I'm trying to figure out why my hot water heater is making so much noise? Whenever I use the hot water it starts to make this loud noise... a popping noise. Like someone took a stick or bat and is hitting the actual heater. It is really weird. I rent the house, so I need to know if this is dangerous or what I need to do to fix the problem. Please help me. :eek:

Hey Melissa,
I will bet the farm that your water heater is a gas hot water heater. This isn't dangerous but it should be looked after. 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 aerators if you have a high mineral buildup. If the 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 thank you for rating my answer, Tom