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Clean sediment out of water heater
Do not use muratic or hydrochloric acid base deliming solutions to remove lime scale.
Do not pour delimer into tank. Deliming solutions may damage the glass lined interior of the tank.
Keep all delimers away from anode rods to prevent the formation of flammable and explosive gas.
sediment in water heater
Sediment caused by heating water.
- Heating water causes sediments to percolate out of water and gather at bottom of tank.
- Most modern water heaters have curved dip tube that helps stir sediments off the bottom when cold water enters tank, but there is no method for preventing the chemical reaction caused by heating water.
- Symptoms of sediment can include rumbling sound or shortage of hot as tank heats less efficiently.

Preventing sediment
- Flushing or draining water heater each six months helps prevent sediment
- Turning down water heater temperature can reduce sediments. Higher temperatures cause more sediment.
- Water softener can prevent sediments, but costs money, and will react with and shorten life of anode. - Anode protects tank from rusting, meaning softener can shorten life of tank.
Read anode options
How to maintain water heater
 Conclusion: Gas water heater efficiency is vulnerable to sediment
                   Gas water heater cannot be restored to full efficiency
Tank is clean. Thermostat reads correct temperature, heat transfer surface and heat exchanger maximize efficiency at 60%
Resource: gas water heater efficiency   
Sediment builds up, depending on hardness of water and other factors. Efficiency drops as heat transfer surfaces covered with sediment. What if water won't drain?
When drain valve is removed, opening is just 3/4" Sediment cannot be completely removed. Efficiency falls as new sediment is added over old.
Flush water heater each 6 months to prevent.
Plastic water heater drain valve  
How to remove plastic drain valve
Remove gas control valve to access 3/4" diameter opening into gas water heater.

How to replace gas control
Replace gas control
Remove gas valve
Use pipe to remove gas control valve
How to replace water heater gas valve
 Conclusion: Electric water heater efficiency is less vulnerable to sediment than gas heater
                   Electric water heater is fully repairable
                   Water heater makes rumbling sounds when sediment builds up.

New electric water heater operates at 99% efficiency
'Efficiency' is not same as 'energy saving ' read more
Burned out lower element means less hot water. Upper element keeps top of tank warm. Opening is 1-1/8" so several pipe and hose sizes fit inside tank. See more detail Full efficiency is restored to electric water heater after sediment is cleaned out and new lower element installed
Water heater element
Electric water heater
Wait until tank is completely full of water before turning on circuit breaker.
Wait to turn on circuit breaker


Buy:
4500 watt at Amazon
4500 watt at Amazon 13" diameter
5500 watt at Amazon
Camco elements at Amazon

Resources:
De-scaling .pdf
\How to test elements
How to replace element

Flush open water heaterFlush open drain valve using water pressure
Applies to gas and electric water heaters
Using household water pressure ... water must be ON
Connect washing machine hose to drain valve and to end of garden hose
Turn on spigot for a few seconds ... don't run very long or sediment will push up through the dip tube and possibly clog heat trap nipples etc

Buy:
Braided Washing machine hose/ prevents ruptured hose
Avoid stainless steel if home has softened water ... soften water reacts with and deteriorates stainless
Resource:
Water-heater-will-not-drain
Troublehoot water heater valve
Use borescope to peer inside tank.

Buy:
Borescopes at Amazon
Connect to USB port on laptop

Make your own tool
Put flashlight bulb on end of wire using minature bayonet lampholder
Solder wires onto LED bulb

How to flush water heater & Prevent sediment

Flush every 6 months to prevent sediment from building up

Flush each 6 months to prevent build-up


Steps for flushing GAS water heater

- Turn off water at shut off
- Turn gas control to pilot
         -pilot stays lit but no burner flame
Two ways to proceed: Best if you do #1 followed by #2

1) -Turn off water at shut off
- Open bathtub spigot to let air enter water heater
- Open water heater drain
- Drain water from tank
What if water heater is clogged?
- After tank is drained, turn on water at shut off
- Continue flushing tank until water runs clean

2) Fill tank- turn water ON - Open water heater drain at bottom of tank
Check that water runs clean.
If you do this first, it can stir up sediment instead of flushing tank

- Close tank drain
- Refill tank
- When water comes out bathtub spigot, tank is full
- Turn off bathtub spigot
- Reset pilot control
- Flushing does not work if sediment builds up

Steps for flushing ELECTRIC water heater

- Turn off water at shut off
- Turn off circuit breaker
- Elements that still have power will burn out when water leaves tank
Two ways to proceed: Best if you do #1 followed by #2

1) -Turn off water at shut off
- Open bathtub spigot to let air enter water heater
- Open water heater drain
- Drain water from tank
What if water heater is clogged?
- After tank is drained, turn on water at shut off
- Continue flushing tank until water runs clean

2) Fill tank- turn water ON - Open water heater drain at bottom of tank
Check that water runs clean.
If you do this first, it can stir up sediment instead of flushing tank

- Close tank drain
- Refill tank
- When water comes out tub spigot, tank is full
- Shut tub spigot
- Turn on circuit breaker
-Do NOT turn on circuit breaker before tank is full, or elements will burn out
water heater ball valve
Water heater drain valve

Replace Water heater drain valve with ball valve

How to remove water heater drainEasier flush and clean out
Full open position lets you insert 1/4" copper pipe flushing tool
How to replace drain valve


Buy parts:
Dielectric nipples at Amazon
3/4" ball valve at Amazon
Brass ball valve
3/4" pipe to 3/4" garden hose

Buy Ball valve/ gas
Gas ball valve

Shop Amazon - Industrial and scientific
Flush tool
tank rinser

Buy plastic tank rinser

Tank rinser at Amazon
Water heater flush tool

Make a flush tool

36" aluminum tube or plastic tube connects to garden hose.
Remove drain valve to insert tool -or- install full-flow ball valve shown above
Tube inserts through ball valve opening.
Make tool using 3/8" flexible copper pipe
Buy:
3/4" Hose barb adapter at Amazon
Hose adapter to 1/4" compression
No-rust hose shut off at Amazon
3/8" clear hose at hardware
Hose clamp at hardware
Water heater odor
Applies to gas and electric water heaters
Larger image

Resources:
How to remove short water heater nipple
Read about odor and anode rods

Control odor by adding Hydrogen Peroxide regularly

Read more about anode odor problem at pro water heater forum
Install ball valve on Hot side so you can pour in peroxide
Hot side will allow peroxide to enter top of tank. (cold side will put peroxide at bottom)
Applies to gas and electric heaters.

Turn off power to water heater:
Let tank cool so hot does not explode out ball valve
Shut off cold water to tank.

Open bathtub hot side to release pressure.
Leave bathtub valve open until finished. This will tell you when tank has refilled and ready to apply power.

Drain 2 gallons from tank

Add 2 pints harmless Hydrogen peroxide to water heater. Let stand for 2 hours.
H2O2 is easy to flush out, and generally harmless to people. Can be used as mouthwash, read label on hydrogen peroxide bottle.
Do not use clorox.
CLOROX is NOT used for this purpose since it cannot be easily flushed out, and bleach odor can last weeks or longer coming out each tap for extended period of time.
Then drain tank to flush hydrogen peroxide. Refill completely until water is coming out of bathtub drain, then turn on water heater. Applies to gas and electric heaters.

Buy parts to make this drain valve
Dielectric nipples at Amazon
3/4" ball valve at Amazon
Brass ball valve

Plastic funnels at Amazon
Buy hydrogen peroxide at Grocery store or Drug store
Transfer switch
Use twist lock plug for extension cord that plugs into compressor

Install 20 or 30 amp as needed.
X Y terminals go to either Hot,
W is always Neutral
G is ground
These are standard markings for 240 volt plugs and outlets.
Connect X to one hot busbar inside the transfer sawitch, connec6t Y to other hot busbar, ground and Neutral to respective terminals
Buy:
Leviton 2711/ 125-250 volt/ 20-30 amp/ 3 pole
Resources
How to wire subpanel
How to wire transfer switch

Technical information

Water heater efficiency

Electric water heaters operate at 99% efficiency
Gas water heaters operate at 69% efficiency
Tankless gas heaters operate at 80% efficiency
High-efficiency tank-type gas heaters at 96% efficiency

'Efficiency' is not same as 'energy saving' .
All costs are energy: Consider total cost of water heater: Cost of unit, cost of installation, projected repairs, whether repairs are do-it-yourself, if parts are generic and available locally, true life expectancy of unit,  monthly energy bill over life of unit, and disposal-replacement cost > read more
Other factor will weigh eventually including direct carbon emissions
released at each home from gas appliances.
All costs are energy: If there was a breakthrough water heater that suddenly lowered people's bills, and reduced overall energy consumption, people would be waving their monthly bill in the air and everybody would know.  There is no news. Choose lowest overall cost water heater to save energy.
Research pdf: water-softener/water-heater efficiency comparison
Read do-it-yourself: 9 ways to save with a water heater

Effect of hard-water WITH water-softener

Efficiency of gas and electric water heaters is unchanged over time when hard water is softened, however softened water corrodes anode rod and will reduce life of water heater unless anode rod inspected and replaced every 2 years. Once anode rod is 50-75% corroded, water heater tank begins to rust. This condition leads to leaking water heater which cannot be repaired. Rusted water heaters can rupture and cause massive damage as water runs until problem is discovered.
Read more & See Anode rod options

Effect of hard-water with NO water-softener:

> Efficiency of gas heater drops 6-8% after two years > cleaning tank of sediment build-up will not restore full efficiency > however, regular flushing to prevent sediment maintains efficiency
> Tankless gas heater will fail when pressure sensor clogs with sediment within 2-3 years depending on hardness of water > regular de-liming will not restore efficiency > softener and filter are required
> Efficiency of electric heater stays at 99% until sediment reaches bottom element > cleaning tank and replacing lower element restores full efficiency > regular flushing to prevent sediment build-up also maintains efficiency
Research pdf: water-softener/water-heater efficiency comparison

Water-softener reduces life of anode rod in gas and electric water heaters

Water heater manual says: "Artificially softened water is exceedingly corrosive because the process substitutes sodium ions for magnesium and calcium ions. The use of water softener may decrease life of water heater tank."
Six-year tanks come with 1 anode rod. Read manual.
Generally, tanks with longer warranties come with 2 anode rods.
Anode rod options
Support the economy:
Buy water heaters from my associate links:

50 gallon Gas water heaters at Amazon
40 gallon gas water heaters at Amazon
50 gallon Electric water heaters at Amazon
40 gallon electric water heaters at Amazon
Hybrid / heat pump/ water heaters at Amazon

Resources:
How to install gas water heater
How to install electric water heater
Troubleshoot gas water heater
Troubleshoot electric water heater
Point of use water heaters
Resources:
Troubleshoot Gas valves with manuals
Icon gas valve

How to replace water heater element Waste King disposal
How to wire tankless electric


Install point of use water heater
Titan tankless

Contactors/ relays
Install and troubleshoot garbage disposal Waste King disposal
Programmable timers

Woods timers
surge protection
Anode rods anode rods
Recirculation system

Tankless recirculation
Point of use water heater
Type 1 and type 2 surge protection surge protection
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Electronics

Industrial supplies

Tools and home improvement

Home and garden

Hayward pool
Pentair pool

Southwire electric
Buy
Tools

DEWALT
Black and Decker
Stanley
SKIL
Makita
Porter-Cable
Bosch

Irwin Hand tools
Klein hand tools
Fluke electrical testing
Dremel hobby tools

Campbell Hausfeld air powered
Tekton automotive

Powerbuilt automotive
Saws and saw blades
box timers Resource:
Compare box timers
DPDT timers
Intermatic
Control water heater w/ Z-wave
Intermatic control centers Resource:
Intermatic control centers: and parts
Digital control centers and parts
Tork control centers and parts
Subpanels
All control centers and parts
Enclosures
programmable timer Resource:
Programmable timers
Countdown timers
Off delay timers
On delay timers
Timer modules
Din rail
Twin & one-shot
Woods
Intermatic
Tork
Low voltage power packs Recirculation systems
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