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Post by skeeter456 on Jan 21, 2019 13:59:55 GMT -5
So we have not changed the way we use water in my house. Few days ago we would have to turn the shower all the way on hot and it would only stay hot for about 10 min the slowly get cold. Today I changed the lower heating element but still did not fix the problem any idea on whats going on? The tank is about a year and a half old.
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Post by Legend Lover on Jan 21, 2019 14:01:38 GMT -5
I wish I could help you on this. I'm sure there are others who can.
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Post by stogiebear on Jan 21, 2019 14:05:30 GMT -5
Only a year and a half old? Isn’t it under warranty?
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Post by kbareit on Jan 21, 2019 14:11:58 GMT -5
Did you check the top element? If you have a voltmeter verify voltage to the elements and if voltage is present if you have an anprobe verify the amp draw. if there is no amp draw and voltage is present the element is bad. If there is no voltage to the element you might have to push the red reset button on the t-stat if that doesn't work you might have a bad t-stat. Hope this helps.
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Post by oldcajun123 on Jan 21, 2019 14:13:17 GMT -5
 You said you changed the lower element, does it have an upper? Check that out, Heater may need to be back flushed, thats reversing the flow, hooking up a hose on the btm valve and purgeing out the crap.
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Post by skeeter456 on Jan 21, 2019 14:13:23 GMT -5
Yes but pending what it could be it might just be easier to fix it compared to draining it, unhooking it, lugging it back to lowes, then hooking it back up.
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Post by skeeter456 on Jan 21, 2019 14:14:49 GMT -5
Did you check the top element? If you have a voltmeter verify voltage to the elements and if voltage is present if you have an anprobe verify the amp draw. if there is no amp draw and voltage is present the element is bad. If there is no voltage to the element you might have to push the red reset button on the t-stat if that doesn't work you might have a bad t-stat. Hope this helps. Ill give it a try! Thank you! |
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Post by pepesdad1 on Jan 21, 2019 14:45:13 GMT -5
If you have hard water...it might be calcium deposits on the element...what did the bottom one look like...did it have calcium all over the heating element? We have hard water...well water sometimes is really hard with calcium...there is no way to prevent it in your lines...calcium is water soluble so there is no effective way of filtering it out (that I know of).
When the water temperature seems to be low, I usually just change out the elements top and bottom...kind of preventive maintenance.
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Post by roadsdiverged on Jan 21, 2019 15:34:43 GMT -5
And dont kill yourself poking and prodding around electrical wires unless you know what you're doing.
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Post by skeeter456 on Jan 21, 2019 16:04:02 GMT -5
If you have hard water...it might be calcium deposits on the element...what did the bottom one look like...did it have calcium all over the heating element? We have hard water...well water sometimes is really hard with calcium...there is no way to prevent it in your lines...calcium is water soluble so there is no effective way of filtering it out (that I know of). When the water temperature seems to be low, I usually just change out the elements top and bottom...kind of preventive maintenance. My bottom was def caked with calcium so i am thinking my top aill be also |
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Post by instymp on Jan 21, 2019 18:11:26 GMT -5
I know this much about them, they last about 1/4 as long as they used to & for me to call the fix-it guy when they don't work.
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Post by slowroll on Jan 21, 2019 18:18:16 GMT -5
You may also need to pull the bottom element and scrape out accumulated calcium from the tank. With really hard water it can accumulate unbelievably deep and surround the element preventing it from heat transferring. What I used to do it was a long 1/4 dia. Rod that I heated with a blowtorch and pounded the end flat, then bent it 90 degrees to use as a shovel or hoe.
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Post by pepesdad1 on Jan 21, 2019 20:03:16 GMT -5
You may also need to pull the bottom element and scrape out accumulated calcium from the tank. With really hard water it can accumulate unbelievably deep and surround the element preventing it from heat transferring. What I used to do it was a long 1/4 dia. Rod that I heated with a blowtorch and pounded the end flat, then bent it 90 degrees to use as a shovel or hoe. Excellent idea...thanks for the tip...have to do that next time I have an "issue". |
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Post by skeeter456 on Jan 24, 2019 19:45:58 GMT -5
Welp after replacing my bottom and top element the problem is fixed. Now the mrs and I can shower together to save water  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2019 20:33:03 GMT -5
That's real good news. I would recommend draining and flushing at least once a year as well as replacing the anode. It makes them last a lot longer.
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Post by Mac on Jan 24, 2019 20:40:20 GMT -5
Do all hot water heaters have an anode? If so, it might be prudent for me to check into that on my gas heater.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2019 21:57:52 GMT -5
Mac gas heaters don't have the problems that electric heaters do but you can add a anode if you have a extra pipe thread bung. They are cheap insurance against tank corrosion and with the price of water heaters these days not a bad idea. I am a firm believer in flushing the tank every year and all kinds of stuff comes out calcium, lime and what not. Most of the time they are located on top of the tank and they last about three years on city water.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2019 22:22:15 GMT -5
Tankless, only way to fly.
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Post by skeeter456 on Jan 27, 2019 13:56:41 GMT -5
We had on demand when we bought the house but it shite the bed about 2 years later
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Post by roadsdiverged on Jan 27, 2019 18:25:27 GMT -5
Tankless, only way to fly. I suggest those to homeowners everytime we do a remodel and the HWH needs replaced. My boss gets mad about it. *shrug* |
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Post by oldcajun123 on Jan 27, 2019 18:38:12 GMT -5
When I pulled my 100 yr old house 10 miles, cut in half, put it together and started remodeling, had no room for water heater, new plumbing, electrical, read up on tankless , bought one at box store, had plumbers install it, first one they had ever seen. Owner says Bradley I don’t know how to commission that thing, I told him Fred after spooling up a 50,000 hp GE turbine this ain’t 💩. Because of bad water it lasted 12 yrs, on a new one now and Fred installs mostly tankless now, if you have a long run you may have to wait for hot water , not long a minute, wife has a big jack-a-zoo and she can open it wide open and never run out of hot water, oh ours is Nat Gas, had to buy a bigger gas meter for the flow. I’m sold.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jan 27, 2019 18:59:02 GMT -5
In our old house I put in a 13k but instant heater with a 20 gallon feeder so it could provide the hot water instantly and maintain it indefinitely. It was nice. Part of a $65k remodel. Property taxes made us move. Current owners are paying $18k/year in taxes. My point is that I really like instant water heaters. Gas required a 1.5 inch gas line.
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Post by roadsdiverged on Jan 27, 2019 19:00:32 GMT -5
That's a lot of taxes! I believe I would have HAD to move.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jan 27, 2019 19:04:57 GMT -5
That's a lot of taxes! I believe I would have HAD to move. We were locked in at $6k. Our total taxes on our current house are $114 a year. |
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Post by roadsdiverged on Jan 27, 2019 19:11:15 GMT -5
What a difference! That would support my TAD/PAD.
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Post by Matthew on Jan 27, 2019 20:18:10 GMT -5
Gas fired on demand units are sweet,but,the electric ones can be hit and miss.
There are a few point of use units that are pretty good,but the others may not
be able to handle the flow rate.Most are rated for 1/2 gal a minute,but if a redneck
like me plumbed our house that may well be doubled.I like a lot of pressure when I
shower.My well is set at a 45lb min. with a 70lb max.needless to say I hope I don't
have to sell,I don't want to put things back or start over re-plumbing another
house.(water leaks are quite fun)
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You said you changed the lower element, does it have an upper? Check that out, Heater may need to be back flushed, thats reversing the flow, hooking up a hose on the btm valve and purgeing out the crap. 
