Calcium buildup on drain tube

[movdqa]

Our water heater is four years old and has a tiny leak off the pvc drain tube and there's buildup of calcium where the metal fixture on the top of the tank meets the top of the drain tube. I've never drained the water heater using a pail at the bottom before. Do I just need to drain the water heater or replace the tube or the cathode tube or all of them?

thanks,
michael

 

[jeffmattero76]

First, there should not be any water coming out of what you are calling the "drain tube", so there should not be any calcium buildup there. That pvc tube is connected to the Temperature & Pressure relief valve (T&P valve) . That valve should only open if either the temperature or pressure inside the tank gets too high. Water would be released out of that valve to relieve that excess pressure or temperature. It seems that yours is not closing fully, and water is dripping out, evaporating, and leaving that calcium behind. Those T&Park valves coat less than $10 and are easy to replace. Just drain down the water to below the level of that valve. Unscrew the old one and replace wit has the new one. Reinstall the pvc drain line.