avguytx Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 16 minutes ago, Pete H said: Best thing you can do for you water heater and the rest of your plumbing is to put clean water through it. I never have to flush out scale from my water heater but I pull all of the mineral out, prior to it entering the tank. Do yourself a favor and get your water properly tested for calcium and iron content and depending on those results, look at the proper water treatment. it will pay for itself over a few years and a hell of a lot less cleaning. Buy a good model with a great warranty from a local plumbing supply as others have stated, I would not buy any appliance from any big box store ever due the headaches in obtaining warranty if the need arises. Amen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack R Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Gas water heaters have a limited lifespan irregardless of brand or warranty. I'd plan for replacement every 10-15 years and if you get a few more years out of them then its a win. I'd skip any wifi monitoring, etc.... there's no need for it and it only adds unnecessary complexity and expense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 5 hours ago, avguytx said: So there's not a locally owned store you can buy one from? I never thought of that. I'll check. FYI the water heater I'm looking at from Home Depot has a 6 year warranty, and one-year in-home parts/labor warranty. I bet that last part only applies if it is installed by HD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 6 hours ago, CECAA850 said: Simpler is better. Less to go wrong. How many times do you actually think you'll need to adjust your waterheater with your phone? Like a sophisticated home thermostat it might be nice to turn the heat off at night, then start to heat an hour before the household wakes up. The Rheem "app" can turn the heat up/down and put the water heater into Vacation Mode. That's it for temp control. That's what you get for $350 over the base model, and another $150 to get the wireless kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 2 minutes ago, wvu80 said: The Rheem "app" can turn the heat up/down and put the water heater into Vacation Mode. That's it for temp control. Seems that it's firmly planted on the wrong side of the law of diminishing returns. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburnwilly Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 5 hours ago, wstrickland1 said: Let me know what you need sir. I can get one from our plumbing side at cost... Thanks Billy , I'm heading to the Smokies for a week this Sunday so I won't be messing with it right now . I'll PM you and thanks again you're a good one ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 2 hours ago, wvu80 said: Vacation Mode. Vacation Mode for me was to throw the dedicated breaker, obviously an electric not gas. I don't really do it for vacation either but there was a time I knew I wouldn't be there for months at a time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Just now, oldtimer said: Vacation Mode for me was to throw the dedicated breaker, obviously an electric not gas. I don't really do it for vacation either but there was a time I knew I wouldn't be there for months at a time. And don't forget to shut off the water to the washing machine. Coming home to a busted hose and house full of water will ruin your day. I had rubber hoses on my washing machine and had been threatening to change them out to braided stainless for years. This year prior to going on vacation I finally bit the bullet and replaced them. When I got the rubber hoses off there was a caution label printed on the hoses themselves. It said "Caution, to avoid hose failure replace by 11/2009. Looks like I've been living lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 4 hours ago, Zack R said: Gas water heaters have a limited lifespan irregardless of brand or warranty. I'd plan for replacement every 10-15 years Man, you guys are smart. I was going to repair mine even though it was over 20 years old. There is no way after what I found in it. For some reason I couldn't drain it with my 50 foot hose so I used a 2 gallon bucket. I got nice clear water for the first 90%. Then when I got to the last 5 gallons it looked like the Ohio River after a flood! The water was muddy and murky and you couldn't see 6 inches to the bottom of the bucket. I was bathing and washing my clothes in that? Yuck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 7 minutes ago, wvu80 said: my 50 foot hose Now you're bragging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 1 hour ago, oldtimer said: Vacation Mode for me was to throw the dedicated breaker, obviously an electric not gas. I don't really do it for vacation either but there was a time I knew I wouldn't be there for months at a time. * I turn off the main water line prior to an extended leave - no worries from washer, faucets, etc. — Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 1 minute ago, richieb said: * I turn off the main water line prior to an extended leave - no worries from washer, faucets, etc. — I've done that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 4 hours ago, Zack R said: Gas water heaters have a limited lifespan irregardless of brand or warranty. I'd plan for replacement every 10-15 years and if you get a few more years out of them then its a win. I'd skip any wifi monitoring, etc.... there's no need for it and it only adds unnecessary complexity and expense. * similar to a roof with a 30 year warranty - yeah right — Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Usually in an electric hot water heater the warranty runs out after 6 years--- exactly when the cathode rod disappears. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack R Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 On 10/30/2019 at 3:06 PM, wvu80 said: Man, you guys are smart. I was going to repair mine even though it was over 20 years old. There is no way after what I found in it. For some reason I couldn't drain it with my 50 foot hose so I used a 2 gallon bucket. I got nice clear water for the first 90%. Then when I got to the last 5 gallons it looked like the Ohio River after a flood! The water was muddy and murky and you couldn't see 6 inches to the bottom of the bucket. I was bathing and washing my clothes in that? Yuck! It just sediment at the bottom of the tank, not a surprise if its a 20 year old unit. Once the new one is installed its a good practice to drain and flush it out one a year to keep the sediment from accumulating. This will also prolong the life of the tank. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted November 2, 2019 Author Share Posted November 2, 2019 After Action Report: I got the basic model Rheem 40 gal natural gas from Home Depot for four hundred bucks. Add in an installation kit for $31. I really did check and there were no local plumbing supply stores for consumers, as I live in a small town. There were local places for contractors but I went ahead and got what I needed. The Home Depot guys threw it into the back of the Rav 4 where it fit with no issues. It was only 127 pounds and no kidding, my experience with La Scalas, Khorns and my 108 pound CF-4's enabled me to easily move the box into the basement where the closet was. I paid a plumber (two guys) for an hour $80 to finish the connections because he was there and did some other work for me cleaning up that rat's nest of plumbing near the water heater. Replacing the connections was an extra $250 in labor. As I restarted each faucet in the house half of them did not have any water pressure. Removing the aerator from each they were completely clogged with white looking scale, calcium and some other gunk. I am soaking each one now in vinegar. I could have DIY'd the plumbing mess but there were some technical issues in which I lacked knowledge, so I had Pete the Plumber change it out. He used Shark Bite fittings. Those little suckers were expensive! About $150 for elbows, T's and ball valves. There is still a little bit of copper water lines but now it's mostly Pex line for which the Shark Bites were designed. Before and After: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 Where's the shut off valve? I thought that only people who weren't plumbers used shark bite fittings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 Baby shark bites? Too soon after the series, Carl? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 2 minutes ago, oldtimer said: Baby shark bites? Too soon after the series, Carl? Heard of it. Hadn't seen it. Of course my kids are all grown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 i made my washing machine dance. Put in some bedding (sheets, comforter) was in the bedroom and it sounded like freight train was barreling through the house. ran into the room and the washer was bouncing around like crazy. it had already moved about six inches away from the wall. I guess the load was not balanced and when it hit the spin cycle, it got mad. I’m definitely not Mr. Mom, so i hope that i didn’t ruin the thing. Since it didn’t get to spin, the stuff was dripping wet, so taking out of the washer to put in the dryer piecemeal. I’ll tell you ... a comforter that is soaking wet weighs a ton! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.