That Guy wrote:
> I have a question about water heaters. I apologize for posting to the
> Toyota NG but there is no water softener group. I know a lot of the good
> folks here are do-it-yourselfers so maybe one of you will know the answer.
>
>
>
> As you know, water softeners get mineral deposits that collect in the
> bottom. A friend told me that over time, the deposits get thick enough to
> insulate the bottom of the tank. Since the heating element is located
> beneath the bottom of the tank and the water is on the other side of the
> deposit buildup, the heating element has to stay on a good deal longer in
> order to raise the water temp a given amount. Not only does this waste
> electricity, it shortened the lifespan of the heating element and the tank a
> good deal.
>
>
>
> He said if you drain your water heater once a year, the deposits will drain
> out as well and eliminate the problem. However, I heard this after my water
> heater was already about six years old, and when I tried draining it, the
> water came out glug-glug instead of whoosh, which my friend believes means
> the deposits are partially blocking the drain hole so they're too big to
> come out.
>
>
>
> Does this make sense?
>
>
>
> I have considered draining it and pouring a few bottles of lime away in
> there, letting it sit for a few hours then filling it and re-draining it
> several times to rinse out all the lime away. However, I'm not sure the
> lime-away wouldn't hurt my tank. I don't know what metal the tank is made
> from, though I have heard of them rusting so I'd guess galvanized steel or
> maybe stainless.
>
>
>
> Any thoughts on this?
>
>
If you are talking about a water heater and not a water softener, you
need to flush the tank yearly under pressure, not drain it. It is the
agitation of the water flow that will flush the tank bottom. Hook up a
hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of your tank and route it to a
drain. Open the valve and let it flush out under pressure for about one
minute. If you suspect heavy deposits, there are some commercial
products made that you can introduce into the tank to remove lime scale,
but an easy product to find at most stores comes to mind called "Iron
Out". It will remove lime scale and rust. If you have an electric
heater, lime scale will form on the heat elements as well, (usually two,
upper and lower) and the heating will not be as efficient as when they
are clean. They can be removed for cleaning or replacement if you must,
but that would not be normal. Try just flushing it first, then if you
need to, shut off the electrical and water supply to the tank, uncouple
at the di-electric fitting (cold supply, usually a blue plastic ring on
it), drain the water level down just a bit, and introduce the cleaner.
Let it work for about ten minutes or as directed, then couple up the
supply pipe that you disconnected, and flush under pressure. You may
need a few applications for a tank with heavy deposits. MAKE ABSOLUTELY
CERTAIN that you flush the tank VERY WELL after any chemical treatment.
Good luck.