The water heater serves as a settling basin for grit and debris,
but sometimes it manages to be mobilized. And sometimes
a cutoff valve, especially those dainty ones that are frequently
used under sinks and toilets, will lose a bit of itself or a chunk
of calcium, and it makes its way to the water use valve.

As a complete aside, I used a torch and solder on my plumbing
projects for over 30 years. But then, when I was redoing my
bathroom, I had Styrofoam in the walls and couldn't afford to
risk the torch. I found a 2-part epoxy product that's NFPA
approved for up to 2" pipes. I practiced with it, changed to use a bit,
and used it for all the redo, with not a single leak. Just thought I'd
mention that.

But rather than learning how to do plumbing right now with your wife
wanting to take a shower, I suggest getting a handyman or plumber
in to fix it. And I think the pressure equalizing valves really suck, so I
stay with discrete valves.

I ran separate lines to each of my fixtures, instead of having the cold
water
drop in the shower when a toilet was flushed.


Cuse wrote in message
...
Is it possible somehow when the water was drained it caused some
sediment to be stirred up and one big piece is somehow flushed into the
hot water outlet and stucked somewhere, causing the reduced pressure?

Sum

Michael Baugh wrote:

If at any time you drained the water level down below a heater,
it will likely have burned itself up, and they can be replaced.

If you replace a valve, I suggest using a ball valve instead of a gate
or other style valve.

Start at the beginning. Under each of the cover plates, there are
round things that are individual thermostats. One for each of the
heaters.

Is the line coming into the house, the one at the main water cutoff
valve,
steel or copper line?


Cuse wrote in message
...


Thanks. I did not know I need to open the tap to fill the tank. Of all
the step by step water tank drain instructions never did they mention
this. I do feel the tank is now full of water, but is lacking pressure
to push the water through the line.

The shower at the most downstream end does not even drip a drop of water
when I turn it on now. It has a pressure balanced valve so I figured if
I have no hot water pressure it will not run at all. The sink faucet
has normal cold water, and no hot water. But if I go back to the
kitchen (which is the closest to the water heater) and turn that on, the
bathroom faucet will now have water out with the lever on hot. Granted,
the water is cold, but now my worries is not so much hot water, is this
exercise seems to have cause the entire house water pressure to drop or
somehow air has gotten into the system.

Cuse

George E. Cawthon wrote:



Yes you need a tap opened to fill the tank. If you open the
kitchen faucet to hot water, (or any other faucet) the tank
should fill and then water would come out the open faucet.
Since that doesn't happen, you either didn't wait long
enough, or the coldwater valve is not letting water into the
hot water tank. It sound like that has happened and by now
you have probably burned up the heating element (which
should make little or no noise).

Hopefully you closed the relief valve. You could have left
it open until water started running out of it. Btw, the
ho****er tank is 220v, so you don't need to turn off all
electricity to the whole house, just turn off the 220
breakers.

You recognized a problem with the cold water valve at the
tank and failed to do anything. Big mistake.

Your next step is to turn the water off at the street and
replace the coldwater valve at the water heater. Before you
do that, again turn the handle and make sure the stem is
turning. If the stem is not turning, remove the handle and
put vice grips on the stem and turn it. After you get the
valve fixed or replaced, you can turn the water on, fill the
tank, and see if the heater elements are working. If after
and hour or two you get very cold water, the elements are
burned out and you will have to drain the tank and replace
the elements. Should you do that? I'm not sure, maybe just
buy a replacement tank for $150.

Cuse wrote:




It seems keeping the kitchen faucet running I got the tank filled now.
However I am not sure if it is partially filled or fully filled. I
took a chance after the filling sound stopped. The heater started and
the sound seems OK, sounds like a whirlpool being turned on.

After 10 minutes I still have my kitchen faucet running, then the
water
shot out with lower volume, higher volume, fluctuating like crazy.
There must be air and/or pressure imbalance somewhere. Should I open
the pressure relief valve on top of the tank?

What really happened?

When I drained the water I had the relief valve opened. so as the
water
drained is sucked air into the tank? and when I closed the drain and
valve the air in the tank prevented the water from entering the tank
until I turn the kitchen faucet on to draw air out? Is this right?

Confused and still not sure I will get hot water tonight.

Cuse

Cuse wrote:





This is unlikely. The resistance is about the same either way and
not
different from when I first touched it.

I did noticed something strange. If I turn on the water in my
kitchen, I hear activity inside the tank that sounds like refilling.
If I turned off the water, it stops. Not all faucet in my house will
cause this, but some of them. Why?

Some sort of pressure problem created by the draining?

I did pulled the tempearture pressure relief valve during the
draining. Pulling means pushing that lever until it is 90 %
(vertical)
right?

Cuse

SoCalMike wrote:





"Cuse" wrote in message
...






Problem...

I went to turn off the cold water and as I turned the valve it kept
turning. It does not seem to be tightening or loosening at all as
I
turned the valve either way. I think it is broken for some reason.





you probably tightened it shut, then stripped the handle. id
probably
try to
put some vicegrips on the stem, and reopen the valve.