On 12/12/08 01:03 pm olddog wrote:

Do you have a water softener? I've heard those will lengthen the life of
a water heater.

I've just been informed by the guys at www.waterheaterrescue.com that
the water softener we installed about three years ago has probably
*reduced* the life of our water heater.

Did they say why? Logic (maybe flawed) says that the reduction in
sediment would extend the life. Could it be because of the trace amount
of NaCl left in the water?

They say it's because soft water is more acidic, but I think they are
confused: AAUI, *naturally* soft water is often somewhat acidic, but I
can't see why softening water will change its pH to any significant
amount, if at all.

I was told that the water softener eliminates the need to drain the
water heater too. Did they say anything about that?

Heating hard water may well cause the dissolved material to precipitate
out and cake in the bottom of the tank. This reduces the efficiency and
may cause hot spots that eventually cause the tank to fail prematurely.

Perce