Hot water heaters (how to stop sediment in it?)

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My husband and I are getting ready to install a new hot water heater. We have alot of sediment in our well water. Does anyone have a way to separate the sediment out before it goes into the tank besides a costly filtration system?

-- Debra Bullington (harmonyfarm57@hotmail.com), May 30, 2001

Answers

Response to Hot water heaters

If you install a "T" fitting near the water tank with the single leg downward and a piece of pipe as long as practrial with a gate valve at the bottom; you will have a "gravity trap". Stuff flowing from the tank usually falls into this trap where you drain it off, via the gate valve, as often as is needed. I would check it at least a couple times per week just to monitor how much junk is in the tank.

Also install a downward section of pipe as near to the water heater as possible, this helps keep the heat from traveling sideways from the outlet. Heat resists traveling downward but will travel sideways or up and cause use of more electricity. You might save two bucks a month or more.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), May 31, 2001.


Hot water heaters come equipped with a drain valve at the bottom. Every so often attach a garden hose and open this value until the water runs clear. It flushes out the accumulation of sediment in the bottom of the tank.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), May 31, 2001.

Ken is right... About once a month I attach a garden hose and drain the tank. I don't turn off the water supply when I do this, because I want the new water coming in to stir up the gunk on the bottom so I can get out as much as I can. A little sediment is ok, but when it gets deep enough to enclose the heating element-that's when you start having problems. The element overheats, splits and burns out. Because of the sediment, I also take off the aerators on all the faucets and soak them in vinegar, for the shower head, I get a baggy full of vinegar and tie it up around the neck of the head so the spray part is soaking in vinegar for about an hour, then run water through it to flush it out. It makes a big difference in water pressure coming through the spray head.

-- Carole in Tx (carle@earthlink.net), May 31, 2001.

If sediment is the only problem, you can get a fairly cheap sediment filter (usually Culligan) at Home Depot, and it is fairly easy to install.

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), May 31, 2001.

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