Electric water heater makes a strange crackling sound when in turns on to teat up the water. I thing the water level inside the heater is not entirely covering the heating element. So it would be right thing to do, if i could get the water level back to normal. i'd like to know if it is possible. Any advise is appreciated.

Opena hot water faucet anywhere in the house... IF there is air in the hot water heater, THAT will purge it, safely.

Incidentally if the heating coil was above the water level odds are it would have quickly burned out as they are not designed to ever be operated in open air.

What causes you to think you got air in the heater to begin with, have you done some plumbing work? Water heaters self prge any air inside each time you open a hot faucet. Have you flushed this heater in the last few years?

How do i do the flush? And no i have never done any plumbing work.

How do i do the flush? And no i have never done any plumbing work.

#1 Turn OFF your Caps Lock key.

Typing in ALL caps is both distracting to read... and is considered shouting... (rude in the on-line world).

If you have a garden hose look for the faucet at the bottom of the tank and hook the hose to it... run it to either a utility sink or outside. Turn it on and let it run until cold water is coming out, touch the hose... not the water coming out of it... it will be scaulding hot for a while. Be careful not to burn yourself... the hose will be very hot until sufficient cold water has entered the tank. When the hose is cold or lukewarm to the touch turn that faucet off and put away the garden hose...


You should do this once a year. It will help keep the water heater in top condition by removing sediments. How much will come out depends heavily on the water quality in your area.