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    Brandgirls's Avatar
    Brandgirls Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Mar 28, 2006, 09:23 AM
    Calcium in hot water
    About a month ago we noticed our faucets were getting clogged up with calcium only for the hot water. So we flushed out the water heater and it did not help. The water heater was old and the water was not very hot so we finally replaced the water heater and everything was fine for about a week but now we are seeing a return of the calcium and it is clogging the faucets up again. How can I get rid of this problem?
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #2

    Mar 28, 2006, 11:32 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Brandgirls
    About a month ago we noticed our faucets were getting clogged up with calcium only for the hot water. So we flushed out the water heater and it did not help. The water heater was old and the water was not very hot so we finally replaced the water heater and everything was fine for about a week but now we are seeing a return of the calcium and it is clogging the faucets up again. How can I get rid of this problem?
    I need to know more about these calcium bits you're finding in your hot water. Can you break them up by rubbing them between your fingers or are they hard white bits? It sounds like this came on all of a sudden. Did it? Do you flush your heater on a regular schedule? If so, how often? I'll wait on your reply. Cheers, Tom
    Brandgirls's Avatar
    Brandgirls Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Mar 28, 2006, 11:40 AM
    Theses calcium bits are hard and white they do break apart however. We would flush out the water heater about every 3 months. But we just put a new heater in 2 weeks ago. Yes this did come on suddenly. Our house was built in 1977 we have copper piping. We are on city water. Not sure if we need to get a water softner or not don't know if that will help the problem. Should I try to flush the water heater out now?
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #4

    Mar 28, 2006, 03:14 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by Brandgirls
    Theses calcium bits are hard and white they do break apart however. We would flush out the water heater about every 3 months. But we just put a new heater in 2 weeks ago. Yes this did come on suddenly. Our house was built in 1977 we have copper piping. We are on city water. Not sure if we need to get a water softner or not don't know if that will help the problem. Should I try to flush the water heater out now?
    I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that I'm sure that calcium isn't your problem. The bad news is that from your complaint it sounds like you have a plastic dip tube in your water heater that's gone bad. The dip tube is a white plastic tube that sets right below the cold water inlet and directs the cold water to the bottom of the tank to be heated and raise to the top. When it goes bad hard white particles show up in your water lines and a rapid loss of hot water. If it were calcium you could squeeze the particles and have them turn to mush.
    The solution is to clean all the aerator screens and flush out the system. It's also a good idea to put your new heater on a monthly maintenance schedule.
    Let me show you how. 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 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. Now pull each aerator and clean the screens. Be sure you put them back togather the same way you took them out. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. Good luck, Tom
    Brandgirls's Avatar
    Brandgirls Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #5

    Mar 28, 2006, 03:58 PM
    Thanks for your help. I just took apart my faucet and cleaned the screens and found one of the white particules. They seem hard at first but when I press it in my fingers it doesn't turn mushy like a powder almost so I am thinking it must be calcium. I don't know how to get this out of my water supply. I drained the heater and no white pieces came out. All the hoses and nipples to the heater have been replaced when we replaced the water heater so I'm not sure if this is something that might have been stuck in the line or in the pipe somewhere. I will try to clean out all my faucets and the line to them and see if this helps. Thanks Again
    ejj88's Avatar
    ejj88 Posts: 38, Reputation: 1
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    #6

    Mar 29, 2006, 09:30 AM
    MY guess would be that either the old HWH had a dip tube that was all diminished and was pushing through all the water lines. You then replaced with a new HWH but the lines were not flushed completely and then these particles are still coming throughout to all the faucets. -OR- Like mentioned by the ever so helpful speedball, the dip tube in the new HWH has broken and is sending the particles throughout the lines and to your faucets.
    If it the later, then try getting the dip tube replaced. If it is the first scenario, then try flushing the lines as best you can by taking off the screens and running the hot water for some time on each of the faucets. After some time the particles will go away. This is my experience that I just recently had.
    There are better ways to flush you entire water system but takes more time. You can search for the steps to this on this forum.
    Hope this helps... just wanted to to add my experience.
    Brandgirls's Avatar
    Brandgirls Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #7

    Mar 29, 2006, 09:34 AM
    Thanks for your help. I will do as you said and remove all the screens and run the hot water. I think it is from the old water heater because the white pieces are less and not as big so I will try to flush out what is left in the lines. Thanks again!
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    search4datruth Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #8

    Aug 7, 2008, 12:10 PM
    The description of these white pellots is exactly what I'm experiencing, only I do NOT have a hot water tank. I replaced my hot water tank once it went out with a tankless water heater, and THEN the white pieces started showing up. The water heater came up with a "scalling on heat exchanger" messege, so I called the plumber that installed it, and he flushed out the tankless hotwater system. After it was flushed out, the hot water works a whole lot better, but I still have pieces of white "stuff" come out of the sink. The plumber had no idea where the white stuff was coming from.
    Now, here is the really strange part - I ONLY have this problem in 1 bathroom!! Both the sink and the shower. The kitchen, and master bathroom are both fine.

    Someone please save me from my stupid plumber!!
    mistawata's Avatar
    mistawata Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #9

    Mar 3, 2012, 11:53 AM
    Get a water softener that will soften you water www.elitewaterandair.com
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    afaroo Posts: 4,006, Reputation: 251
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    #10

    Mar 3, 2012, 04:51 PM
    Hello Mistawata,

    Welcome to the Plumbing Page. You're responding to a 6 year old dead thread always Look the upper left hand corner of the first post form the date before you post, Thanks,

    John
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #11

    Mar 3, 2012, 04:55 PM
    Hi Mistawata and Welcome to The Plumbing Page. At AskMeHelpDesk.com. You're responding to a 6 year old dead thread Look in then upper left hand corner of the first post form the date before you post, Thanks, Tom
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    cozyhomelife Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #12

    Sep 24, 2012, 10:32 AM
    I'm answering this old question because it is still happening to people, and we were getting no answers. I just got a call from the new water heater people who told me they are sending a heavy duty anode out, because if you have a water softerner, the regular anode would start PRODUCING calcium in the tank. I _KNEW_ this, I told everyone that there was no problem with the cold water, it was only the water coming out of that tank, it was MAKING calcium! Finally, an answer. It will be fixed, and we will have hot water again - I had turned off the hot water heater, since there was no use in paying to heat water, I could not get through the faucets, washing machine, now dishwasher. I can't believe it, finally hot water again...
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #13

    Sep 24, 2012, 02:51 PM
    Hey Cozy, You gave us just enough to make us curious. Where's your general location?
    What type of anodee rod was ion there? What type of "heavy duty anode rod" was the replacement? Who sent the replacement out?
    Since this is the first complaint we have ever got about this situation I would like to know how , if the incoming water contains no calcium where did it come from? The softener? The anode? Can you answer my questions and take the mystery away. Thanks, Tom

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