Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [water-heater]

For questions generally relating to the hot-water supply system of a typical residential or commercial building, primarily regarding the heating mechanism itself (a traditional hot water heater tank, tankless heaters including "point-of-use", boilers and heat exchangers, etc).

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How can I speed up my slow hot water?

Our water heater (gas) is located in the garage. It is 25 to 30 feet away from the closest faucet, which I'm guessing is the main reason it takes so long -- a minute or longer -- to get hot water flowing into my house. What can I do to reduce the…
arathorn
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Is flushing a waterheater a good idea?

I've been told that water-heaters build up sediment at the bottom over time, and should be flushed out (ie. drained, then allowed to refill). Is there value in this exercise? Does that value exceed the cost of the hot water lost in the process?
retracile
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Why is my hot water running out quickly regardless of other household water usage?

I've noticed that my shower, which used to run hot water for what seemed like forever, now can only produce about 15 minutes of hot water. This doesn't appear to be related to other water usage in the house. What are the possible causes of this?…
Madey Jay
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How high to raise water heater above floor?

I saw a water heater stand at Home Depot but it's about 15" high. That's a bit too high for my basement. Can I just make one with 2x4 and plywood that's only 4" tall, basically just enough to be able to drain water off the drain tray? Or does the…
amphibient
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How does a Thermal Release Device (TRD) work?

Rheem hot water heaters have a device in the combustion chamber called Thermal Release Device (TRD). It contains a vial filled with liquid that seems to be mounted in a flex metal plate. It is a safety device that is supposed to trip when the…
amit_g
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Is it about time to replace the water heater?

My wife and I just recently closed on our first home. The home was built in 1930 and aged excellently. The couple who we bought the home from had purchased it as a foreclosure in 2006 and made it their retirement project to completely restore the…
TFK
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Are water heater blankets a good idea?

Is it a good idea to wrap a water heater in insulation? Does it lower the heating cost? Does it shorten the life of the water heater?
retracile
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Replacing a hot water heater: tank or tankless?

We've lived in this house for 20 years and the hot water heater (tank style) was 2 years old, as was the rest of the house, when we moved in. In the last year or two we've started to have occasions when we run out of hot water. At first we put it…
Kate Gregory
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Water leaving the house when water cut off

Every now and then, I have an interruption in the supply of water from the city. In the past, I would simply notice there is no water provided, and that the water meter would stand still. But I have recently installed myself an electrical water…
DevShark
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Why won't my water heater blower shut off?

My water heater has a blower attachment that kicks on when the water heater begins to heat water and shuts off when it is done. I'm no water heater expert, but I believe that these actions are related to the thermostat. Recently, I've noticed the…
Tim Reddy
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Is a gas water heater safe in a bedroom?

My existing water heater is electric and is likely to need replacing soon. The heater is in a converted garage that I use as a guest room. As the house is piped for gas, I'm considering the purchase of a gas water heater to replace the electric…
Will Shaver
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Should a water heater's anode be replaced?

I hear conflicting information on replacing the anode bar on a water heater or not since the water heater will be replaced anyway. Should the anode bar be periodically replaced? Why? How often?
mdpc
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Why is water running into my water heater when cold water inlet is turned off?

I'm installing a new water heater. The cold water inlet is turned off and no water is running in the house. After attaching the hot water outlet to the water heater I can hear water flowing/dribbling into the water heater. Does this mean I have a…
Cindy Clarke
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Water Heater Dripping and Hissing Internally

I came home today and found that the gas water heater (traditional tank style) was not working. The pilot light was out so I relit it and the heater came on. After about 10 minutes I noticed that it had shut off. There was a sound like water…
Jim S.
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Should voltage drop in one circuit affect other circuits

I have a 27KW tankless electric Water Heater (WH) that is hooked up to a sub panel from the main panbel, with a max amp draw rating of 112.5 amps. Additionally, the 2.0 hp well pump is also wired to this sub panel. This sub panel coming from the…
arias_JC
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