Only the hot water is a yellow color. I drained the hot water heater the water that came out of the hose looked clear after a while. When I finished draining I let the hot water run for several minutes but still comes out yellow. There appears to be no leaks with the hot water heater which is about 7 years old. What is that yellow color from? Should I drain more? ( I let a few gallons out until water looked clear) Is the hot water heater shot?

workerbee :confused:

Your water isn't shot just full of mineral build up. Did you flush it ,(not drain) with the pressure on? If you just shut the wateroff and drained a few gallons out let me show you how to flush it out. For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. 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 or yellow grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. Now flush out your hot water lines on ALL fixtures that are affected . 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. Hope this helps, Tom

I have tried that and it has improved a lot now the water is almost clear but still a very very light yellow when comparing it to a glass of cold water. I have flushed 4 times about 10 minutes each time over the last two days. Should I keep doing this? How would know if water heater is going, anything I should look for?

workerbee