# White sediment from water heater



## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

OK I moved to where I am at now in July.

The kitchen sink was running slow and I knew the filter needed clean but darn if I could get it off. The aerator was even smashed because I think someone before tried taking it off but put it on tighter. Turned it the wrong way because the aerator has the treads on the inside so it turns the other way then one with the treads on the outside. Anyhow I bent it up a little more but got it off because water was coming out slower and slower. 
Shower the same way but got a newer shower head and hand held shower compo and I need to get the screen washer for it and also for my kenmore washer because I don't need the junk getting into the values of the washer or pluging them up or pluging up the shower heads either. 
I know the tub/shower values seem to act funny too because of how much I have to adjust it to the hor water side and adjust it more as I take a shower to the hotter side when I got the water heater heating it HOT. Plus I took out the water saver thing in the hand held part of the shower but still it seem like I should have more pressure and I bet it is because the junk is at the values. 

But this White sediment is of all sizes and some what soft. From finder to almost 1/8 inch and is soft to hard feeling. I do not want it to damage my waster or get into the shower heads that are both new. I know I can get the screen washer to catch the junk but finder junk will still get tru and I know effect the shower heads. 
I am going to turn off the water heater and flush the tank and I bet it will take a long time to get it to clear thing out. I think the water heater was made in 96 from the SN. So it is old but not that old. But I have never seen junk like this from the hot water before. When I took off the aerator I keep running the water and it keep coming out with all the White sediment. 
Do you think it can be flushed out clean or has it gone to far to flush all of it out and the junk will break off that is in the tank and keep getting into the water line to everything. 
I am going to call the management of this place on it now that I seen what is going on. 

I know we got plumbers and other that may know more so like your input on this.

Plus if I after draining and cleaning up the junk will running the heater at a higher temp help break up the sediment? If so then I can wait a week or what ever with super hot water to let it break up the sediment stuck in the tank and flush it out again.


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## K7M (Feb 27, 2000)

When you flush the heater, do it from the drain valve at the bottom. Flush it until the water is clear and free from debris. What you have is minerals that have settled out of the water when it heats. Also if it is a round tank heater, there is a "plug" in the top that plug is actually an anode, it's about two feet long. That probably should be replaced also.


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

The sediment is probably lime.
The "anode" will only be present if it is a high pressure enamelled steel inner, if it is copper it will not need an anode.

In NZ the preference is for mains pressure, with anodes, but nobody tells the customer, so the cylinder lasts about 8 years.

Low or medium pressure copper cylinders last 50 years...


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I know how to drain the tank from the drain valve and it does have a real drain valve. I mean not the all plastic one that you turn the other part of to drain but if you turn it to far the whole value comes out and your have water all over the place. Don't know why they ever made those type of values or if they still do but they are not any good because you can open them to far and have the whole thing come off and you can not put it back till the water drains out and gets your whole garage wet.  
Yes it is a round water heater. No plug at the top but at the top side there is the pressure re-less value.
Don't think it has a anode or anode rod unless it is flush with the top and I just looked and could not see it but lots of junk is setting at the top. Dust, blanket wrap etc and maybe after getting cleaned up there it may be there but feeling around I was looking for one like this here and could not feel or see it.








But my guess it is there some place.

I am going to call the management about it but like to have as much info as I can to tell them because you don't want them to send out a dummy that does not know anything like I have seen them do. 
I wonder if they can even take off that value to replace it because the water lines hooked to it are rusted and it looks like at one time it leaked also from the roof jack because the vent pipe is rusted and it should be replaced also. It does not leak there now or if it is it is a slow leak back down inside the heater but then again with all the rust it's hard to see and tell but I think that leak was fixed but they never replace the vent with a new one and once you get it to start rusting it will just get worse.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

kiwiguy said:


> The sediment is probably lime.
> The "anode" will only be present if it is a high pressure enamelled steel inner, if it is copper it will not need an anode.
> 
> In NZ the preference is for mains pressure, with anodes, but nobody tells the customer, so the cylinder lasts about 8 years.
> ...


So I may not have the anode rod if it is glass line water heater so that is why I could not see it.


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## Farmgirl22 (Jun 12, 2006)

hewee said:


> I know how to drain the tank from the drain valve and it does have a real drain valve. I mean not the all plastic one that you turn the other part of to drain but if you turn it to far the whole value comes out and your have water all over the place. Don't know why they ever made those type of values or if they still do but they are not any good because you can open them to far and have the whole thing come off and you can not put it back till the water drains out and gets your whole garage wet.


Your drain spigot should have threads you can put a hose on and run the hose into your sink or outside or whatever so that it doesn't just run out on your garage floor. That's what we always do when we flush our heater tank. We flush ours every six months (our water is VERY hard w/old metal pipes), you might need to do it more or less depending on how much junk you have on your water. I would also take out all of your aerators and shower-heads and flush those as well, especially if you have galvanized/copper/lead plumbing--otherwise you could have big "rocks" sitting in there behind your fixtures slowing your water down.

I would definitely call your apartment manager if you have one before calling a plumber yourself. If you can get your landlord to fix it (hopefully yours is better than our last two) they should have you up and running again in no time. Water is kind of a necessity, so be sure to put the pressure on them if you need to, so that you can get it done quickly. Insist on a professional if you think it's necessary--oftentimes they send out someone who can barely identify a pipe wrench to do the work on your stuff and it ends up not being any better (or sometimes worse!) than what you had to start with.

I hope this gets better for you soon!


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I know how to drain the tank after turn off the gas. What I was saying about getting water all over the place is if you open the value to much the whole value will come out of the water heater. 
See the two here http://www.washingtonwaterheaters.com/doc/choosing_maintenance_drain.html
The one on the right is what I got. The one on the left are the ones I hate and if you turn them to far the whole thing pops out and your have water all over the place. 
Here are pictures of that type.
http://waterheaterinstallation.info/images/water-heater-old-drain-line-cropped.jpg
http://www.packdaily.com/pk_data\Manufactures\00106000000521\Water-Heater-Drain-b.jpg
They don't tell you and most people will not know that turning them to far to open the drain will also reless the value.
You know I have been to home depot, lowes and another hardware store and darn if I can find the screen washer to go in the shower and sinks. Got them for the washer and water hose but they are bigger. I may have to get just the screen but even that I could not find without having to by the whole aerator etc. Darn it's just a simple screen.
Yea I know what it is like having land lords that don't fix things. But this management place has there own people and that is the trouble. They only know so much and most of that they don't do right.


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## Farmgirl22 (Jun 12, 2006)

Have you tried to find the aerators on the manufacturer's website? Sometimes they will have a place where you can find replacement parts. You local Hardware store might know where to send you as well--we have lots of local "wholesale" plumbing suppliers around here, and they'd probably have what you need also. Just because they are wholesaler's doesn't mean that you can't just walk in there and buy stuff--often times you can get the parts that a plumber would get, you just have to pay a few cents more. Good luck!


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

No I have not looked online yet because I was looking around here at the stores for something I was thinking would be at any hardware store so you should have no trouble getting it. But it is not that easy I found out today. Even just get the screen I have not found. A screen with the flat metal edge would be even better because you can take them out and clean with the screening coming apart better then just the screen with no protection are the edge and so are thicker wire too they use on the screen. 
But I was on my way home but had some food I had to get back to the house when it hit me to try and find them at the smaller plumbing places. Either plumbing places that fix thing or sell because you can have both but some that sell fancy plumbing may have parts still and we got lots of places like that around. I know it is something that only cost pennys to make too but darn look at the prices on the parts and it can cost a copy bucks.
But in the pass I have a small plastic bag of screens to replace the ones in the aerators so you know they are still around. I think I got mine from work but don't remember if it was from the plumber or not. But they are to fine and soft to use where I want them.
So I will look around some more at the other smaller local places.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

i thought all heaters came with anode rods??

do you have municipal or well water?


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I go the city water.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

I would bet it has an anode rod. which is probably about gone by now. usually about every 5 years they should be replaced which virtually nobody does.

at this point there probably is no point in worrying about that though.

if this white substance can be crushed into a powder it likely is a mineral that precipitated out due to the nature of the heat. just flush the heck out of it thru the drain on the bottom. 

I would turn of the heater so you don't ruin the heating elements. then I would shut off the water at the valve on the inlet. and unscrew the union under the valve so you relieve the vacuum allowing the tank to fully drain. let it drain out then tighten the union and fill the tank up with the drain closed. then flush the tank with water entering. if you repeat that process two or three times i think you should see some improvement. then flush out the plumbing with the aerators off


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

It may but the top would take a good cleaning and then look arounding around to find if it has a anode rod.

I guess the white substance can be crushed into a powder but being wet you could smash it so guess if dry you could crushed into a powder.

Well there is rust up there so I don't want to go unscrewing anything. Plus I have done this in the pass and it can be very hard to unhook anything up top. So let management do any of that. They can damage things but if I do the damage then they can make me pay. 
I will turn off the heater and hook the drain to a host. Turn on the hot water at the sink to let air in. Then if I can flip the pressure value on to let air in and start draining. Then when done fill it part way and drain it again and do it again and again till it is good and clear. Then fill it and drain it. 
After running it with the gas on again check it to see if the hot water loosen more up.


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