Hot water heater issues

There is plenty to go wrong here, but you can repair it
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

Shower was good this morning but then it always is.

It warmed 30 gallons in probably 20 or 25 minutes last night, from cold well water to 130F (well assuming that is all working properly).

If I continue to have issues, and filling a bathtub is really the only stressing case that even indicates a problem, I will take a closer look at the thermostat and see if I think it is really functioning properly. Maybe I can use an IR thermometer on an outlet pipe and get an accurate reading that way.

This makes me want to drain the hot water heater at my other house. I do flush at least annually but draining seems to get more crap out.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

Jamie gave Owen a bath tonight. She reported no hot water issues!! Now Ian wasn't showering simultaneously which is the real stress test but this is very encouraging.

PSA: Flush your hot water heater (if you have a standalone one).
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

October 6, 1998. Only 21 years old.

Manual suggests a vinegar clean and rinse. You add through the anode hole. Which I never found but may look again. Also it is performing well!
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kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

kevm14 wrote: Thu Dec 12, 2019 8:01 pm Jamie gave Owen a bath tonight. She reported no hot water issues!! Now Ian wasn't showering simultaneously which is the real stress test but this is very encouraging.

PSA: Flush your hot water heater (if you have a standalone one).
Owen bath + Ian shower = no hot water heater issues. I am very impressed. I was about to throw this thing away and spend probably $2k to replace it. Man. I will flush this maybe twice a year for the rest of its life.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

9 more months, it's still hanging in there. I flushed it again and this time I used a hose so I could just let water run and let it drain without having to make 40 trips to empty a bucket.

I did various combinations of letting it completely drain, then turning the water on, letting it drain again and stuff like that. The water was brown at first but cleared up as before, and I flushed a bit more after that just for good measure.

Then I tackled the oil burner service aspect. I finally decided I was going to replace my nozzles in both the water heater and furnace but I couldn't remember what size the hot water heater was. Turns out it was written on the last service I had from Exeter Fuel but I didn't notice until I had it apart. Anyway the water heater takes a 0.75 80A nozzle. I was considering putting it back together and just ordering but then I decided to search for a local plumbing supply. Last time I bought filters from a place in Wakefield which seemed needlessly far away so my search revealed FW Webb in Warwick. They have lots of stuff like a full selection of nozzles, filters, and anything you can imagine that a professional plumber may want to either stock his truck with or purchase for a customer.

I was going to just buy the nozzle and filter but he's like....guys usually do the strainer, too. Why not?

Total parts for hot water heater: About $10. This should represent the total parts price for an oil burner tune-up. FWIW, he gave me a disclaimer that they won't sell certain things to non-licensed people like an oil burner assembly. The owner is concerned about liability though I don't think there is any regulation preventing him from selling me that stuff. But I do get it - you really need a gas analyzer to set up a new burner for efficiency and safety (CO). I may purchase one someday but not right now.

Anyway I got home and replaced all that stuff. The strainer had a little gunk in it, as did the nozzle pre-filter but I didn't see anything that looked neglected even though the nozzle and strainer had been in there for like 5 years.

Everything was going fine but then I somehow snapped off one of the 3 studs that holds the oil burner onto the hot water heater. Good grief. And Ed has my welder otherwise I probably could have just tacked it back on. So I simply threaded the hole, ground down the stud so it would thread in, and that seemed to work. Obviously I didn't crank down hard on the nut but it's holding fine.

Then I did the filter. Pretty routine.

Fired it up, opened the bleeder, air comes out then oil, close bleeder (it took a few minutes and a few cycles but it was fine). Works great.

So that was a pretty full service and cost $10 and a few hours of my time. I even wrote it in on the little label.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

The shorter stud is the one I threaded into the flange. It's fine.
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Parts and old nozzle from the furnace I think but they look the same.
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kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

Just like last time it functions better after the flush.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

We seem to have reached the limit here...

Hot water shortage during Owen's bath. Ended up flushing it super thoroughly, again. The water finally seems back to the right temp but I don't think it has the proper recovery rate. There must be scale at the bottom of the tank. I mean it's been 2 decades on a well with no filter for most of it (probably).

I did remove the oil burner one last time to inspect inside and....it looks fine. I think it's just at the end of its life. So I will probably begin investigating quotes and I'll likely relocate it with a side vent. This will be a bit pricey...

Random info that will probably soon be useless.
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Looks fine inside. I don't think there's anything more I can do short of aggressively flushing with vinegar and I think it's probably too late for that. Or I'll end up with a leak or something....
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

Now it seems better? I got 130 degree water from the kitchen tap. Ian just had a shower with no issues. Still probably on its last leg ...
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Hot water heater issues

Post by kevm14 »

I showered. It felt like it got slightly cooler and then the burner kicked in. I didn't touch the temp control as it seemed to maintain on its own. At least it's functional.

What I'm thinking is I should still get a quote and see if this is something I can get a better deal on if we can hold out through heating season. I will roll the dice if there is a meaningful savings opportunity.
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