Survivalism 101. 100.5? 100.3? Ok 100.1.

[MichiganDriver]

So... I'm in a new house and I'm still waiting for the wallet hemorrhage to end. This week it's the hot water heater. Sediment build up and it won't get over 128 degrees and it fluctuates wildly. It's history.

So I'm doing my research on what to buy and discover a cool plumbing site and I really like their tip on having 40 gallons of in-case-of-emergency water available at all times. Check it out, it's the little assembly at the bottom of the page. Sediment: Why its buildup is bad for water heaters

It will set you back $20 +/- and you'll have a trustworthy supply of water just in case. (My local hardware store guy hooked me up - I showed him the pic and he knew where the parts were).

[GPC]

That's interesting. Might have try it.

[Windwalker]

Well, if you think about it, hot water (or water that's been heated and cooled) freezes in the ice-cube trays faster than cold water. The reason is because it doesn't have all the mineral content. So, where do you suppose the mineral content goes when the water is heated? To the bottom of the water heater. Don't know how often they recommend flushing one, but I do it once a year. A lot of it is calcium-sulphate. And, an electric heater isn't as affected by the build up at the bottom, because the heating elements are in the side and top. But, a gas heater gets most of the heat transferred through the bottom, and the mineral build up acts as an insulator that blocks the heat. Clean it out, and if you don't discover a pin-hole leak, it should work far better.

[Mr. Ford95]

I flush mine once a year as well. It's working on 4 year's old with just 1 problem and that happened on the first day when it was being installed. The dummies installing it blew the heating element by giving it power while no water was in it.

[MichiganDriver]

That's the real use for that ball valve contraption and I plan on flushing it out once a year too. The hole in that 3/4" ball valve is huge. I can't imagine sediment fouling it up but even if it did, a coathanger would clear the blockage and you're back in business. The gate valve on my old HWH kept getting plugged and it took all day to get the loose sediment out of the thing. That's partly what got me on my info quest. Another thing is the dip tube described on the plumbing link above. I knew there had to be a way to clear more of the sediment. The HWH I bought claims they've got a super duper dip tube setup. We'll see. And another thing is anode rods. I have never understood what the heck they do and I decided to learn.

Another thing is I'm installing this thing myself and I've done a few of them. They can take an hour or less, or they can take all day. The key is the vertical size (horz too but even I would see that one coming... maybe lol). Not having to slice and dice the plumbing is cool but it's the flue that can give you heartburn. I measured mine and drove around to stores and did my research on the web and I think I'm in for a 1 hr install (after 8 hours research lol).

I learned some things along the way. For instance, in recent years (as I've gotten older and cheaper) I've learned to keep the temp down. It seems silly to pay to overheat water just to mix in cold so you can use it without melting the skin of your hands. But I was wrong to do that. Water has to be at about 130 degrees to kill the bacteria that causes legionnaires disease among other things.

Legionellosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The only reason I got away with it is probably that I was on city water and they chlorine the heck out of the water. Now I'm on well water so I have to be more careful. Another problem with well water is power outages. In Michigan I don't have to worry much about tornadoes but we did have that 4 day power outage a few years ago. Now that I'm in a no juice=no water situation I'm thinking an emergency supply of water is a good move.

[Windwalker]

Or, a back-up generator to start up when the power goes off. That will keep the water flowing, and hot as well. Requires a transfer switch. But, it helps to keep hot things hot, and cold things cold. Lets you see where you are going at night too.