flush your water heater!

[supermanotorious]

I'll add more to this later but it was either a Family Handyman or Popular Mechanics article that prompted me to flush my water heater, I did it on the old house and the new. I could not believe how much sediment came out of either machine. I'll post links and additional pictures in a bit, I wanted to show the valve I built to make annual flushes a piece of cake.

 

[mckutzy]

Unless its in a far remote location of the furnace room, I would get a valve guard, like a lock out box and lightly zip-tie it on...
The reason I say.... A stray unnoticed pant leg hooked on the lever could make it a interesting dance trying to shut it off once it lets loose... Should an occasion occur.

But overall a good idea...

Edit: An other idea instead of a lock box... A small shelf bracket with one shorter leg pipe clamped onto the nipple, could serve as the anchor point for the zip tie...

Kinda like this...

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Once you drain the tank, the valve usually gets clogged and won't seal properly. Then it leaks for the rest of it's life.

 

[supermanotorious]

correct, the crappy valve that comes with the heater will clog, so this article suggests you replace it the way I did

https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/water-heater/how-to-flush-a-water-heater/

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a1498/4213452/

as for my straight out valve and leaving the handle on, I was going to remove it but my heater is recessed by a wall and the washing machine, so I left it on

now, as for the first tank I flushed at the old house, the tank actually drained through the crappy valve, I was able to remove the valve and replace with a slightly better one

however on the new house, I left the factory valve open all day while I was at work with a garden hose draining to the yard, I thought the tank was empty, I attempted to remove the factory valve and it snapped, the heater was basically full of water still and it flooded my laundry room and hallways, I was pretty mad at my self

I could've built the vacuum adapter BUT the TPR valve was soldered to the plumbing, I was unable to remove it without sweating or cutting pipes

in hind sight I realize how I could've easily drained the tank with minimal water on the floor and this is why I wanted to share this with all of you

the crappy drain will clog when you attempt to drain, have your garden hose, 2 pipe clamps, and a short length of hose (<1') that will fit around the brass fittings on your garden hose and secure it to the hose with one pipe clamp, have the other pipe clamp loosely around the short length of hose- now continue to "open" the clogged valve, you'll separate the 2 halves and when you do water will start flowing despite the sediment, quickly place the short length of hose around the half of valve and secure with the pipe clamp, you'll be amazed at the crap that comes out, then you can install the brass valve

I will post a picture soon of the factory valve halves so you understand more easily

 

[mckutzy]

Interesting... More or less why I don't drink hot water from the tap... Boil hot water if I need it...

Oh, upon looking at your "handy" links... They say take off the handle to avoid knocking it.. Actually sounds like a better idea..

 

[Nosandwich]

The threads on the outlet are the same as a garden hose. Just get a cap from Home Depot and call it a day.

 

[supermanotorious]

yes you could stop the leak that way but you'd never get it flushed, let me tell you, if you separate the crappy valve halves, flush the sediment, then clean the half of the valve that came off, it will form a water tight seal again, I'll post pics tonight to show you what I mean

I'm at work, I can post from here but I can not upload pictures, doing it from my phone is a PITA

 

[supermanotorious]

I forgot to take pictures of the valve that snapped on me but this one will basically show what I mean, this is from the first water heater I did, I was able to drain the tank through it and it successfully unbolted from the heater without breaking, that being said I had to hammer the closest fitting socket over it which I think was a 36mm or 37mm I picked up for gokart akle nuts and afterwards I bought another cheap plastic valve for it that wont clog as easy plus the fact I didn't know the original valve would be water tight again after cleaning the sediment out, all since I'm selling that house

When I first drained the second heater I did not have the brass valve and dielectric nipple so I put this factory valve from the first heater on it after breaking the other factory valve

Take note that the rubber washer is just slightly smaller of diameter than the inside of the PVC valve so even a small amount of sediment will easily clog it

I'm using one of my shop vacuum extensions to show what I mean with the short length of larger hose, to slip over the valve half that is still in the heater after you've separated the valve halves, the other end would be pipe clamped to the garden hose

and a quick pick of how my water heater is recessed and why I decided to leave the valve handle on the brass valve

 

[Nosandwich]

Does this mean I have to flush my toilet regularly?

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Does this mean I have to flush my toilet regularly?

Wise man say, if it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down.

 

[Nosandwich]

Unfortunately, I was just kidding. That's my cat's water bowl.

 

[anickode]

Swapping out the valve probably voids any warranty the water heater may have had.

I agree though, those new style valves are garbage, though may be required by code if it has an integral vacuum breaker.

 

[Nosandwich]

Back to the original topic, what I was saying is just use the dadgum POS valve that comes on the water heater, then close it, and if it leaks, those garden hose caps will keep it ready until next time, for a buck or so.

Sheesh, you guys wanna overcomplicate everything, sometimes growing up poor has it's advantages.

 

[Denny]

Just what is a dielectric nipple. I was always taught water and electricity don't go together, but they do mix nicely.



Denny

 

[Nosandwich]

I dielectric nipple is for joining 2 different metals. For instance, copper and galvanized steel. The metals will eat each other up, with a regular nipple.

 

[anickode]

I dielectric nipple is for joining 2 different metals. For instance, copper and galvanized steel. The metals will eat each other up, with a regular nipple.

Especially if you have softened well water. Just making a big ol short circuited battery. Dielectric nipple or union electrically insulates the 2 metals from each other, eliminating the short circuit and stopping the flow of electrons.

 

[supermanotorious]

both water heaters in my case are well past the warranty period and I know flushing them annually will give them the best chance for prolonged life, I wish I could also replace the anode rod but I couldn't find it on either, it's not as simple as a nut on top of the tank

 

[supermanotorious]

ok here is the valve that snapped on me leading to the flooding of my house, somehow the rust permeated the PVC, that is beyond me but also explains why it snapped

 

[Nosandwich]

ok here is the valve that snapped on me leading to the flooding of my house, somehow the rust permeated the PVC, that is beyond me but also explains why it snapped

It was already cracked.

 

[landuse]

It was already cracked.

I think so too