Electric Hot Water Heater

[bobg03]

I have always been blessed to have a gas fired hot water heater, until now I have electric.

I have been given conflicting statements about the need to power off and drain the unit.

What says the collective knowledge here, drain or not? After powering off....

It's 6 YO on a good city water system and works well.

 

[4x4Pete]

Definitely power off when draining! If the power is on the element will burn out since there is no water to cool it.

 

[racecougar]

Agreed. Always kill power to your electric COLD water heater before draining the tank.

 

[Chevy72pu]

Agreed. Always kill power to your electric COLD water heater before draining the tank.

I see what you did there!

 

[jrsavoie]

Check with your neighbors and see how long things last around you.

You may want to invest in water treatment

 

[bobg03]

Definitely power off when draining! If the power is on the element will burn out since there is no water to cool it.

I wasn't questioning the power off, I would hope that's common sense. I was questioning the practice of draining it as a PM.

I can see where my question was misconstrued, I only mentioned power so that wouldn't be my answer...lol

 

[bobg03]

Check with your neighbors and see how long things last around you.

You may want to invest in water treatment

Why, I might want to invest in solar panels or an EV, but i can't see that logic either.

 

[mike93lx]

Draining it annually and checking the anode every other is always prudent.

If you time it right, you can shut if off before someone showers, then you aren't just dumping 50-80gal of hot water, and it makes it safer to drain it.

 

[yatg]

Drain annually if you can remember.

Calcium builds up in the bottom of a water heater whether its gas or electric. The harder your water the more problems you'll have. "Good water" isn't necessarily soft water. A water softener will remove the calcium, but only you can decide if its necessary based on your water quality.

While you're at it, replace that crappy plastic drain valve with a brass/stainless full flow valve.

 

[nadogail]

Draining your water heater will reduce the calcium build up in the bottom and on the heating elements. Reduced calcium build up makes your heater more efficient.

If you make the mistake of energizing the elements while the heater is empty you may burn out the heating elements.

Make provision to take the water away from the heater, a full tank of water can make a really big mess.

 

[CoogarXR]

I drain mine about once a year. A **** ton of calcium and sediment comes out. So, yeah, it's a good PM move. You don't want that piling up in there forever.

I know I need a sediment filter on my line, I am just so OCD about everything, I want to replumb the whole basement, and I haven't got around to it.

 

[pbon]

If you drain just a little and no junk cones out, is there any point in draining completely? I have never drained as preventative maintenance but also don’t live in an area where tanks fail prematurely due to the chemical composition of the water supply.

 

[racecougar]

If you drain just a little and no junk cones out, is there any point in draining completely? I have never drained as preventative maintenance but also don’t live in an area where tanks fail prematurely due to the chemical composition of the water supply.

Nope. If you drain a few gallons and it's obviously clear, you do not need to drain the entire tank.

 

[larry4406]

For those of you that are doing this, I assume you are “flushing” it while under pressure vs literally depressurizing the system and draining it?

If flushing, then no need to deenergize the power.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I was told by a plumber that the best way to do it is to turn on a hot water faucet (like at the laundry sink, since it's normally close by) when draining the tank. That way there's fresh water rushing into the tank as old water drains out the bottom, and the water swirling around inside will help flush out any deposits.

 

[larry4406]

Wouldn't flushing under pressure tend to scour and clean the interior out better vs draining under gravity?

For example, you power wash things to clean them vs dumping a bucket of water on it.

(asking for a friend )

 

[12three]

this thread popped up on my radar.
definitely flush it yearly. pressurized flushing produces way more debris than just letting it drip out. throw your hose in the bathtub and you will see a ton of debris comes out. in fact you should let it settle back down to the bottom and flush it multiple times per 'flush session'
~50 gal is like one shower, its a drop in the bucket.
most important though is changing the anode rod every 5 yrs or so. get an impact wrench and a tap and it will be a breeze.

 

[nadogail]

In a few years, if I am reading the Tea Leaves correctly, gas water heaters, kitchen stoves and heating equipment will not be allowed in new construction. That will come about in the actions proposed to reduce Green House gas emissions. In my state we have been notified that we soon will not be able to replace our Internal Combustion Engine cars with new ones. We are already being told that we don’t have enough electricity to meet our unregulated demand and are facing the prospect of rolling black outs.

Soon we will rediscover Solar Heated Water.

I have yet to learn how we will have enough electricity for our present uses, maybe by encouraging the reduced use of our gas cars by allowing only a few producers to control the energy supply we can get by with horses and wagons. Horses distribute green fertilizer as they convert organic feed to energy.

 

[mogandave]

I never drain. The one time I tried the valve got gunked up and it was a big PITA to get it closed again without leaking.

The way it was explained to me, was each winter when the water is coldest, leave the heater on and open the bathtub hot valve fully and let the water run until it's cold. When the tank contracts, the scale does not, so it breaks up.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

About twenty years ago; on Thanksgiving day no less; the forty year old water heater in my house went south. As far as I know, it was never drained during its forty year life. Perhaps my lack of maintenance was the cause of its demise. Anyway, the electric co-op that I am member of, came out and installed a new one within three hours of calling them. No charge for installation or for the water heater. Still working fine twenty years later and has never been drained.

 

[CombatNinja]

If you got 40 years out of one and 20 out of another, you are truly beating the system. We have a lot of minerals in our water here and you're lucky to get 10 years out of a tank if you don't maintain it. I got 22 out of my last one with yearly maintenance. Just got a new one a couple of years ago. Funny thing is, the anode rod is torqued so tight that I can't get a cheater bar on it the way it is installed in a corner. So I guess I'm just seeing how long that bar lasts, I may drain the whole thing and move it to replace that bar but try explaining to the wife that she will be without hot water for half a day.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

If you got 40 years out of one and 20 out of another, you are truly beating the system. We have a lot of minerals in our water here and you're lucky to get 10 years out of a tank if you don't maintain it. I got 22 out of my last one with yearly maintenance. Just got a new one a couple of years ago. Funny thing is, the anode rod is torqued so tight that I can't get a cheater bar on it the way it is installed in a corner. So I guess I'm just seeing how long that bar lasts, I may drain the whole thing and move it to replace that bar but try explaining to the wife that she will be without hot water for half a day.

220' country well water. Very hard water with every mineral imaginable. When I replaced the water softener about fifteen years ago I added a iron/mineral filter. It was about twice the cost of the softener but was worth every penny. Salt usage was cut drastically. Looking back, I should have placed the filter before the pressure tank. Maybe that's not possible...don't know. Present pressure tank is about twenty years old.

 

[GreenIron]

A hot water heater?

I've never understood why anyone would want to Heat, Hot Water.

 

[jmdirk]

Draining it annually and checking the anode every other is always prudent.

If you time it right, you can shut if off before someone showers, then you aren't just dumping 50-80gal of hot water, and it makes it safer to drain it.

Definitely check the anode. You said you have good city water, but still - that quality can vary drastically.

A failed anode will cause premature failures of the elements - like within 2 months.

Draining/flushing certainly doesn't hurt. But it can be a pain if you don't have a convenient place to drain it into.

 

[mike93lx]

A hot water heater?

I've never understood why anyone would want to Heat, Hot Water.

Define hot. 120 degrees might be hot, but if you stop heating at that point, it isn't hot enough.

All water heaters are hot water heaters. They also heat cold water and warm water.

 

[GreenIron]

According to plumbers, it's a good idea to drain it as a regular PM (drain and flush) once a year.
I will admit that I've never drains a water heater in my lifetime as a PM. With good, clean water running through it, I see no need. I have drained one prior to replacing it. It's lighter that way.

I was questioning the practice of draining it as a PM.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

Define hot. 120 degrees might be hot, but if you stop heating at that point, it isn't hot enough.

All water heaters are hot water heaters. They also heat cold water and warm water.

Soooo, that's why they're called cold warm hot water heaters.

 

[GreenIron]

Define hot. 120 degrees might be hot, but if you stop heating at that point, it isn't hot enough.

All water heaters are hot water heaters. They also heat cold water and warm water.

If the incoming water is 120°, I see no need to heat it. So, no hot water heater for me.
BTW, they are all advertised as a Water Heater. Not that I trust an engineer, but their term for it is a Water Heater.

 

[mike93lx]

If the incoming water is 120°, I see no need to heat it. So, no hot water heater for me.
BTW, they are all advertised as a Water Heater. Not that I trust an engineer, but their term for it is a Water Heater.

Since you need to get to 135+ to kill dangerous bacteria, leaving it at 120 is not smart.

 

[GreenIron]

The cold water from a faucet or fridge water dispenser in not 135°.

I have not gotten sick or died from drinking cold water, yet.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

Since you need to get to 135+ to kill dangerous bacteria, leaving it at 120 is not smart.

Pretty much everything that I've seen says 120° is fine.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

The cold water from a faucet or fridge water dispenser in not 135°.

I have not gotten sick or died from drinking cold water, yet.

Maybe it was preheated?

 

[mike93lx]

The cold water from a faucet or fridge water dispenser in not 135°.

I have not gotten sick or died from drinking cold water, yet.

Wow. This is impressive

The issue is not stuff existing in the cold water. It's the stuff that grows in a hot water heater tank that isn't hot enough

 

[GreenIron]

Maybe it was preheated?

That's it. Thanks, Norm.
I knew there had to be a reason why I haven't died (yet) from drinking cold water.

 

[GreenIron]

Wow. This is impressive

The issue is not stuff existing in the cold water. It's the stuff that grows in a hot water heater tank that isn't hot enough

Fixed it for ya.

 

[Norcal]

"Hot Water Heater" is banned for 2018, finally!

Finally the term, "Hot Water Heater" is being banned from the English language according to Northern Michigan’s Lake Superior State University. Why? It's redundant. Water heaters heat cold water, not water that is already hot. Others on the list: This year’s list includes “let me ask you...

terrylove.com

 

[mike93lx]

"Hot Water Heater" is banned for 2018, finally!

Finally the term, "Hot Water Heater" is being banned from the English language according to Northern Michigan’s Lake Superior State University. Why? It's redundant. Water heaters heat cold water, not water that is already hot. Others on the list: This year’s list includes “let me ask you...

terrylove.com

Long live hot water heaters and atm machines! Never forget

 

[larry4406]

Long live hot water heaters and atm machines! Never forget

and 110/220!

 

[JRC3]

 

[mike93lx]

the guys replacing my a/c's right now seem to agree...

Or should I fire them?