I have been trouble shooting my hot water heater

1. the inlet cold valve I hooked up a to host and it blasts out... good
2. I hook up the release valve at the bottom of the tank with the water pressure on, but it comes out slowly(no blasting out :( ).
3. There is some kind of pressure relief valve that says on some tag it should be used twice a year or something(wish I would have seen that sooner)... that water comes rushing out pretty dang fast... odd(and this comes out of the side of the tank near the TOP unlike step 2's valve which is at the bottom of the tank)

Is there a way I can fix the water pressure for this heater as the heat is just fine and we have no water heating problems whatsoever.

Thanks,
Dean

The release valve, as you call it. is the drain for the hot water heater. The valve on the side is the TPV, the safety valve. Are you having pressure issues in the house or just concerned about the lack of pressure on the lower drain valve which is probably obstructed with sediment?

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Originally Posted by ma0641

The release valve, as you call it., is the drain for the hot water heater. The valve on the side is the TPV, the safety valve. Are you having pressure issues in the house or just concerned about the lack of pressure on the lower drain valve which is probably obstructed with sediment?

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I am having issues in the whole house but not sure how to proceed to unblock and sediment or how to get at it.

Thanks,
Dean

I have been trouble shooting my hot water heater

1. all hot water on every faucet has low water pressure all of the sudden(not slowly lost pressure over time, but suddenly dropped)
2. the inlet cold valve I hooked up a to host and it blasts out... good
3. I hook up the release valve on the side near the bottom of the tank with the water pressure on, but it comes out slowly(no blasting out :( ).
4. There is some kind of pressure relief valve that says on some tag it should be used twice a year or something(wish I would have seen that sooner)... that water comes rushing out pretty dang fast... odd(and this comes out of the side of the tank near the TOP unlike step 2's valve which is at the bottom of the tank)

Is there a way I can fix the water pressure for this heater as the heat is just fine and we have no water heating problems whatsoever.

Thanks,
Dean

Quote:

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k up the release valve on the side near the bottom of the tank with the water pressure on, but it comes out slowly(no blasting

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You don't have to say anything more. You just told us what caused your problem. And now you're going to hafta pay the price for not maintaining and flushing your heater.
Minerals build up in your tank and if you fail to flush your heater on a regular they can build up and enter the system clogging faucets and supply lines. And that's what's happening here.
You're going to need a plumber for this. Every faucet affected will have to be opened up and the cartridge inlets cleaned. Then the hot water lines, branches and supplies will have to be flushed free of any blockage. N band of course the heater must be flushed clear of any mineral build up. After all's said and done , unless you wish to go this route again. You'll keep your heater maintained. And here's how.


For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by FLUSHING NOT DRAINING 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 together 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 and thank you for rating my answer,

Tom

After some more troubleshooting, I found out when I turn my cold water on to refill the tank, it does not flood in but you hear this trickling kind of sound and it goes quite slowly. The guy at Home Depot nailed the answer, some valves have a backflow control and usually he said Rheem's do not, but mine did for some reason and he said just yank the thing in the middle out from the socket and that did the trick... my heater is back in action.