Common Pain in the Butt Electric Water Heater Problems
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- Jim gets a lot of questions on electric water heaters and that is fair, they can be a pain. Jim shares common problems with electric water heaters, including best practices for draining a water heater.
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#plumbing #waterheater #plumbingDIY
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I used to worry about if I should drain my gas fired water heater or not to get the sediment out. Then I saw one of your videos and I no longer worry as I am not about to be draining that heater any time soon. 😀
Good stuff. Keep ‘‘em coming. I never flush unless an element craps out.
Hey Jim thanks for the great information, I always look forward to hearing your great information on things. And yes I wouldn’t make a move without checking with my financial advisor first 😆. I hope you have a great rest of the weekend 👍🇺🇸
I wish you lived near me, thanks for the good advice.
I remember replacing my elements, and the top one being full of sediments. I took a few hours to clean the tank. I would've killed for a larger hole to remove all the junk and I'm on city water.
I was not aware you could change the drain valve. Thanks. Next water heater will have that done on.
Classic and so true.
Great channel. Looks like I found the number 1 in the number 2 business!
Rodney C, you are so clever! Thanks for subscribing.
I asked my financial advisor and she said, "I don't know", so now I'm sure grumpy is the way to go.
Great info! Would the sediment in the water heater cause an odor? We drained it, but couldn’t get all the sediment out. Replaced the anode rods too. The hot water still smells. Is replacing the water heater the fix? We have an AO Smith (live in Michigan).
Thank you!
Ten Ledbetter, I would remove the anode rod and not replace it. Try that before replacing the heater.
Thanks!
Base on what you said about 'running out' of hot water after a bit, I think my, Never serviced, 25yo electric water heater might have a failed/failing lower heating element.
And yes, I wish they had a metal faucet. Pretty sure the plastic one will break if I look at it wrong.
The Bradford White made in America water heater has a brass faucet!
@@gosman949 Not on my Bradford White mii50s6ds17 50 gal. Water Heater - 9000W - Came with new home I bought 1997
Hello Mr Grumpy
I put a full port ball valve on my heater because in the winter me shut down the lake house and it makes it just that much easier to drain
Do you recommend water heater insulation blankets/jackets? Mine is in my garage, exposed to outside temps.
If you have a new generation water heater in the last ten years, they have a 2” foam jacket which is better than fiberglass insulation. However, if you like feeding the rats, leave the fiberglass jacket on the heater.
We have a solar powered hot water heater and it saves us a lot of money
Great information! But I had a question... Found water all over the place and was able to spot a leak underneath the tank. Seems I have an inner tank leak - maybe rusted out? Can also be the reason why hot water stopped heating several hours before??
Thank you!
Carrillo Santarosa, you must have a gas heater. The leak probably damaged the pilot or burner. Sounds like you need a new heater.
To the Grumpy Plumber: Thank you for your no nonsense advice. Can you do a video that explains how to save money operating an electric water heater? Temperature settings, timers and possibly shutting off the lower element etc. Thank you Sir
Testdepth, they have had all kinds of advice on saving money with electric heaters but as far as I’m concerned, they don’t work. The best thing you could do is get solar. P. S. You can’t shut off the lower element, insulation does not work, timers don’t work and turning the thermostat below 110 just won’t give you enough hot water. I think solar is the answer.
Got a good one for you, had a water heater from 1987 go out in a family home. We bought a new one electric 50 gal. Installed it no problem to the manufacturer instructions... until we went to open up the hot lines in the house to get the air out. We'll it said there would be a steady stream... but it's barley coming out... so we let it them open for while to see if anything changed... but still the same trickles and super low pressure. Checked the tank and tank is full. We haven't connected electricity yet due to not knowing if this is correct steady stream or not...... please help
should have hired a plumber
QUESTION FOR GP: We are hearing a sound that's a cross between moaning and a foghorn. Could that be coming from our water heater or pipes? It even happens in the middle of the night! Can't wait for your suggestion.
@coachdion5334, the sound could be coming from the water heater if it has an expansion tank on it. If you have a well, it could be coming from the storage tank that has a bladder in it. Check to see if you have bladder tanks connected to the water system like a reverse osmosis tank.
Cold water clear, hot water brownish. We have a shallow well, an electric water heater only 3 years old, water is still good and hot. Pex plumbing throughout the house. Have not flushed heater at all. Any advice what this is?
Paul Murphy, it’s probably your magnesium rod that is deteriorating in your heater. You need to either remove the rod and plug it off or install a new rod. You need to drain the heater and once drained, turn the water on for short bursts and let it drain again and do this until the water drains clear. There is nothing wrong with your well because you said the cold water is clear. The only other reason your hot water is brownish is that you have a water softener that is only softening the hot water and not the cold. The water softener is broke and releasing the minerals in the tank. You can test this by bypassing the softener. Good luck.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks much for the reply, it's very helpful! Don't have a water softener, so it's probably the rod then. Really appreciate the info, now I have a concrete direction.
🎉
Hi, I have an electric water heater inline with an in ground rainwater tank. I know that there will be a fair amount of sediment in the tank after 2 years. Can you tell me what I should I do?
Michael Mclean, are you able to drain and flush the tanks? That’s the first thing I would do.
Okay, thanks, I'll look into cleaning the in ground rainwater tank. Common sense!
Thanks Jim, I got the swampy smell in our hot water so will take your advise and remove the mag rod. But I also got black sediment coming out of just one hot faucet in the house, my wife's bathtub, which is just above the water heater in our bungalow. Runs black for 15 secs then clear but black sediment left in the tub after draining. Plumber friend and I drained the heater but nothing evident in the drain water. We opened the inlet for a bit to try to stir up any crud on the bottom but still nothing evident in the drained water. Its a real corker where this black stuff is coming from and why only her bathtub. No braided lines at all. Good copper throughout the house.Ever seen anything like this Jim?
Chris, yes, I have seen this before. It’s the pieces that flake off the magnesium rod. Drain the heater completely. Remove the valve and put in a 3/4” pipe nipple about 4-5 inches long. Take a hose with a spray nozzle that comes to a point and turn the water on for about 3 seconds, pull out nozzle and let it drain and repeat until the water runs clear. You could also take the spray hose and spray from the hot side of the heater but you need to remove the pipe nipple on the hot water side. You must have an open flow on the bottom of the heater so use a wet and dry vac to clean up the water. It’s a very time consuming job but you must get the sediment out of the heater. When the water runs clear out of the bottom of the heater, you hopefully got it all.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks very much. I'll check that out.
Hi GP. My AO Smith 12yo electric water heater has suddenly started overheating the water - nothing was touched from installation date. The water is extremely hot for 2 days then no hot water at all. I googled & pressed the reset button. To which it's back to normal for a day or so then goes back to same cycle. Glad I ran across ur video. I was getting ready to try & flush it! Idk if it's a good idea to just keep hitting reset button. Can u give me an idea of what I need to do/repair? Before I replace - it has been running great til now. I just bought a fixer upper house for my 93yo dad & I to live IN together so he's safe with me. I'm financially challenged, never owned a house alone, know nothing of maintenance. buying this house drained my savings so I'd appreciate ur answer/advice. It seems every repair-anything man sees $$$ when they see a clueless single 60yo female & her 93yo dad & we can't afford to eat (jk). Why I have decided to take matters into my own hands. Thanks so much for this channel & the work u put into it. Everybody needs a GP. Don't ever change, I 💜 u the way u are. And ur HONEST!! Thank you SO much. Sorry about the too long comment I get excited 😆 & of course I subscribed.
Tammy Smith, first thing you want to do is turn the power off to the heater and drain the heater. You need to also install two new elements. (About $25 each). When you remove the bottom element, try to clean out some of the sediment. Fill the water heater with water and while filling it, open the hot water side of the bathtub faucet. When water flows in a steady stream with no air, turn off faucet and turn power back on to heater. If you hire it done, it should take about an hour but don’t have them clean all the sediment out of the heater. That will take too long and not be worth it. Good luck. Maybe you can do it yourself. Thanks for the kind comments and for subscribing. P.S. while draining the heater, you must have all hot water faucets open.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thank you for the prompt reply! I figure I should learn how to do things. I'll give it a try & I might even remember to let u know how it turned out. Again thx for the concise straightforward advice. I'm going to binge watch ur videos, I've got a lot to learn. 🙇♀️👩🏼🔧🪠 virtual drink 🍺 to you.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Hey there GP. Ur diagnosis was 100% correct! I was able to do myself & save all that $$. I bought a kit at Lowes for $30 & a tool which was $10 I think. The kit included 2 elements & 2 thermostats so I just changed them all to keep maintenance straight. (At the time both elements & 1 thermostat needed replacing.). TY very much for your analysis, advice & honesty. U need a series Grumpy Plumber. Best to all 😙
An employee with my local water company today me that we might be seeing yellow color water in our lines because of a back flow issue from our water heater. I've never heard of such a thing, but even so, when I've seen it, it's been through only the cold water pipes, like when we flush our toilets. We never saw this problem living here before though until 2020 and the shut down of things.
Tosha McCarty, I think it’s your city water, especially if it’s on the cold water. This guy doesn’t know what he is talking about. I’ve never heard of a back flow because of a water heater. This is the type of thing they tell you when they don’t know how to fix a problem.
I live in Louisiana. I am 75 years old and have owned homes for 50 years and never drained any of my hot water heaters and most last 15/20 years but here is my problem. I have a 40 gallon, electric hot water heater in my attic that is 5 years old. Unfortunately I have a garden tub that the granddaughter loves but it's only used maybe once a year. Every time she uses it, the sediment stirs up from the bottom and she says our water is dirty and gets out. Any suggestions short of draining?
Hocke Family, turn the tub water on for a couple of minutes every couple of weeks and see if that helps.
Great info, but I have a question. I have had 2 or 3 occurrences where the water in the shower took an unusually longer amount of time to get hot. This is not the normal time it usually takes for the water to get hot. Is this just something that happens sometimes or could it be an issue? Thanks for your help.
Philip Hilliard, you might be having a problem with your shower valve. If you valve is less than thirty years old, it’s probably a pressure balance valve. There’s a piston in the cartridge that might be going bad. I suggest you wait it out until it occurs more frequently and then have it repaired or do it yourself. The water heater is probably not an issue because it either heats the water or doesn’t. You stated that you eventually get hot water. That’s why I think it’s the shower valve.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks for the info. If it gets worse I'll see about replacing the valve.
Philip Hilliard, repair the valve, don’t replace it.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Ok. Thanks
What if we are using a salt water softener here in California, we still don’t have to flush it?
@user-kb4wn9dz3d, even with a water softener you will still get lime buildup in the water heater. If it’s a gas water heater, I wouldn’t flush it. If electric, clean some of the lime out when you replace the bottom element. It’s great that you have a water softener.
As you know, the Bradford White has a brass water outlet!
Jay G, however, it’s not a full port valve.
How do I properly vent hi efficiency power vent gas hot water tank in Michigan
Wayne Hoch, if it’s less than 30 ft., located in a basement, use 2” pvc pipe to the nearest outside wall. It must be 2ft. above the ground with a u bend on the top of it. The vent must slope back toward the heater. If longer than 30 ft., you must use 3” pvc pipe and vent it through to the roof with less than 2 90’s. Michigan mechanical code will follow the installation instructions of the manufacturer.
Hello Jim! I replaced an 80 gallon electric water heater yesterday. It has been in operation like 6 hours and lukewarm water. The water heater sits outside in an addition shed built for it. 240v powers the elements, both elements have 12 Homs of resistance, current draw on top element 19.7 amps. Thermostats are set to 120 Degrees. Everything checks out but no hot water. Any ideas? the old one was not leaking but stopped heating water and both elements and thermostats with dip tube were replaced to no avail. Finally decided to buy a new water heater and the problem is still there. please help!
@vit1844, the upper element heats 75% of the water and when it’s satisfied, the lower element comes on and heats the other 25%. I want to know if you have 240volts to the upper element and the big question is, was the water heater full of water before you turned it on ? Check to see if the upper element is working by checking the continuity. Disconnect the two wires to the element. Make sure you have the power off. Put the tester on the two screws on the element. You will either get a noise or a reading that tells if the element is good.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber I have a full video on troubleshooting this water heater
@@TheGrumpyPlumber i filled it with water before turning the power on
@@TheGrumpyPlumber solved the problem. the hot line pipe was leaking underground that was draining the water heater of hot water continuously
@vit1844, glad you solved the problem.
We have a 10 year old gas 40 gallon GE water heater, used by only two people who take long showers. I wanted to swap it out before its breaks down. My plumber told me they have an average life expectancy of 15 years and to hold off a bit. I thought it was 10 years. I'm in New York and our water quality is pretty good, no hard water. Should I wait?
RETIRED, definitely wait until your water heater leaks. I hear you have great water quality there in NY.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thank you !
I'm trying to DIY my hot water heater. I used to be able to take a 45 minute hot shower... now it's absolutely no more than 15 minutes. I've checked the elements with a multimeter and it's good! I'm learning from you not worry about draining it.. the only other thing to do is check the tube? What do you recommend?
Tiffize45, I’ve never heard of a person taking a 45 minute hot shower with an electric heater! You must have an 80 gallon heater. When you’re checking the elements for continuity, are you disconnecting the wires to the element? If you want to get back to your 45 minute showers, you need to replace the bottom element. If you want to be able to shower for hours, you need to get a gas on demand heater.
+Tiffize45- Your real problem is you should never be in the shower for more than 15 min. at MOST ANYWAY! Jesus...
@@243wayne1 🤣🤣🤣 that does sound excessive for one person but when I said that I meant that 3-4 people could take showers back to back within those 45 minutes and now 1.5 of those showers will not have hot water. It just seemed easier at the time to word that way.
@@tiffize4560 Copy that Red Leader...
@@243wayne1 Star Wars fan. 😏 nice! 😊
When I install a hot water tank in a hard water situation I'll remove that valve and put a full port valve with a hose connection on there.
how do you fix it when the hot water pressure comes and goes?
Tara Stephens, do you have a lot of pressure when you open a faucet and then it drops? If so, it’s probably your inlet or outlet on the water heater that is getting plugged. You also want to check if you have di-electric union connections. They can rust shut. Hope this helps.
Tara Stephens, P. S. Just knock the rust out of the inlet and outlet of the heater with a screwdriver.
The pressure comes and goes like hardly any pressure when I turn it on then the next day BOOM all the pressure. And it will last 3 or 4 days then BAM back to hardly any pressure
Tara Stephens, is this problem only in the shower? If it is, you need to change the pressure balance cartridge in the shower valve. If you have a Rheem water heater, Rheem used to install nipples on the inlet and outlet that had little balls inside that would stop the water flow. Replace the nipples with 3” brass nipples. Give me more information if these suggestions aren’t solutions. Here to help.
No not only in shower it's my bathroom sink as well
Why does my electric water heater whistle like a tea kettle? and what can I do about it?
Your electric water heater is probably overheating to 212 degrees and that makes steam and that’s what is causing the whistling sound. Install new upper and lower thermostats and both elements. If the water heater is over 15 years old, you might want to look at the costs of fixing it or replacing it. If you are doing the repairs yourself, make sure to turn the power off first.
Thanks for answering, so if I don't fix it right away it won't blow up will it?@@TheGrumpyPlumber
I suggest you look into it as soon as possible.
We have an aging water heater that works fine, however the hot water smells and tastes? a bit rusty. Time for a new water heater?
George Haake, if it’s an old water heater I would remove the anode rod, plug the hole, drain the heater and fill it back up. See if that helps before buying a new heater.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber I should have mentioned it is an electric heater
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Not replace rod?
George Haake, electric heaters are notorious for getting that sulfur smell. If I was there, I would talk you out of replacing the rod but it’s up to you.
When EF Hutton talks..... everyone grabs a plunger.
Next time I replace mine it’s getting full port valve
I’d rather just take my own advice after being in the plumbing repair business over 40 yrs.
Quit buying those box store heaters, the ones from a plumbing supply house come with a full port ball valve to drain the heater.
is that a Bradford White?