DIYbanter - View Single Post - Gas Hot Water Heater Making Whining Noise

Joseph Meehan

wrote:
Hello Everyone,

My gas hot water heater is making a high-pitched whining noise in the
evenings. This has happened two nights in a row at about 7pm. No
water using appliances had been used, nor had anyone in the house used
the shower or tub in the hours before the noise. The first time it
happened, I turned on the hot water in the kitchen, and the sound
stopped. I thought that was a fluke but tried it again last night.
Sure enough, the sound stopped abruptly as soon as the water in the
kitchen got warm after I turned it on.

Does anyone know what the cause of this might be and if it is
dangerous? The water heater is about 7 years old and it was pre-
installed in my manufactured home that was built in 2000.

Thanks in advance for any help,
Kim

Look carefully to see if there is a little dribble coming out the TP
valve (Temperature & Pressure on the side near the top of the tank with as
pipe going down almost to the floor. You might even try touching it to see
if you can feel the sound. I could be building up too much pressure in the
tank due to no pressure release and too much pressure in your home.

It also could be build up of deposits on the bottom of the tank. As
noted in some areas 7 years is a good life for a tank. It depends on the
local water conditions.

The pressure issue can and should be addressed. A weak TP valve is easy
and cheap to replace. Not much you can do after the fact about the build
up. That usually means it is time for a new heater as would any actual
leak.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit