On Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:39:16 -0500, Suzie-Q
wrote:

I'm doing laundry, washing a load with hot water. I just
noticed that, while the water is running to fill the washer,
there are noises coming from the water heater. It sounds a
little like when you throw your tennis shoes in the dryer:
that bumping sound they make.

Is this a bad noise? Can anyone tell me what's causing it?

The water heater is about eight years old. I have very hard
water and have never "drained" the water heater.

Thanks for any help.

I would not drain the water heater, now. I had a heater about 7 years
old and decided to drain it. A month or so later the tank failed and
flooded the garage floor. If you flush the tank routinely from the day
of install would be best, but not this late in use.

The tips on replacing the stock drain pipe on a new unit is smart.
Metal pipe and ball valve.