Water heater liner failure??

[grantdp]

Hey guys,

Dont plenty of DIY plumbing at work & home for a while. I recently had to install a new water heater due to the old one failing February of '23, and I just recently started experiencing rust colored water from the hot side.

I flushed the water heater for an entire day (drain, flush with pressure, fill, repeat), and the water has cleared up but still has a brownish tint to it and is noticeable. I put a borescope into the tank and saw rust collecting on quite a few spots in the tank. I'm not well versed on what the expected look of a water heater is supposed to be inside, but I cant imagine rust buildup on a glass lined tank is normal (I have all PEX piping in my house and its built in 2010).

I've attached pics for reference. Tank is an AO Smith 50 gallon heat pump hybrid water heater. I also have a brand new water softener/carbon filter system feeding the whole house that I had installed when I bought the house in Sept '22.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[Twowaxhack]

The tank welds are not protected from rust by anything other than the anode.

Call them and see what the manufacturer has to say

 

[grantdp]

Ahh I had no idea! I figured the whole tank would've been lined, including the welds. I sent them an email with all these pics, but just wanted second opinions in case they decide to say its fine so they don't need to honor warranty.

 

[Twowaxhack]

It may be helpful to change the anode to a different type, but I’m not positive. Could just be a bum tank…….

You shouldn’t be getting rusty water out of a 1yr old tank IMO if your water is good.

 

[MicEd69]

Cool pictures! Even the cheapest water heaters should have a warrantee that would cover this failure, and it is a failure IMO.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Cool pictures! Even the cheapest water heaters should have a warrantee that would cover this failure, and it is a failure IMO.

Depends on the water. Some/ most well water here is acidic. I’ve seen untreated well water eat through type L copper in 4 yrs. But here is not there….and we’re talking about steel, not copper.

But generally speaking he shouldn’t be getting rusty water after a year.

High water temps can also accelerate water heater corrosion, but I’m not saying that’s the cause here.

 

[grantdp]

Cool pictures! Even the cheapest water heaters should have a warrantee that would cover this failure, and it is a failure IMO.

Thanks! Yeah it has a warranty, but reading through it I'll have to pay someone to come out and help me take it out of my attic and then put a new one up there since they apparently won't do that. Also had a plumber come out and he said it all looked fine...

 

[grantdp]

Depends on the water. Some/ most well water here is acidic. I’ve seen untreated well water eat through type L copper in 4 yrs. But here is not there….and we’re talking about steel, not copper.

But generally speaking he shouldn’t be getting rusty water after a year.

High water temps can also accelerate water heater corrosion, but I’m not saying that’s the cause here.

My water is slightly alkaline around 7.5 or so. I definitely have higher water temps, running around 135 so I can fill up a large tub full of water without going cold.
I've decided on getting a powered anode rod to put in this tank just in case AO Smith decides to not honor the warranty

 

[TomFOhio]

Are you getting any red in your toilet tanks??

 

[grantdp]

Are you getting any red in your toilet tanks??

Nothing in my tanks. It's isolated to the hot water line. The water coming out was a darkish orange color. I flushed and saw deep orange and tons of rust chunks