We have lived in this house 14 years, and the 50 gallon electric water heater was new then. We are quite often gone 2-3 days a week, and we turn off the well pump and water heater when we are gone. Recently we have noticed the water seems much hotter about 2 hours after we turn the heater back on, like the thermostat isn't sensing the temperature. Is this a sign of scale buildup in the tank? We have fairly nice, softened water, and when we drain the heater every fall, we get very little sediment or scale. Any ideas? Thanks!
Water heater overshooting it's setting.
- Thread starter RS
- Start date
Help Support Plumbing Forums:
Thermostat isn't shutting off like its suppose to.
sarg
Well-Known Member
I realize the original post is two weeks old but I do have comments.
If the heater is 14 years old the life is about gone .... especially if you do not replace the anode. I installed a new Rheem 40 gal. electric in 2020 and just replaced the exhausted anode last week.
My experience has been that a factory drain valve will not pass any larger sediment and we service our unit every six months with new elements and use a wet vac to remove the accumulated sediment through the bottom element hole ...... which is usually up to the bottom element in depth.
I replaced the factory drain valve with a 3/4 ball valve made for flushing and it empties the tank in a third of the time.
Just some ideas from experience..... If you're having issues with a unit that's been in service 14 years I would start looking at replacement versus repair.
If the heater is 14 years old the life is about gone .... especially if you do not replace the anode. I installed a new Rheem 40 gal. electric in 2020 and just replaced the exhausted anode last week.
My experience has been that a factory drain valve will not pass any larger sediment and we service our unit every six months with new elements and use a wet vac to remove the accumulated sediment through the bottom element hole ...... which is usually up to the bottom element in depth.
I replaced the factory drain valve with a 3/4 ball valve made for flushing and it empties the tank in a third of the time.
Just some ideas from experience..... If you're having issues with a unit that's been in service 14 years I would start looking at replacement versus repair.
Do you also routinely pop your relief valve to check flow or remove and inspect it for mineral build up ?
Seems like it be inoperable after a period of time with that much mineral in the water.
sarg
Well-Known Member
Yes .... We open the T&P to expedite draining of the heater every six months.
Never experienced an issue....... but I do keep a spare.
Never experienced an issue....... but I do keep a spare.
Do you ever let it discharge to make sure you get full flow ? Air to drain is different than checking it’s output.
Given what you’ve posted about your water, I’d at least let it blow off once a year and I’d probably replace it with the anode if I were doing anode maintenance.
sarg
Well-Known Member
No.
I think we have better than average water in Minnesota, where we spend the summers, we get 20 years or more out of a water heater, but we have softeners too. Now in Arizona, where we spent the winter, I don't expect the water heater to last, most of them don't get 10 years.
