Storage Water Heater

References

• Storage Water Heater
• How a Gas Water Heater Works
• Anode Rods
• Water Heater Maintenance

Definitions

• flue
• • A duct for smoke and waste gases produced by a fire, a gas heater, a power station, or other fuel-burning installation

• Pilot Light
• • A pilot light is a small gas flame, usually natural gas or liquified petroleum gas, which servers as an ignition source for a more powerful gas burner

Notes

A storage water heater, or hot water system (HWS), is a domestic water heating appliance that uses a hot water storage tank to maximize water heating capacity and provide instantaneous delivery of hot water. Conventional storage water heaters use a variety of fuels, including natural gas, propane, fuel oil, and electricity. Less conventional water heating technologies, such as heat pump water heaters and solar water heaters, can also be categorized as storage water heaters.

• Differences Between Instant Heater
• • The primary difference between a storage heater and an instant heater is that a storage heater heats the water first and stores it for later use, while an instant heater heats the water on demand.
  • Storage water heater is lower cost
  • Instant heater has longer life period.
  • Storage tank water heaters are ideal for large volume water usage (large tanks can store about 75 US gallons), and are popular due to low upfront costs and long average life-span of 10-15 years.
  • Storage heaters are less energy efficient and are expensive to run long-term.
• Increasingly, solar powered water heaters are being used.
• Natural gas and propane storage water heaters operate identically with a gas or propane burner locates at the bottom of the storage tank heating the water.
• Most electric water heaters use electric resistance elements to heat the water in the storage tank.
• The storage of water heaters are usually made out of steel with a lining of glass inside them. Water will corrode exposed steal, so the glass lining prevents or delays corrosion.
• The tanks also have magnesium anode rods. The anode rod will slow down corrosion of the steel tank by corroding in its place.
• If corrosion of the tank creates holes in it, there are some temporary fixes to try to patch it, but the long-term solution is to replace the tank altogether.

How It Works

• There are sometimes red and blue indicators for the pipes attached to the top of the heater indicating the type of water the respective pipes carry.
• • There are sometimes Cold and Hot labeled on the water heater.
• The cold line has a water shutoff.
• The Dip Tube pushes the cold water down to the bottom of the tank, where the burner is. This helps circulate the water.
• The hot water is pushed up by water pressure.
• You can sometimes see the anode rod on the top of the water heater. This is supposed to be replaced once per year.
• • The anode rod is a steel wire with aluminum, aluminum/zinc alloy, or magnesium wrapped around it.
  • Replacing the anode rod requires special tools and is not something you should do yourself.
  • It can cost $70 to $200 to replace an anode rod, and it can replace $800 to $1,500 to replace a hot water heater (including labor).
• If the flue is clogged, there will be carbon monoxide in the house
• The pressure release valve can be found on the side of the tank.
• • The pressure release valve is a safety device to make sure that, in the case where water is not exiting the tank correctly and the water in the tank turns into steam and the steam builds up enough pressure, that the tank does not explode.
  • The pressure release valve will open when it senses enough pressure to release some of the pressure inside the tank.
  • The pressure release valve usually has a directional pipe so that it releases the hot water/vapor in a safe direction.
• The drain valve is located on the side near the bottom of the heater
• • Check to see when the manufacturer of the heater recommends to flush the heater.
• Gas Valve - the gas valve typically has three settings on it
• • On - the burner is on
  • Pilot - the pilot light is on and the burner is off
  • Off - the burner and pilot light are off
  • Some gas valves have a sparker
  • Instructions to relight water heater are on the side of the water heater.
• Temperature control is on side of water heater. It is typically set to 120 deg Fahrenheit.
• The burner chamber, which holds the burner chamber, is located under the storage tank. The storage tank is layered - outer shell, insulation, and then inner tank., If the inner tank has a leak, the water heater is not repairable.
• To light the pilot light, turn the gas valve to the Pilot setting and hit the sparker to light the gas up.
• The newer models have an intermittent pilot. Pilot light is only sometime on when there is a call for it to be.

Maintenance

Materials:

• Garden Hose
• Bucket
• 1-1/16" Socket
• 1/2" Drive Socket Wrench
• Breaker Bar
• Screwdriver
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Wire Brush
• Teflon Tape
• Multi-use cleaning brush

Disconnect the Water Heater

1. Turn Gas supply off
2. Turn water heater to pilot setting
3. Turn gas control off
4. Shutoff the cold supply
5. Water inside the tank is still hot

Do Walk Around to Check for Links

1. Check inlet and outlet pipes for leaks.
2. Check the pressure release valve for any leaks.
3. Check the drain valve for leaks.
4. If you see any leaks, it is best to remove that part.

Check Airflow

1. Air is brought in through a frame arrestor screen, which can get clogged with dust or debris and create backdraft which can cause the pilot to blow out. This is located on the bottom of the heater and can be cleaned with a multi-use brush.
2. Check the flue for debris around it.

Pressure Release Valve Testing

1. The pressure / temperature release valve is the most important safety feature of the tank (prevents it from exploding).
2. Put a bucket beneath the directional pipe, and lift the lever of the pressure release valve to release water.
3. Close the valve.
4. 1. Water should quit flowing completely. If not, you will have to replace the valve.

Check Anode Node

1. Open a valve somewhere in the house to release hot water and relieve pressure in the system.
2. Drain several gallons of water from the drain valve.
3. 1. This reduces the pressure in the tank.
   2. You want to keep most of the water in the tank to keep it from sliding around.
3. The anode rod is usually under a plastic cover.
4. If you haven't replaced it in years, it might be difficult to remove.
5. You can use a breaker bar to get leverage on the anode tube to remove it.
6. When the nut is loose, use needle nose pliers to remove the anode rod.
7. Each year that you check the anode, take note of what has changed.
8. 1. Most anode rods last 4-6 years.
   2. This depends on the pH of the water.
   3. If the anode rod is completely covered in calcium than it will have to be replaced.

Replace the Anode Rod

1. To get a good seal, it is best to clean the threads for the anode rod with a wire brush.
2. Put Teflon tape around the threads of the anode rod to get a better seal.
3. Always apply tap in clockwise direction, wrap 3-6 times. Leave the last art of the thread bare to prevent tape from getting into tank.
4. Put the anode rod in the tank, and tighten the anode rod.

Flush The Tank

1. Connect a garden hose to the drain valve.
2. Open the valve to drain the water.
3. The water heater might take 30min+ to flush.
4. When the water heater is empty, you can try to remove sediment in the tank:
5. 1. Turn on cold supply for 20 seconds to blast water at the bottom of the tank, which will agitate the sediment at the bottom of the tank.
   2. Drain the water agin.
   3. You can repeat this process until the water draining from the hose is clear.

Refill the Tank

1. Open the cold water supply to fill the tank. Open a faucet and do not turn off the faucet until you get a smooth stream of water coming from the faucet, which indicates that all of the air is out of the system and that the tank is full.
2. Turn on the gas.
3. Relight the pilot.