Hi, My hotwater occasionally knocks and shakes. Sometimes when the showers running and sometimes just randomly. I have an ice maker and water feature in my refrigerator and wonder if that has something to do with it but probably not...? What are some common reasons why my hotwater heater is making noise and shaking. It's approximately four years old.

Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated before I end up calling someone for repair or replacement.

Thanks,
mvelas

ballengerb1

Shaking?? Does the heater actually move side to side and/or vibrate? Ice maker has nothing to do with this problem.

speedball1

You didn't say but I'll bet the farm you have a gas hot water heater. If you do not flush,(not drain) your heater on a regular basis it will build up mineral on the bottom of the tank. When the flame comes on it turns the water trapped under the mineral to steam and the steam escaping is what you hear. Let me show you how to flush your heater. Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run untill the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) and some white grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). The whole thing shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. You might want to consider cleaning the screens on your areators if you have a high mineral buildup. If thev problem still persists after you have flushed, you will have to drain the heater, remove the boiler drain and go up in the bottom of the tank with a wood or plastic rod, (not metal) and try to break up the mineral and flush it out. Good luck, Tom