Greetings,

After replacing my less than four year old water heater due to build up of crud I was wondering if there is a filter I can put on after the HWH to catch any crud that may slip through. My wife was complaining about pieces of rock in the water when she was taking a hot bath so I thought I would flush the HWH to see if that was the problem.

(to read more of the HWH epic, go to the bottom of the post)

Additionally, I am in the process of installing a whole house filter where it enters the house so that I will catch any large chunks there that make it through the city water supply.

Also, since we have a recirc line connected to the HWH at the drain valve, I installed a ball valve when I re-installed the recirc line. So, I will be able to flush the HWH regularly. Speaking of flushing, should I let it run until it is cold or just until it appears clean? How often should I do it?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Dan

The Epic story of changing a Water Heater


It definitely was as I used a kitchen strainer to see what was coming out. When it didn't stop coming out when the water was cold, I let the cold water supply keep running. And Running, And Running. After about an hour or so of doing this, we decided that if there was that much in there, and the supply of hot water seemed much less than before, and we have a larger whirlpool tub than before, to replace it with a bigger HWH.

I shut off the water and let the HWH drain. When I got back from Homer Land, the water was still draining out. So I commenced to take things apart from the top down. There was no union in the recirc line so I had to cut that open about half way down the side of the HWH. Water came out the top of the but pipe. Even after almost 2 hours, the HWH had only drained out half of its capacity of 50 gallons.

I finally got the water moving faster by rocking the HWH which must have dislodged some chunks. Finally, after repeated shakings I was able to get most of the water out so that I could move the HWH out of the way.

When I took off the remaining parts of the recirc line, was able to poke into the drain hole. I felt crud as far up as I could put my finger. I knew I should have flushed it more consistently.

This is a lesson that I will take to my pocket book, er I mean, to heart.

For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. Let me show you how. 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 until the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) followed by white grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. Now pull each aerator and clean the screens. Be sure you put them back togather the same way you took them out. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. Regards, Tom