Hi there,

When ever I turn on my hot water (basin) for the very first time for the day, there is no banging noise. However, after a few minutes after hot water is flushed out, when I try to turn on the hot water again, there is a loud banging noise. This only happens to my hot water and not the cold water. Could this be because of the hot water generating air bubbles in the pipes and therefore causing air locks?

I have tried turning off the cold water inlet into the hot water system, and flushing all the hot water on all taps (except dish washer). However, it did not seem to solve the problem.

How can I resolve this problem?

Thanks in advance.

speedball1

Hey Pat,

You didn'r say but I'll bet the farm you have a gas hot water heater. Would I win my bet? Tom

PatK75

Yes it is a gas hot water system.

speedball1

OK Pat, Let's clear up your mystery.

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