In our house we have been having a problem with the water "spitting" out the faucet... when turned on... but just with the hot water... no matter which sink or shower we use,. after the hot water has been on for a few seconds... it has that hesitation to it... the water doesn't quit and then start back or anything like that... just that once the hot water has been on for a few (4-6 seconds)... then it goes to "spitting" and it doesn't do it continually... just every few seconds... but it does it the whole time the hot water is on. This doesn't happen with the cold water... We have been here 8 years, and this is the first time this has happened... it started about 2 weeks ago... almost like there is air in the line...

This is our 2nd water heater, but it has been in for 3 years.

Any Ideas?
Thanks
Sherri

Hi Sherri,
What type of water heater do you have? Gas? Electric? ( My bet's on gas.)Heard any strange noises coming from the heater lately? Do you flush your heater on a regular maintenance schedule? Answer me and I'll reply ASAP. Tom

Mornin' Speedball, No, it is electric... 40 gal. The other water heater we had, never made this sound and we had it for 5 years... and the one before that we had for a very, very long time, and no as far as "I" know we haven't flushed any of them on purpose. ;) just emptied if it had to be removed and replaced. And like I said... not very often at all.

No strange noises leading up to this point... none. This just started of the blue...

Thanks for the reply
Sherri

Hi Sherri,

I can tell you what causes your "bubbles and spitting" but I would have to be there to locate the problem. It's called cavatation. And I can tell you that it starts near the water heater. Something's in the hot water line that causes the water to rush around it and began to cavatate, (Inject air bubbles in the water). It could be a small pebble or a piece of mineral but the place I'd start looking is in the first fixture up from the heater. This type of problem can only be located by the process of elimination and to do that you must be there. Good luck, Tom

Is there a possibility that the water is too hot and what is being

Sorry about the mess up but I was wondering if this could actually be steam being released from the water being too hot.? just a thought.

Sorry about the mess up but I was wondering if this could actually be steam being released from the water being too hot.?????just a thought.


Possible, but not very probable. If the heater were generating steam the T&P ,(temperature and Pressure) valve would open up and relieve the system. However, this could very well be if the T&P valve were faulty. Lemmetellu can always be counted on to come up with a alternative explanation for a problem. This is just one of the many reasons that makes him a valued member on the plumbing page.