Easy Water Heater Lime Removal
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- This is the easiest way I have found to remove line and mineral deposits from inside of a water heater when you are changing the element. I removed enough lime to overfill a gallon ice cream tub in just under an hour.
![How to Flush & Vacuum Water Heater Tank to Remove Sediment - [Easy DIY Fix!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hB1F_T7ZmxM/mqdefault.jpg)
Worked for me, thanks for making this video! One extra tip: i went ahead and removed the top element too and shined my light there. i could then peek into the bottom hole and it would be easy to see what was left in there.
Good tip!
My landlord does this to all the apartment water heaters and told me he’s not had to replace a total water heater in over a decade because of this...and it reduces the amount of elements burning out as well...one of these water heaters can last for a lot longer if properly maintained ....exactly like this guys doing
I replace them Everyweek and the oldest tank I have replaced to date is 44 Year old tank. 90% of the tanks Ibreplqce are around the 15 year mark. The oldest tanks I have replaced the owners claimed they have never touched them. Who Figures!!
@@LearnPlumbing
my parents have a 35 year old water heater. not sure if they ever replaced a heating element but its the original unit installed in the house.
@@LearnPlumbingdo you recommend doing a flush and remove sediment on a 10 year old tank? Works fine, i just want to extend its life
Tank manufacturers should design tanks so they are easier to service.
Tank manufacturers are in the business to sell you a new tank in
7 to 10years they could make a tank that would last much longer... warranty is also:
pro-rated so a 10year water heater isn't any different just an insurance policy but pro-rated....
Commercial tanks can be found with Clean out Inspection Hand Holes with a 6-8 bolt removable (Gasket sealed) cover Plate
80-120 gallon Water Heaters
@@michaelmailheau1511 you should check out the turbo tank cleaner it will clean the tank of all sediment and it all goes in a bucket
There is a tank cleaner called the turbo tank cleaner check it out there is a u tube video of it
@@jeremyclay6849 how much is one of those tank cleaning systems, though? This is a low-budget way of getting it done. Especially if you already have the shop vac and some may even have spare tubing sitting around that would work. I'll go look up the video, though.
I found your video the morning after we did something similar. We sacrificed the end of a garden hose and connected it to my shop vac with a lot of tape. It worked the same and cleaned out years worth of junk!
I've been using this method a few years now. To help break up the large pieces I add warm vinegar to the bottom of the tank with a funnel and let it sit a while. Then alternate between the shop vac and flushing with water straight from my pressure tank and out the drain port on the tank to my sump pump. I replaced the drain port with a 3/4 valve
This is an excellent idea and video. I did this in my first house a few times because the water was very hard. Thankfully my water heater was in the garage where it was easy to deal with. A friend of mine also recommended replacing the drain valve with a ball valve because they are less likely to plug.
You want a straight valve as well. I had so much build-up that I had to use a metal rod to get it to flow out. The cheap angled valves are much harder to poke through.
Glad I saw this video. Had to do exactly what you showed today because there was so much sediment that barely any water was flowing out of drain spigot.
So far this is the cleverest way that I’ve ever seen👍 thank you so much 🙏
There’s a better one check out the turbo tank cleaner on you tube
So glad I found your video! I’ve had my water heater off while fixing a blown pipe and thought it would be a perfect time to drain my water heater and was watching DIY videos.
Just flushing it out like I did last time seemed inefficient with how hard my water is and how cruddy the heating node thing-a-ma-jiggy was the last time I had to replace it. Thx !
I do believe thing a ma jiggy is a technical term for a what cha ma call it or do hicky!
At least that is to say in this house it is the language i speak! Lol..
If I had water as hard as that, I believe I would install a water softener and set up a monthly flushing schedule to drain off as much sediment as possible before it gets that bad. I love the idea of the clear tubing and shop vac, makes it easy to see how much stuff you're getting out.
Then you wind up using waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more water trying to get soap / detergent off of everything because the water is usually too soft to remove it.
@@larryhurley2314. It’s the opposite
The downside of the water softener is that it will likely corrode the anode rod even faster due to the salt content aiding in conductivity.
That said, I recently replaced my water heater and this time I installed a powered anode rod. I'll see how that compares over the years. The water here is so hard it's almost rocks, so we need the water softener.😅
GREAT work. You just saved that lady about 1500 bucks. Good job!
Good job
When I first moved into my house(twenty years ago) I just replaced the water heater. If I knew how to clean it out I would've tried this first. I know now, so I'll try this since I'm stuck at home, thank you for your post!!!
My dad did this to our water heater. Seven people in the house, heater lasted 18 years. So this does work. Thanks for sharing.
Mike been viewing your channel for some time now and have a little story to share with you.I was a plumber out of high school and had to give it up(now 68) due to health reasons.Back in those days asbestos was just something we would have to rip off to remove the old oil fired boilers.Back to my story so my wife and I are sitting in our back yard and our neighbors have a local plumber over to address a problem with their heater.I hear the fellow explaining the issues and low and behold I hear him saying there is co leaking inside the cabinet and watch this as he runs the plastic and his finger is full of oil,so even though I looked at the install around 4 years ago I forgot it was a Navien but knew right away after hearing him explain that it was a Navien.Of course I right away thought of you and the next thing he says is I have been following a fellow from New York who has or had a class action lawsuit.Small world Mike I live in a town downbeach from Atlantic City NJ.End of story theie unit is being replaced under warranty.Keep up the good work Mike you are and have made a diffference.
Larry
Joe, this is a great idea. New WHs are crazy expensive right now. Wonder if after you vacuumed out the lime, you poured in a gallon of CLR and let it sit for a while to break up the lime? Vac the stuff back up in liquid state. Flush out the tank to get everything out of there. You saved her a ton of money. Great video. 👍
Yes, I thought about using CLR... have you done this? It won't damage the tank or lines will it? Last time I flushed/cleaned out my Water Heater the Calcium/Lime build-up had huge chunks in there. A simple flush won't work for me.
I have watched so many videos to figure out how to get the crud out of my hot water heater. I'm so happy to find yours, thank you.
I'm glad it was helpful, please share it so others can find it as well.
You should consider replacing that tiny drain valve with a wide open 3/4" ball valve and flush the bottom of the tank better. That valve has a very constricted opening, but replacing it makes future flushing and cleaning even easier. I like the vacuum trick with the clear hose to see what's going on. My water heater gets very much calcium buildup and I have had to do this before. Thanks.
I totally agree with the 3/4 ball valve. I put them on every heater I install.
Wish I saw this about 5 months ago. Just bought a 100yo house and the water heater had a dead lower element and calcium jam packed halfway up the tank. It was incredible to witness. 20 year old tank never been serviced. It took both me and the tank rental guy to get the old tank up the basement stairs. The rental guy spent the time to teach me everything from the breaker size to maintenance draining. Turned out it was wired to have 2x30 amp breakers but somewhere in the walls got rewired to just 1x30 amp. I just ran new lines to the tank and pulled all I could of the old stuff.
what is a tank rental guy?
@@jeffreyplumber1975 Good question and I can't help you to the best of my mental ability, but, if you put the words tank /rental and guy together, maybe he is man that rents tanks!?!?
This is the best way glad your using your head. I'm a plumber in South Texas and this is the way I was taught to clean em.
I've done that several times with mine over the years and it works great.
i wish i would've saw your video a few weeks ago, but I eventually got around to doing the same thing to my water heater. the vinyl tube to see what's being sucked out is a great idea!
Great idea! I pulled 2 gallons of calcium flakes from the bottom of my heater. Thanks for the tip!
Every couple years I've been doing it for 40 years I put a new element in it and way I go
Would you have the drain water of the water heater ????
I replaced the top one but my bottom valve didn't release any water.
I have a lot of mineral and sand in my water. I didn't know this could be done. Thank you!
Best Wishes! M.H.
Funny, we have a lot of the same tools and shop vac. Best preventative maintenance is to actually drain the tank occasionally. I haven't been diligent about doing that on mine and my tank is about 4 years old at this point. I probably need to give it a good inspection one day. I don't even own the house, just a renter, but I still try to keep up on things so I don't have to wait on the landlord to fix it if it breaks.
F ing genius! Great tip. Going to try it. You should get a endo-camera to see inside these heaters. I use one for my pool work. Filters pumps etc.
I wish you could show us how to clean out one of those short water heaters found in a lot of apartments nowadays.
They only have the heating element on the top of the unit. So to clean it out with the method shown here, you can only insert the vacuum hose from the top.
When I tried to drain the water heater the calcium or lime was so built up it didn't even allow it a small amount of water to trickle out.
But thanks for the great video!!
Well if you are in an apartment I would talk to the landlord and get a new water heater.
@@alanbellkey4592 In a better world most tenants could do that. But if you are a low-income or HUD tenant, you won't get much response from Slumlords.
The only part I think is sketchy is using the prybar to poke around in there. If it chips the enamel/glass coated interior, you are looking at a early failure. Otherwise, great idea with the shop-vac.
Now that's what I'm saying.
Is the bottom the same and can be damaged or is it just the walls. If just the walls then don't try to scape everything out to play it safe
Never saw it done this way, Easier than anyway I have been doing it. Must say I agree with David Eugene about the design of the tank.
Great video. I put a full-flow drain valve on mine and have never looked back. $30 on eBay. n Look up Freedom Flow or Freedom Flush or something like that. A couple time a year I flush out 10 or 15 gallons and get out a good cup of sediment and what not. Also pull out the anode rod and sand it down just a bit. Heater has been working well.
Excellent idea! Also, if you’re using the T&P as a vent, instead of opening the hot water faucet in the R.V. sink, you may end up with a chunk of lime caught in the valve which may scar the seat and keep it from reseating fully. You may want to keep an extra T&P relief valve handy along with your spare element.
I just went through this. Definitely get the 1” tubing. I’m in a rural area and all I had was an old alumina broom handle was about 3/4” id. Used a pipe cutter to cut to length then bent about 60 degrees elbow, rigged it up to my shop vac and took about 3 hours to clean it out. Small pipe was a bear keeping clear enough to suck it out. Wish i would of had the one inch
Great idea! Thanks for sharing this technique, Joe. I'm trying to get another few years from my 30gallonn electric H20 heater.
I have been doing the same for YRS , I even tried hard vinager and CLR , nothing seems to work . God Bless Texas with this hard water .
Your video was absolutely awesome. It helped me get all that calcium lime c*** out of my hot water heater. And hopefully the hot water heater will last a lot longer. So kudos to man great service. I'm really happy with the fact that you posted this video. I'm sure this video was a game changer to my water heater. So, again, thank you very much. You wonderful kind, sir.
Slick method, thanks for posting. Putting this on my to-do-list.
I had to pause the video so I could see the adapter. Clear vinyl tubing wrapped with duct tape stuck to the adapter. Got it! I'm going to give this a try!
Kudos for getting your kid to do the trim work! Kidding of course.
Thank you for the video
Have to raise them right, lol. He got paid for mowing and trimming, and over the course of a couple summers saved up enough to buy his first motorcycle. Learned the value of hard work, and at the time he wasn’t old enough to get a job anywhere in town, they wanted him to be 16 first.
I used to clean mine out by taking both elements out and using a garden hose and draining out the crud through the bottom element hole and the drain valve sometimes you can remove the valve and makes removing the lime better. The vacuum is better and I will try it next clean out. Also replacing the anode is a good idea. The best thing is to drain the tank once a year before all the lime builds up. 73
I use a bent piece of sharpened pex which is stiffer and you can actually push hard into the lime. Also use a bent iron rod to get into the corners. Always replace the element if it is working or not. Good video
How do you clean the corners of a round tank? Asking for a friend
@@MisterTwister88 from the flat bottom to the vertical side, there is generally a corner.
@@DarDen-1953 VINIGER LIQUIDFIES THE LIME I use 2 gallons, let it ist for 2 Hours and then suck it out!!
Good trick with the 3/4" clear tube and shop vac!
Be in contact the administrator account is but you kids
Was a pleasure speaking to the first two tickets on
A funnel works as an adapter too. 👍👍
This is the best video I have seen yet.
well i found this after i just opened my water heater to replace my two elements. the bottom had TONS of crap in there. i did not have a clear tube like you i grabbed my one inch garden hose, cut the end off and taped it up to my shop vac. clean as a whistle now. only 5 years old. but i am an idiot, i did not know i should be draining or checking the elements as often as i should.
I had one element fail after a year due to build-up. Decided to drain and check the elements at the 3 year mark, and found like 2" of scale at the bottom. Vacuumed it all out like the video. Going to have to do a basic flush every 6 months or so, and pull the elements and vacuum once a year. Btw for elements, use a brass brush to get most of the lime off, then a rag with vinegar will make them look almost brand new.
Very informative! Thank you for that! I’ve got an element in mine that has to be changed, so your tip will prove useful.
I’ve been doing this for years now. Every year I hafta replace the heating elements. The anode rod too. Also, you take both elements and the rod out and you can hang a small flashlight in one of the holes to see better. Good videos man
You definitely need to install a water softener and filtration system, you have bad water supply
If the elements just have build-up, use a brass brush to clean them up, and a rag with vinegar to wipe them down good. Makes them look almost brand new! I managed to stumble across this video then flushed my water heater, wound up finding tons of scale and had to vacuum it out and cleaned up the elements.
Where did you find the adapter for your clear tubing to vacuum adapter?
@@ahorseman4ever1 the adapter I use is Gorilla Tape. The clear tubing should fit in the bottom hole of the heater, with enough room to move around for vacuuming. The mineral debris is too much to pass through the drain of the heater. This is why we vacuum.
@@jimkalfakis9893 thank you!
I dump in a cup of citric acid a half hour before flushing. I like your shop-vac idea. Next time I'm combining the citric acid with the shop vac.
This was oddly satisfying, like the zit popping videos. Also, thanks for not calling it a "hot water heater". It's a water heater.
I was just thinking to do mine too before watching this video , but this great way to clean the water heater. One more thing I am thinking to add is pure one gallon of vinegar and live for few hours with some hot water still in the tank , and opened other pipes for safety explosion, then will get crashed all limestone.
Does this help with pressure
1. Always test each wire to ground, YOU are at ground reference ! The top thermostat only switches one leg, while the other leg remains hot. Your meter would read 0- volts between the two wires, but one of the two could still light you up with 120-volts to ground. 2. Judging from the amount of scale you removed, you definitely should have installed another sandhog element (i.e. low intensity element).
Wouldn’t the breaker OFF take care of that?
@@RJ-sr5dvYes, If indeed the "correct" breaker is switched off. Yes, If indeed that breaker opens both legs as it should. The very reason you used your meter or tester is to answer all the ifs. But like I said, YOU ( i.e. the Technician ) are at ground reference. It only take a few extra moments to check each supply lead to ground, before proceeding with any repairs.
If I can add:
Check between a hot wire and ground FIRST. That proves the meter is good and the ground is good.
THEN turn off the breaker. Check each hot wire to ground to ensure the breaker is the correct one and it kills the power to each leg.
@@1OlBull Amen
@@gratzbuck9882 Your words of caution and suggestion are appreciated.. Thank you
Just tried this and got so much crap out of mine. Thank you so much.
One Tip: I attach a water hose to the drain valve and add a some as I go. Add water (a few inches) and vacuum a while, add more water then vacuum again, etc, etc. Just keep going until cleaned out.
@Gary Roy why not just add water using the on/off valve where the water comes into the tank?
how about adding rock salt and water to break and dissolve???
Nice Idea! I've never thought of doing that to mine.... I just recently had to change the elements on mine and its working good!
Hands down best video on this iv ever seen.
Especially helpful information for mobile home water heater. Going to try this tomorrow after I get the parts. Wish me luck. If I don't comment within a week with my results, send help. lol.
Check out the turbo tank cleaner on you tube
@@jeremyclay6849 Thank you for the suggestion! As it turned out, there was moderately little crud in the heater. I can highly recommend A.O. Smith heater with attenuated anode and well insulated. They're well made.
Awesome method! I wonder if you can do the same with a gas heater. I believe you would remove the flushing valve to get to the bottom of tank.
Thanks for posting... I thought this was shot on the set of the Red Green Show...😁
If it ain’t broke....you’re not trying
Nice! Lower heater element in my tank has opened circuit - gonna clean tank out using this method and replace both elements. Thanks!
😁👍
You make an easy job into hard work !
I use brick cleaner. Can go away and do something else more productive while it dissolves the lime into slush. Then just suck it all out in a couple of minutes.
No poking and picking about needed.
Is that safe for the tank?
@@ljbrandt500 That's what Baxi Heating U.K. recommend for cleaning lime from the copper heat exchanger in their water heaters, so it's good enough for me. It is flooded with running water anyway, once the process is complete - I did it for 20 years and had no problem with mine.
You would check the upper thermostat for power. It comes there first. And you would only go in the bottom element hole if you were replacing the element. You wouldn't remove it to clean the tank unless you wanted to be chasing down another seal which I doubt you could find to buy itself. You would go through the drain. Otherwise a good example to show just how much mineral deposit can build up in a water heater and take out the bottom element.
Dang, you got a LOT out of there! Wow...very satisfying to watch that!
Great setup good idea with that clear transparent hose.
I just turn power or gas and water supply off. Then remove supply line, drain about 2 gallons out with the t&p valve. Replace with distilled vinegar, let stand for a few hours. Flush with fresh water until no more vinegar smell, easy and simple ever couple years depending on how hard the water is.
Excellent cleaning method! On your next video please show us "PREVENTIVE METHODS" to keep this from ever happening again! Many thanks.
amen!!!
Use a line filter. Replace it often. That’s the only method available.
That worked terrifically. Thank you. That was awesome. I had a HUGE amount come out.
I’m curious why you didn’t go for a slightly bigger vinyl tube? I’m not sure it would have worked any better, but it crossed my mind as pieces got stuck.
Probably would not bend enough to get around the bottom of the tank
Clear hose is a clever idea. Thanks for sharing.
Would it be a good idea to after sucking out and breaking up the white crystals to then flush out the water heater to get any loose crystals still in the water heater out. Or do the crystals just sink to the bottom of the newly filled water heater❓❓
Good job on the video. Lime is corrosive. The accumulation of lime will eventually create pin-holes in the water heater vessel. At that point, replacement of the water heater is the only option.
Thanks am gonna use this and hopefully safe my water heater and money
Check out the turbo tank cleaner on u tube
I know you probably don't have this much time,but if it was mine I'd do want you did, but I think when I was done cleaning, then i would dump 2 bottles of C.L.R. in the element opening,put the element back in wait 30 minutes fill tank till it comes out the over flow, turn water off and let sit for a couple hours.then flush and drain tank again.
Please let us know about the adapter that connected your clear tubing to your wetvac. Was it home made are did it come with your wetvac accessories?
I would recommend a filtration system and water softener by the main supply, especially if you have well water.
Great idea and way to get that lime and calcium build-up out of the water heater. I have a natural gas water heater and only has the opening to connect a garden hose to drain the water. I remove that and use the opening to scrape out the build-up on the bottom using a home built sort of tool that looks like a small hoe with a long metal rod and also run some water through to help with loosening and moving the sediment.. Works, but is time consuming. I think I will use my shop vac and the 3/4" clear tube, should be a lot faster. Thanks for posting this info...
Great idea with clear tubing and shop vac!
I do the same thing but I use a wooden doll rod to help break up the big junks of lime and also add water to it every so often to soften it up. When I was done there was ZERO lime at the bottom of mine. Saved myself $900 on a new heater. The water heater companies have a great scam going on knowing full well you will be back in another 7 to 8 years to buy a new one because you will not make the effort and do this easy and cheap maintenance fix. That's why they make the hole at the bottom so small.
That was a helluva lot of calcium buildup in the water heater! I would suggest you follow up that procedure with a complete water drain and flush with the spigot at the bottom each time you do that. It will preserve the life of the anode and therefore the life of the water heater, be it electric or gas. In you case, it would also extent the life of the heating element, even one made to resist calcium. For the best drain flow possible, some people like to replace the spigot with two 2" x 3/4" brass nipples on each end of a 3/4" brass ball valve to get the full flow capability of draining the water heater. Then cap it with a 3/4" brass cap to prevent any leaks and protect the ball valve. To drain it with a garden hose, you'll need an adapter. There are videos you can watch for the drain and flush procedure (some are better than others, so watch a few), but the ball valve will give you a much better capability to get more calcium (smaller pieces once you've got all the bigger ones) and all the minerals, sludge and grit out of the bottom after you've vacuumed it out. It would also be wise to check the anode periodically. They deteriorate and need to be replaced. Otherwise, the water tank will start to rust and you'll have to replace the water heater. Doing all of these things at least once a year can make your water heater last a helluva lot longer. Good luck!
What exactly were the oarts you bought to hook up to the ship vac. Just replaced my inlaws gas water heater and i will need ine soon as well. With that said i would like to refurbish their old ine and install at my house after cleaning and replacing thermostat components
I do the same with mine but I find it helpful to get a stiff piece of wire to help break up the rock .
Now that was a great and informative video. Can we assume the adapter was a shop vac adapter? Not sure what kind of adapter you used.
Great idea! It’s like performing liposuction on a water heater.😎👍🏽
Great info... Any tips for the PexA lines that have calcium in them to the point they are clogged and only a low about 25% water flow?😠😒
With any line you can try backflushing the line if possible. Often if you reverse the flow you can break loose deposits. If it is a pex, or any plastic line you could disconnect one end and try to dissolve the buildup with some vinegar if you can find a way to force it through and let it sit in the line for a little while. When you flush it out just make sure you are flushing with the flow coming out the open end of the line so you don’t clog any fixtures.
@@JosephVollmar thanks for the info.. I'll be trying that today.
very clever! soak the element in white vinegar and it will look brand new.
how did you get the water out if it was that clogged up? I can't get the tank to drain
Was so satisfying to just watch the lime being cleaned out.
Replace factory drain with full port 3/4" ball valve, flush every 6 months at season changes and you'll never need to do this (remove handle after for safety)
Yep that’s what I did.
What a great idea
Yeap ! Agree with this, depends how old the tank is to remove the heating element will be a pain and may not go back, at certain time is better to change the whole thing and keep up with this recommendation.
You are right. I used to install oil fired h20 heaters and always took out the cheap plastic drains and installed brass ball valve , nipple and hose bib. But be forwarned that the 3/4 " stuff can get plugged too. Still better than original design. Just can't win sometimes🙄
I use a bent teaspoon taped to a wire coat hanger but I'm definitely going to use this trick from now on! Thanks big time!
I got a good laugh from reading this
Beats the heck out of listening to that senseless popping and crackling every time you use hot water.
Was wondering if you were to add vinegar a day before vacuuming if it would soften up or dissolve some of the lime build-up
Was there a noticeable improvement in how the water heater worked?
Just did mine that way . Work great . Takes a while but it's gota be done to last .
I changed out an element on a friend's WH. I noticed sediment just below the element opening. I put a new element in to give him hot water. It took hours to drain the 19 gallon single element tank to replace the element with faucet venting.
I came across this video and bought what I needed. I used 5/8 clear plastic tubing bc it was half the price of the 3/4 ten ft roll at the big orange store and a fixed one piece plastic variable size vac hose adapter. My vac hose end fit snuggly inside and the tubing fit snuggly inside the end of the smallest opening at the top of the adapter. No duct tape needed.
I tried to clear the drain with that tool that uses compressed air. Didn't work. His system is set up with a tee going to the toilet supply and then supplying the WH which in a cabinet in the bathroom.
I Disconnected that from the toilet tank drained some water then it stopped. I thought it was completely drained.
Running out of patience, I brought in the vac, connected the hose and tubing, turned it on, removed the element and quickly stuck the tubing inside and put my hand over the element hole ran for a minute or so, put the element back in the hole. Threw out the water. Repeated and got water and sediment. Repeated with just sediment and added water four times. Not 100 % removal but the sediment was cleared far below from the bottom of the element hole. It got alot out.
I tried using the compressed air tool again and still didn't clear the drain . This project was done on a 1992 low boy water heater with approximately 4 in of sediment on the bottom. Glad I found this video. And my friend is glad too.
The element I put in was already getting messed up after just a couple weeks. I gently scraped off where the sediment had already accumulated in the space between the two rods of the element.
I live in Greenville SC, fourth in the US cleanest water. I'm glad we don't have to deal with this. I've never heard of this problem around here lol
Would it not make more sense to flush some water in there after the initial vacuuming, break up the residual lime and suck that out and repeat it a few times?
I always run water in the tank during the extraction. . Just crack the inlet valve, shut off it fills to fast.
same. I never thought to use the shop vac to clean up the lime. I wish he would have showed the adapter a bit more
I would have liked to see how you made the adapter
Great idea and technique. From the consumer perspective, how does the cost of cleaning the heater and replacing the heating element compare with simply changing out the heater? Don't know what you charge for your time, but the clean out (repair) clearly takes much longer than a replacement.
I’m doing this from a consumer standpoint. This water heater was in one of our rental units. The time that it would take me to go get a new water heater, and swap it out more than the amount of time that I had in cleaning it out.
Been there already done that worked great! However I used a piece of 3/4" Pex rather than clear hose.
The clear let’s you see what is coming out and helps you work efficiently.
Where to purchase an adapter? Excellent idea, that junk ruined my old tank, had it for 14 years using well water! Would still be using it today!🤷♂️
The adapter I used was just a reducer for the large shop vac hose that I got at the hardware store and a piece of vinyl tubing. I just used duct tape to seal them together.
Should remind people after cleaning to replace anode rods and elements while cleaning it or even replace thermostat make tank last even longer
They are not going to pay for all of that work, so i just tell them buy a new one cheaper that way.
@@dangda-ww7de tanks are $400 to $1000 USD, replacement parts are under $100
@@michaelc9128 I charges 3 to 500 to do all of that.
I has to cut the anode rod out of mine because it reacted with my water and made it smell like sewage. Every time I replace my water heater the smell from the hot water at the sink is bas enough to gag a maggot after only a few days. Cut out the anode rod and the smell is gone. When I get my RO system put in I will replace my water heater and try the anode rod again
@@maddog3080 do you have a septic tank because septic tanks that havent been cleaned out you know u gotta clean out a septic tank right? If it smells like sewage you might wanna ask your neighbors if they have the same problem but if you are in a house you should know whether or not you have a septic tank my grandparents bought a house in the desert to retire to and they lived there for 30 years and never understood where the sewage smell was coming from and you could smell it from the water heater area.,you might wanna get that checked out do you pay a sewage bill? Here in California we have to pay our water trash street sweeper and sewage bill all in one about 80 buck every 2 months.
Question. After cleaning and vacuuming all the gunk from the bottom do I need to refill/add anything such as the "jelly beads" into the water heater? My bottom element only last 1-2 months now. I need to do this ASAP. Thank you so much for this video...
No, after cleaning just replace the element, fill it and cut it on. I wouldn’t add anything to it at all.
@@JosephVollmar thank you. I used your method and it worked great, got everything out. Will see if this helps the bottom element from going bad so often. The last service guy said I needed a new water heater. He never told me it could be cleaned. Glad I found your video. 👍👍