Troubleshoot YourWater Heater - Keidel Supply Co., Inc

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Water Heaters - Whole House
Troubleshoot Your Water Heater

Water temperature, color noise, and hammer are all problems associated with water heaters. In most cases, the solutions are relatively simple. Here are a few of the more common problems.

Not Enought Hot Water
Noisy Water Heater
Water Hammer
Milky Water
Disaster Risk

Not Enough Hot Water
Some homeowners turn up their hot water heater thermostat to increase the availability of hot water when they really need a larger (or new) water heater. This can be extremely dangerous to small children and elderly or disabled persons.

The factory setting on new residential water heaters is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the highest setting considered to be safe; higher temperatures can cause severe scalding. Click Here to read more about the dangers of scalding, burns and anti-scald devices.

There can be many reasons your water heater is not producing enough hot water.

It may simply be undersized for your needs. Analyze the demands you place on the system and compare them to the rating of your heater. You may find that it is not designed to provide the amount of hot water you’re trying to extract from it.

If a heater has been working fine but suddenly stops producing enough hot water and you have not changed your usage pattern, check for a broken dip tube, a defective thermostat, burned out heating elements (electric), or a heavy build up of sediment. See Rheem’s website for more information on these subjects.

Water Heater Noise
As water heaters age, particularly in areas where there is hard water, calcium carbonate can precipitate out and settle to the bottom of the heater in the form of sediment.

As the burners heat the bottom of the tank, steam bubbles form under the sediment just as they do in a pot on your kitchen stove. The steam bubbles escaping from under the sediment create the thumping and popping noises you sometimes hear coming from your water heater.

This build up of sediment can also reduce the efficiency of your water heater and reduce its holding capacity. Regular flushing of the water heater through the drain valve can help prevent sediment build up. Sediment reduces the efficiency of the water heater and may clog pumps and valves elsewhere in the system.

Condensation often occurs on water heaters when a large hot water draw occurs and a large amount of cold water enters the water heater. Sometimes this condensation can be mistaken for a leak in the tank. In addition, this condensation can collect at the bottom of the heater and drip onto the hot burner, causing a sizzling noise. This is not generally harmful.

Water Hammer
Water traveling through the pipes contains kinetic energy. The sudden closing of a valve causes a shock wave in the system, which results in a hammering sound in the pipes.

This is not only annoying, but it’s also potentially damaging to the plumbing system. This occurs most often with solenoid valves.

Water hammer arrestors are available to combat this problem. They resemble a cylindrical container with a small air bladder inside, installed near the valve causing the problem. The air bladder cushions the force of the flow of water, thus softening the impact.

Occasionally, a sagging water pipe will behave the same way, and installing hangers or clamps can help to reduce the problem.

Milky Water
Water contains dissolved oxygen and other gases.

The capacity of water to hold gas is determined by atmospheric pressure. At normal atmospheric pressure, when water is heated, it releases some of these gases because it has less capacity to hold them.

However, a water tank is a sealed environment, so as the water is heated, pressure builds up in the tank, artificially holding these gases in their dissolved state. When water is drawn from a faucet and released from the tank, the pressure is lowered, causing these gasses to vaporize and form tiny bubbles in the water, giving it a milky appearance.

These bubbles are harmless, and if you let the water stand for a few minutes these bubbles will rise out of it and the water will clear up once again.

Earthquake Risk
A 50-gallon water heater holds about 400 pounds of water.

If an earthquake caused your gas water heater to fall over it could very easily rupture the gas line and cause a dangerous leak or explosion.
It could also cause a good deal of water damage should the tank lose its contents in the fall. A falling water heater could damage the water pipes and create a costly plumbing repair bill in addition to the water damage.

It could also waste valuable water when local firefighters need every available drop of water to fight the inevitable fires that can accompany earthquakes.

All of these consequences can easily be avoided.

Water Heater Strap Kits
Water heater strap kits are available and sometimes even required by local building codes. These are not expensive and will secure the tank in place and prevent the kind of damage mentioned above.

To read more about these as well as other topics of general interest concerning water heaters, please refer to Rheem’s technical bulletins (see individual product categories).

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