Hot water heater

[Elliott & Vicky]

My hot water heater started to make a noise tonight. It sounded like a leak. After fiddling round a bit, I found that if I turned the switch off inside, the noise stopped. I turned it on again, and the noise started again. Anybody ever have this happen?


Any ideas?

[XCMARK]

Originally Posted by Elliott & Vicky

My hot water heater started to make a noise tonight. It sounded like a leak. After fiddling round a bit, I found that if I turned the switch off inside, the noise stopped. I turned it on again, and the noise started again. Anybody ever have this happen?


Any ideas?

when water heater are running on electric they will make a slight noise like a air leak on a air hose. I cant say I ever noticed ours making the noise but at my Dads house I have notice his home water heater making the noise. If your handy pull the plug out of the water heater and flush it out , may be loaded with heavy sediment and needing a new anode.

[Elliott & Vicky]

Thanks for the response. Flushed the tank and replaced anode at the beginning of November. Been using it since then, and it just started tonight, or more properly, just heard it inside tonight. I switched form city water to the pump, and no cycling occurred, so probably no water leak.

[proteus]

Element replacement time?

u also replaced and or wirebrushed and buffed calcium off of element also correct? hard water will cause
all kinds of calcium buildup. save the old element for a backup after cleaning it

tank flusher does a good job getting the chunks of cottage cheese from tank and keeps calcium from plugging your faucets also.

turn power off first

under black cover ,
Element should be serviced on a regular basis will extend water heaters life tremendously. socket to take element out is a 1 1/16th or 1 1/8th short extension and a 1/2' ratchet.

and buy a spare little WH rocker switch also they freeze up and break when element resistance buildup from calcium increases resistance and shorts.

little white teflon pipe dope on element threads helps to

buy a set of spare element and anode for the toolbox for service work too.


karl

[jmsokol]

Originally Posted by Elliott & Vicky

My hot water heater started to make a noise tonight. It sounded like a leak. After fiddling round a bit, I found that if I turned the switch off inside, the noise stopped. I turned it on again, and the noise started again. Anybody ever have this happen?


Any ideas?

I’ve seen/heard a number of domestic electric water heaters do this, and it turned out to be a pinhole leak in the electric heating element. Very dangerous in an RV if you lose your shore power ground connection since it can cause a hot-skin/stray-voltage condition. There’s a few simple ways to meter for this condition which I can write about in my RVelectricity newsletter next month.

Mike Sokol