gallon heaters are sold than 40 gallon so they make the 50 gallon ones cheaper. Volume and manufacturers kick backs can help make the heaters cheaper. Glad you enjoy my channel.
Flushed mine (gas) today for the first and last time before I saw your video. Really didn’t see the bang for the buck with the particulate matter I did see. Was a nice learning experience though; for certain will let it be the rest of its life cycle. Will though ensure the air filter around the bottom is clean to maintain optimal airflow.
Good tips
good video thanks
Always had water heaters last forever. Maybe it's the water where I live. Had one from 1983. Replaced one heating element at some point and moved in 2009, it was still working. The one in my current house is from 2006 with a 6 year warranty. I checked the rod last week, still probably 1/2 inch diameter left. So it's 14 years old and I guess I might get another 8-10 years out of it. Rods are $18 at Home Depot. Needed an impact wrench to get it out.
My previous water heater lasted 30 years (based on the Sears sticker with manufacture date) before it sprung a leak. Nowadays the heaters don’t last because manufacturers cut corners.
thanks for the straight truth!!! I'm off to play golf!
Kool thanks theacher u best 👍👍
You have saved me a lot of headaches in the future , I installed my own AOSmith in 2018 . Not sure of the wannanty , think six - had to build a stand for it was because it was either to short or too tall . So I just build a stand to elevate it since I'm a wooodworker . Not planning on flushing it out when the time comes I'll just get one of my young buddies back out here and we'll just slap another one in . It's Natural gas .... Thanks for sharing your head knowledge.👍
It's sad what's happened to manufacturing with planned obsolescence. My first home bought in 1986 had a 15 year old water heater in it, I think GE, and when I sold it in 2017 the water heater was still working. Only trouble I ever had with it was having to change the thermostat. Cost me $30. For all I know, that sucker is still going strong. I agree with you Grumpy. These days it's best to just install the thing and forget it. It's gonna go kaput in a few years anyway unless you're very lucky. Our society has decided it's not good to build things that last. Things must break down so you can be sold a replacement and someone can make a buck. Sad. Very very sad.
I enjoy your videos very much. I was wondering if you could provide general advice regarding hybrid water heaters? I have a 5 year old GE hybrid that I only use on the heat pump setting. Also, my heater is in the attic and it worries me that it could leak at some point and destroy my ceiling. Do you have any advice regarding how to mitigate potential water damage?
Ronnie, I hope you have a large drain pan under your heater. I have not had a lot of experience with hybrid heaters but the ones I’ve worked on use the same elements as regular heaters. Glad you enjoy my videos.
This was brilliant. I love grumpy plumber. I am a new homeowner and was really worried about the water heater. Thank you. On the other hand my water pipes are humming while in use . It happened when using the Fossetts, shower or the toilet flush. Any suggestions
Gaurav Sharma, turn the water off on the house. Take the cartridge out of the shower valve. Turn the water back on and flush the water through the valve. There might be debris in it. Also, when copper pipes are not reamed, it can cause a humming sound. Nothing you can do about that now. Check and see if you have aluminum supply lines on the water heater. If you do, try to straighten them. This can cause that humming sound. Hope this helps you out. So glad you like my videos.
i have an electric water heater. when i leave town (for about a month) i shut off the water to the house and release the pressure in a faucet. last time i returned home and went into the water heater closet to turn the water back on i could tell that some water had dripped from that little valve higher up the side of the heater. sup with that? i don't know how to change the temp on the heater, like put it in a vacation mode or just turn it down. i'm guessing the thermostat is behind one of the 2 panels but i've yet to look. is that something i should be doing if i'm gone for a few weeks?
Nada Zilch, turn the power off to the heater, turn the water off to the house, and don’t relieve the pressure and go and have a good time. If that dripping is coming from a gate valve that shuts off the water heater, tighten the packing nut near the round handle.
My AO Smith User Manual recommends flushing every 6 months, testing the pressure relief valve annually and visually inspecting the unit, cleaning air filters and checking burner flame color. Spending 20 years in the Navy has taught me preventative maintenance does reduce corrective maintenance. Ignoring your hot water heater until water comes rushing out the bottom of the tank is not a good maintenance plan.
Del Mar, do whatever you feel you need to but someday, water will come rushing out of that heater.....probably sooner than you think.
My 4 year old gas water heater has an expansion tank. It has no leaks. When I press on the air valve, no air comes out. Should I replace it or just add some air equal to the water pressure and see if it holds?
Mediauron, first off, do not press on the air valve. Leave it alone. It is factory preset. Don’t recharge it with air.
I have a heat pump water heater. As soon as it was installed, I pulled the sacrificial anode (the magnesium rod) and replaced it with a powered anode. Would you comment on that please?
MrEd, doesn’t the heat pump have a stainless steel tank? I am stumped. The only one’s I have worked on were stainless steel. As I recall, they did not have a rod in them, but I could be wrong. I have never used a powered rod.
My electric heater is leaking from the lower element. Researching to buy a new 40 gallon, but have no idea about the wattage. Mine says the maximum upper element is 3800 watts and the optional lower element is 5500 watts. The stores sell 3800/3800, 4500/4500 and 5500/5500. Which one should I get? Are they interchangeable? Just need a basic heater for 3 people. Thank u.
still small voice, I would recommend the 4500/4500 heater. Brand name does not matter in an electric heater.
When I turn on the hot water kitchen tap sink SLOWLY, the pipes start vibrating. When I turn the tap on all the way the vibrating stops? Why?
verna peepeetch, sounds to me like you have a faucet somewhere in your house that has a bib washer in it, like an angle stop. It probably one of the stops under the kitchen sink. I recommend that you turn them off real tight and see if that will reset the bib washer. Another thing you could do is to go around the house and turn off one angle stop at a time and see if you can find the noise.
Do a video about manufacturers and who make who's water heaters. The plumbing supply I go to sell's a unit like A.O.Smif. It's a couple hundred less and is the same specs. I use Payne furnaces, just like a carrier, less money. It's the same quality as the carrier. Goodman is terrible, I replaced a 4 year old unit. It was flimsy and noisy. Great video.
Matt Tucci, thanks for the suggestion! I think I will do that.
Government regulations are hurting other appliances. Our new fridge failed right after the warranty expired. Repair guy explained government regulations require different refrigerant which causes earlier failure. So in an effort to reduce the effect of the refrigerant on the atmosphere you have to replace more often which is a worse effect on the environment.
My water heater sounding like popcorn it’s very loud do I need a new one ? What should I do?
La TIFF y La Gummy, you could drain the water heater but the noise could come back. Leave it alone and when it leaks, replace it. The new one will probably make the same noise eventually.
When should you replace a water heater? I live in indiana... its around 9-10 years old and it does do the thumping or percolating sound when hot water is ran. Water color is normal and hot water capacity is the same. I assume that thumping is sediment and you say not to drain water heater so thats not going away and everything on the internet says to replace when it starts thumping or it may explode. . I have tested the pressure valve in the 7 years so Idk if it works. It doesn't leak. Just gets hot where it comes out of the heater. Thanks for the help
Adam, your heater is doing exactly what it is supposed to do, heat the water. Don’t worry about the thumping sound, it will not blow up. Change it when it leaks.
Thanks for the advice. One more quick question... it just happened as well... the water heater started doing its knocking sound after the water hadn't been run for a few hours... and it seems like the knocking sound is coming from the top of the water heater...not the bottom. Its also quite loud... as it woke me up from a sleep.. my room is directly above it though.... Sorry for the similar questions but is that something to be concerned about? Its just alarming to me for the loud thumping to start up in the middle of the night with no water activity... Still no water leakage but I haven't tested the pressure valve ever...so I technically don't know if it works.
Thanks Angry Plumber!
Hey Jim.. I know you like toto toilets, but could you go over brands that you would use for say valves and sinks and other fixtures around the house. Are there any brands to avoid because they are hard to change cartridges in or anything like that?
ACoustaDC, great idea! I will work on putting your idea together for a video.
I’d love to know this as well Jim. Thanks.
What’s the solution for a odiferous commode that has been cleaned multiple times and still smells? The smelly one is in the master suite but the guest bathroom smells fine? It does smell a little like a sewer!
John Fitzpatrick, I’ve run into this situation before myself. I pulled the toilet seat, took the tank off, pulled the bowl to check and see if it had a good seal. I reinstalled the bowl with two w@x rings and made sure the bowl squished into the w@x rings. If the bowl does not squish into the w@x rings, then you need to raise the flange. Then install the tank with a new tank to bowl gasket and a new toilet seat. If this doesn’t work, the smell is either in the floor or the wall board. Hope this helps you.
Where is the magnesium rod placed? Thanks for all your great advice.
A M, the anode rod is located on top of the heater. It looks like a big hex nut. You need an inch and 1/16” socket to remove it. Before you remove it, turn the water off to the heater then relieve the pressure in the heater by opening up a hot water faucet. If you don’t find the large hex nut, it could be attached to the hot water side nipple.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thank you so much for all you do.
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Love your YT Videos! Your last comment was go with an on demand tankless heater. I’m guessing that bc you need to replace your gas supply to a bigger pipe, since you need more volume & the greater expense of the tankless unit, it makes the changeout a much more costly project, lessening any savings in the heating costs. Do you agree?
Dan, you can go from your meter to new heater with track pipe and than could carry enough BTU’s, instead of using black pipe.
We bought a new home with showerheads without volume pressure adjustment so it wastes water. And its uncomfortable. Can it be replaced with an adjustable volume head?
Mary, you can replace the shower heads with water saver heads. You can use a $3.00 to $800 water saver shower head and it will work on your current shower arm.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber thanks, we will look at them at home depot or a hardware store. Not much variety here in Hawaii.
We saw an adjustable brass fitting that can be used to decrease the pressure between the pipe and shower head. What do you think? We need something we can hopefully do ourselves.
Mary, the end that connects to the shower arm has to be 1/2” female iron pipe. The other end need to be 1/2” male iron pipe. Put the shower head on the male iron pipe. Enjoy your shower.
Let me ask you something I live in Boston and have a Bradford White 80 Gallon electric water heater with forced hot air oil heating.This is our second Bradford white water heater our electric bill has been very expensive the last 20 years.I want to replace this with a Rheem 65 gallon electric water heater that is suppose to be very engery efficient and has a heat pump.Any thoughts or advice?
Stockboy7254, to be honest, I think two 50 gallon electric water heaters piped in parallel, that means equal piping on the hot and cold joined together to make one cold line and one hot line, would be more energy efficient. I would look into 50 gallon oil fired water heater as they are supposed to be the most energy efficient you can buy. You can still buy them, but I haven’t installed one in 35 years. They have a very high recovery rate. Brand name is John Wood 50 gallon oil fired water heater $1800 to $2000 at Home Depot. You already have oil so it might be a very good option. I don’t think you are going to save anything on that 65 gallon Rheem.
Great take! I had a more than 10-year old gas heater that was working fine and had probably never been drained. I decided to be pro-active and flush it out. It died the following week. Coincidence?
I have yet to flush the 48-gal gas Rheem that replaced it 6 years ago. It has a 9-yr warranty, though. Should I flush it?
Eric, you have a 9 yr. warranty, you don’t need to flush it unless you want to, the manufacturer is not going to know if you flushed it or not. There is only a one year warranty on labor. By the way, did you get a lot of sediment out of the old heater when you flushed it?
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Some fine sediment but it definitely wasn't a sludge. I live in southern California and the water quality is relatively free of solids. It wasn't giving me any problems.
The water heater has performed fine. The only reason I would flush it is to try improve performance or longevity. I'd prefer not to do it if there is any risk that it would decrease its life.
You waited 10 years to do Preventative Maintenance. No wonder it failed.
I couldn’t agree more. Especially on being lucky if you make it beyond the warranty period! Modern tank water heaters are garbage due to all the government/environmental “safety” modifications.
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my water heater is 17 yrs old. is it time to have it replaced?
Thi Nguyen, NO! If your water heater is not leaking and giving you plenty of hot water, even if it is making noise, do not replace it. Just keep an eye on it. If you see any water by it, then replace it.
True or False ? The 1950, had a water heater that was to efficient, it worded like a coffee thermostat container. They removed it from the market because they was to efficient, not using enough power or repair costs. ? ? Do we have to make our own water heater out of stainless, just so it lasts these days ? T/F ?
Mike P. Collin, I’ve heard a lot of plumbing stories but never heard this one so I say false. You can buy stainless steel water heaters but don’t complain about the price.
Has anyone found a quality difference in electric heater elements?
Harry, they do make heavy duty electric elements. The last ones I bought were Rheem but there’s probably others out there. Rheem buys them from someone else. Now all water heater elements are universal.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber I own an apartment complexes 210 units. It seems like the crap at Lowe's only last a couple yrs.
Harry, I would recommend that you find a plumbing wholesaler who would get you better quality elements. I still recommend the longer life elements.
GRUMPY IS GOOD ! I HAVE A AO SMITH , 40 GAL. GAS, INSTALLED 1985, NEVER ANY MAINTENANCE , CLEANED THE THERMACOUPLE ONCE .
Time to schedule a change out. Way past it's life expectancy.
i completely agree in las vegas the water is harsh,,, a water heater is a throw away appliance,, good for 5 to 10 yrs,,,,, not worth a flush!!!!!,, replace or upgrade!!!
Any time my wife hears that percolating sound she freaks out and wants to call a plumber or have me drain the thing. The sound just comes right back! I’m tired of getting in the attic in our home in Texas home to drain it. Nothing like standing in an attic when it’s over 100 degrees out to do zero good and waste your time. When this water heater goes I’m getting a on demand system.
James McCormick, good for you!
Whats an example of an “on demand” water heat? Do they have good recovery times? I have gas heat and a gas hot water heater.
Mark, an on-demand water heater has endless hot water. There is no recovery time because it constantly has a flow of hot water until you turn it off.
Pop off valve facts
Grumpy plumber. Lol 😂
😠 👉 _There's no fire in the fireplace !_ No wonder the guy is angry ...
James, I couldn’t remember where I put the matches! 🤣 My next fireplace chat will definitely have a fire going.
You have good content but please use a microphone instead of talking at the camera from across the room.
I’d say use a turbo tank cleaner to clean all the sediment out and then the water heater will last another 3 to 6 years
Jeremy, I agree that the turbo tank cleaner does a great job.
0:58 laughing my ass off...i guess i scored mine has lasted 3 times warranty period and still looks new