Our gas bill has been extremely high and the hot water in the sink takes about 2 to 2.5 minutes to get hot. The gas guy came by and said that the hot water tank is clogged up. Is it anything I can do before I put a lot of money. Thanks a lot if someone can help

How old is the hot water tank?

Hang in there. Now that I got it moved to plumbing, Tom should be answering.

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Originally Posted by jodyddaniels

Our gas bill has been extremely high and the hot water in the sink takes about 2 to 2.5 minutes to get hot. The gas guy came by and said that the hot water tank is clogged up. Is it anything i can do before i put alot of money. Thanks alot if someone can help

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Good morning Jody, Labman, Glad to see you back on board. You've been missed.

Now, on to the heater. Mineral build up in the bottom of the heater can act like insulation if the heater's not flushed and maintained properly. Do you hear a popping sound or noise when the flame is on? Let me explain,
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 until 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 and let me know how you made out. Tom