Made the wand, stuck it on my Bauer shopvac (thanks for the recommendation Project Farm), proceeded to clean about 6 gallons of scale oatmeal out from 20 years of no maintenance. Thank you very much!
Now this is truly reality tv. What is thought to be a quick job turns into a most of the day job. Lots of mistakes and unexpected turns. What gripes me most about shows like THIS OLD HOUSE is they cut out most of the frustrations and make it all seem like lightning-fast childs-play. Love your CHARLIE CHAPLIN logo as well. Keep up the fight.
31 yrs! That’s a record. FWIW I use 1gal muriatic acid (30% acid) & 2 gals of water. Add to bottom of empty WH and wait 1hr. Drain & refill several times. The solution will turn green = Dissolved lime.
My dad was a muriatic acid freak. He used it for all kinds of things. Usually to clean rusted parts. The problem is the gasses produced by exposed muriatic acid are quite corrosive also, and many items such as shelving brackets in our shop began to rust badly. It can't be good for the lungs either, so I would suggest anyone using that method also take the precautions of using proper breathing apparatus. Also, I have a septic tank system that I would be wary of killing the micro-organisms and destroying the balance in. That would be the only possible way for me to drain the tank here. Also we are located over an aquifer that is suffering from ground pollutants already. I appreciate your suggestion. I just don't think it would have been a good choice for my situation. My dad (RIP) however, would have loved it.
Thanks for the video. Mine is literally rumbling and shaking. Must be a ton in that tank. Off to Home Depot tomorrow to make a wand and get going. Thanks again.
Yes probably. But I just wanted to be done with this project after the cleanout. Maybe next year I'll do the rod too. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Are tanks prone to leaking after having such a buildup of sediment? I discovered sediment up to bottom element in my tank yesterday and initially figured I'd just have to replace the tank, but now am questioning whether that's necessary or not. It seems to work fine otherwise, I would just hate to invest the time to clean it thoroughly and then have to replace it soon after.
My shower/tub faucet was clogging every 7-14 days before I cleaned the tank. It has not clogged in over 8 months. I am going to inspect it annually now, and clean it before it becomes such a huge job as it was in the video. It should not leak, before or after. I saved a lot of money by cleaning the tank. Thank you for watching and commenting.
The Million dollar question: You have to of had the anode rod completely gone, why did you not replace it? I've seen it where there is nothing but the hex head with nothing below it :)
Refreshing to see a DYI with mishaps included along the way which usually occurs in everyday life instead of those polished easy peasy videos. BTW did you get that old element out or pushed it through?
I did not get that element out. But we did get another year out of that tank. I should have replaced the anode rod as well, but live and learn. The heater lasted for almost 20 years. Not bad.
The sediment in the bottom of my hot water heater is hard, only trickle water goes out, have tried breaking up the sediment with metal coat hanger;sorry I seem dumb on the subject, but any suggestions? I can’t afford a new water heater. Help
If you can get it drained, try putting about 3-4 gallons of white vinegar in. Let it set for 24-48 hours. See if that helps dissolve and loosen up the sediment. Good luck!
All Water heater after 20 years it's better to replace. Not sure why keep going with it. It will break eventually I'm just saying, is it still working?
You're not supposed to check the elements to see if they are working with electricity and have power, because yes, one kicks on at a time. You're supposed to check the elements with a multimeter, and check the resistance in homes. You should have approximately 13 Ω of resistance. The elements do not have to have power to them to check this.
After 30 years, buy yourself a new tank. I see why you have no hair left, you've pulled it all out. LOL. For those of you that watched, never turn the power back on to an electric tank unless it is full of water. A dry fire of the tank is a sure way to let the smoke out of the elements...
If you can afford it, yes, by all means buy a new tank. If I could afford it I wouldn't even bother changing the oil in my car. I'd just buy a new one. Simple. Obviously there is also a reason they call me Hardluck Charlie.. (besides being bald I have very limited resources $$$$) Also, I did fill the tank before turning the power back on. But that is a good thing to emphasize. Thank you for watching and commenting.
$600 for a new water heater. Or $40 for new heater elements. Plus 1 good day of hard work. Cheaper? I don't know about you, but I don't make $600 a day. And a good day of hard work has never scared me. So for me the choice was easy. Get 'er done.
@@hardluckcharlie Not everyone can or wants to clean out a hot water heater. At the average price of a plumber's $100+ an hour and how many hours you said it took you to do, that would be about the price of a new water heater. That's at least a 31-year-old water heater according to you. Way overdue for replacement. I've learned long ago not to throw good money after bad when upgrading computers. They always wind up irreversibly failing in the end. I hope that is not the case with your heater. Good luck!
![How to Flush & Vacuum Water Heater Tank to Remove Sediment - [Easy DIY Fix!]](/img/n.gif)
Please comment - good or bad. And put a like on this video if you liked it. It helps me improve my videos. Thank you all for watching!
Made the wand, stuck it on my Bauer shopvac (thanks for the recommendation Project Farm), proceeded to clean about 6 gallons of scale oatmeal out from 20 years of no maintenance.
Thank you very much!
Wow! Thanks for sharing!
Now this is truly reality tv. What is thought to be a quick job turns into a most of the day job. Lots of mistakes and unexpected turns. What gripes me most about shows like THIS OLD HOUSE is they cut out most of the frustrations and make it all seem like lightning-fast childs-play. Love your CHARLIE CHAPLIN logo as well. Keep up the fight.
Yes, this was "harsh reality" TV. lol Thank you for watching and commenting!
Yo! Made the tool and it worked unbelievably well. Thank you man!
Glad it helped out. Take care!
31 yrs! That’s a record. FWIW I use 1gal muriatic acid (30% acid)
& 2 gals of water. Add to bottom of empty WH and wait 1hr. Drain & refill several times. The solution will turn green =
Dissolved lime.
My dad was a muriatic acid freak. He used it for all kinds of things. Usually to clean rusted parts. The problem is the gasses produced by exposed muriatic acid are quite corrosive also, and many items such as shelving brackets in our shop began to rust badly. It can't be good for the lungs either, so I would suggest anyone using that method also take the precautions of using proper breathing apparatus. Also, I have a septic tank system that I would be wary of killing the micro-organisms and destroying the balance in. That would be the only possible way for me to drain the tank here. Also we are located over an aquifer that is suffering from ground pollutants already. I appreciate your suggestion. I just don't think it would have been a good choice for my situation. My dad (RIP) however, would have loved it.
Thanks for the video. Mine is literally rumbling and shaking. Must be a ton in that tank. Off to Home Depot tomorrow to make a wand and get going. Thanks again.
Did it work? Let us know how you came out.
I assume it works a lot better now?
That bottom element could not have been heating the water very well though all that crud.
Always something extra in Plumbing , Rarely very easy . Also maybe you should have replaced the Anode Rod , which is More Work . Thanks
Yes probably. But I just wanted to be done with this project after the cleanout. Maybe next year I'll do the rod too. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Please look into electric cathodic protection. I installed one in my tank, but no idea if it's a gimmick or not
Are tanks prone to leaking after having such a buildup of sediment? I discovered sediment up to bottom element in my tank yesterday and initially figured I'd just have to replace the tank, but now am questioning whether that's necessary or not. It seems to work fine otherwise, I would just hate to invest the time to clean it thoroughly and then have to replace it soon after.
My shower/tub faucet was clogging every 7-14 days before I cleaned the tank. It has not clogged in over 8 months. I am going to inspect it annually now, and clean it before it becomes such a huge job as it was in the video. It should not leak, before or after. I saved a lot of money by cleaning the tank. Thank you for watching and commenting.
The Million dollar question: You have to of had the anode rod completely gone, why did you not replace it? I've seen it where there is nothing but the hex head with nothing below it :)
Should'a, could'a, would'a. I should have replaced the anode rod as well, but live and learn. The heater lasted for almost 20 years. Not bad.
Thanks for your helpful video! Maybe you can try to dissolve it with Rydlyme.
Thanks for the idea! Take care!
Was your electric bill extremely high?
It was. It's better now, but it's still too high. I am running a lot of electrical appliances and heaters in my house and shop. Thanks for writing!
Thank you for this video.
Glad it was helpful!
Refreshing to see a DYI with mishaps included along the way which usually occurs in everyday life instead of those polished easy peasy videos. BTW did you get that old element out or pushed it through?
I did not get that element out. But we did get another year out of that tank. I should have replaced the anode rod as well, but live and learn. The heater lasted for almost 20 years. Not bad.
Great video, at least I'm not the only one who had this issue 😂😂👍👍👍
It's no fun. But it's nice to not have the valves clogging up too.
What do you do with that plastic tote of sediment?
Good question! What I have is like sand. I guess I can spread it out in my garden. Thanks for watching and commenting!
The sediment in the bottom of my hot water heater is hard, only trickle water goes out, have tried breaking up the sediment with metal coat hanger;sorry I seem dumb on the subject, but any suggestions? I can’t afford a new water heater. Help
If you can get it drained, try putting about 3-4 gallons of white vinegar in. Let it set for 24-48 hours. See if that helps dissolve and loosen up the sediment. Good luck!
@@hardluckcharlie thanks😊
All Water heater after 20 years it's better to replace. Not sure why keep going with it. It will break eventually I'm just saying, is it still working?
Money. That's the reason. Anyhow, yes I got two more years out of it. But we did finally replace it. Thanks for watching and writing!
well done
Thank you!
Thank you so very much!!!
You're welcome!
You're not supposed to check the elements to see if they are working with electricity and have power, because yes, one kicks on at a time.
You're supposed to check the elements with a multimeter, and check the resistance in homes. You should have approximately 13 Ω of resistance.
The elements do not have to have power to them to check this.
Thank you for the excellent info!
Good job!
Thank you for watching!
After 30 years, buy yourself a new tank. I see why you have no hair left, you've pulled it all out. LOL. For those of you that watched, never turn the power back on to an electric tank unless it is full of water. A dry fire of the tank is a sure way to let the smoke out of the elements...
If you can afford it, yes, by all means buy a new tank. If I could afford it I wouldn't even bother changing the oil in my car. I'd just buy a new one. Simple. Obviously there is also a reason they call me Hardluck Charlie.. (besides being bald I have very limited resources $$$$) Also, I did fill the tank before turning the power back on. But that is a good thing to emphasize. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Well I hope your fill it back of water before you turned on the Electric to the heater
That would be advisable, Thank you for commenting!
Probably would be cheaper to buy a new water heater.
$600 for a new water heater. Or $40 for new heater elements. Plus 1 good day of hard work. Cheaper? I don't know about you, but I don't make $600 a day. And a good day of hard work has never scared me. So for me the choice was easy. Get 'er done.
@@hardluckcharlie Not everyone can or wants to clean out a hot water heater. At the average price of a plumber's $100+ an hour and how many hours you said it took you to do, that would be about the price of a new water heater. That's at least a 31-year-old water heater according to you. Way overdue for replacement. I've learned long ago not to throw good money after bad when upgrading computers. They always wind up irreversibly failing in the end. I hope that is not the case with your heater. Good luck!
@@Bossmanrocks Plumbers love guys like you. To each their own.
You're a glutton for punishment, buddy. I'd rather take a beating than do that.
lol.
@@hardluckcharlie Sad thing, though, is that I'll have to do it soon. I've been putting it off a couple weeks now.
Ah but the satisfaction of doing these do-able jobs yourself is so rewarding self congratulatory and financially.
@@bc5001 I cleaned mine out with citric acid last time...4 years ago this July and it's still good so far.
@@BigRW 👍