I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. We have town water.

What could be causing this? The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.

thanks.

Jane

On Jul 14, 9:03*am, "
wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. *My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. *Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. *As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. *We have town water.

What could be causing this? *The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.

thanks.

Jane

My first though is a defect in the water heater. Air in pipes is
common after work is done, but I've never seen it last more than a
couple of days & only a couple of minutes if you go around and run
everything.

wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. We have town water.

What could be causing this? The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.


And we are sorry for your recent loss.


Wild guess: You have a defective thermostat on the water heater (or it's set
way too high) causing the water to boil. It is extremely unlikely that the
pressure would build sufficiently to rupture the tank, but it's not
impossible. You'd have to have TWO things wrong: the bad thermostat AND a
defective pressure relief valve. Still...

Another clue supporting this theory is the temperature of the water. If it
is REALLY hot - like steaming - the symptom lies with the water heater's
thermostat (probably). It IS possible the thermostat's temperature setting
got bumped when someone tried to store something next to it. Try turning it
down.

Alternatively, if you're on a well, it could be pumping air into the
system - Nah, never mind, if that were the case you'd be getting air in the
cold water line also.

On Jul 14, 7:03*am, "
wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. *My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. *Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. *As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. *We have town water.

What could be causing this? *The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.

thanks.

Jane

http://www.myinfoviews.com/

HeyBub wrote:
wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house,
but just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have
any problems. We have town water.

What could be causing this? The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.


And we are sorry for your recent loss.


Wild guess: You have a defective thermostat on the water heater (or
it's set way too high) causing the water to boil. It is extremely
unlikely that the pressure would build sufficiently to rupture the
tank, but it's not impossible. You'd have to have TWO things wrong:
the bad thermostat AND a defective pressure relief valve. Still...

Another clue supporting this theory is the temperature of the water.
If it is REALLY hot - like steaming - the symptom lies with the water
heater's thermostat (probably). It IS possible the thermostat's
temperature setting got bumped when someone tried to store something
next to it. Try turning it down.

Alternatively, if you're on a well, it could be pumping air into the
system - Nah, never mind, if that were the case you'd be getting air
in the cold water line also.

If the hot water pipe comes out of the top of the coldwater pipe, it could be
taking all the air in the water, leaving the cold un-aerated.

HeyBub wrote:
....
And we are sorry for your recent loss.

Indeed...

Wild guess: You have a defective thermostat on the water heater (or it's set
way too high) causing the water to boil. It is extremely unlikely that the
pressure would build sufficiently to rupture the tank, ...

That's what the safety relief is for, and if it were boiling any
significant amount it would lift.

But, it could still be either maladjusted or malfunctioning and hotter
water will cause more air out of solution plus perhaps more nucleate
(localized) boiling on the heater (assuming electric) element(s)...

So agree first question is "is it hotter than normal?"

--

I am sorry for your loss and I see that you have received some good
advice. I will only add one thing. You have been trouble shooting
this thing very well and you provided all the information that most
people would not have included allowing someone to give you some
answer.

On Jul 14, 11:24*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. *My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. *Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. *As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. *We have town water.

What could be causing this? *The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.

And we are sorry for your recent loss.

Wild guess: You have a defective thermostat on the water heater (or it's set
way too high) causing the water to boil. It is extremely unlikely that the
pressure would build sufficiently to rupture the tank, but it's not
impossible. You'd have to have TWO things wrong: the bad thermostat AND a
defective pressure relief valve. Still...

Another clue supporting this theory is the temperature of the water. If it
is REALLY hot - like steaming - the symptom lies with the water heater's
thermostat (probably). It IS possible the thermostat's temperature setting
got bumped when someone tried to store something next to it. Try turning it
down.

Alternatively, if you're on a well, it could be pumping air into the
system - Nah, never mind, if that were the case you'd be getting air in the
cold water line also.

No, the water is not hotter than usual. In fact I was thinking of
asking them to set the temp higher when they come.

Also, it is not well water. I use Town water.

On Jul 14, 3:37*pm, wrote:
* I am sorry for your loss and I see that you have received some good
advice. *I will only add one thing. *You have been trouble shooting
this thing very well and you provided all the information that most
people would not have included allowing someone to give you some
answer. *

Thank you.

I do plan to have the plumber here within the next week or so. I just
would like to have some idea of what might be wrong. I hate dealing
with these things in complete ignorance. Sort of like taking the car
in for service and not even knowing how to check the oil.

YvonneD wrote:
On Jul 14, 3:37 pm, wrote:
I am sorry for your loss and I see that you have received some good
advice. I will only add one thing. You have been trouble shooting
this thing very well and you provided all the information that most
people would not have included allowing someone to give you some
answer.

Thank you.

I do plan to have the plumber here within the next week or so. I just
would like to have some idea of what might be wrong. I hate dealing
with these things in complete ignorance. Sort of like taking the car
in for service and not even knowing how to check the oil.

I admire your diligence.

The air has to be coming from somewhere! If the water's not too hot, it's
not steam. If you don't see the same thing on the cold side, air is not
being pumped into your system from the supply lines.

The only other thing if COULD be is a miracle - or the opposite: a demon. In
either case, I'd call the Church.

Just on the wild side, ask your neighbors if they have any funny business
with their water supply. Can't hurt to ask.

In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

Just on the wild side, ask your neighbors if they have any funny business
with their water supply. Can't hurt to ask.

Damn, son, pay attention. She already done did that already.

wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. We have town water.

What could be causing this? The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.

thanks.

Jane

Could be cavitation.

Any valves connecting water to your heater should be
'full on'. That is to say, the handle(s) should be
turned counterclockwise till it stops.

Here, a homeowner has turned off the 'inlet' and
'outlet' valves before disconnecting the water
supply.

http://www.waterheaterinstallation.i...d-top-crop.jpg

Beware that the top of the heater will be HOT so
use caution and think about the consequences of
an involuntary flinch. Test first with the back
of your hand and please stay clear of the exhaust
stack poking up from the middle of the heater.

--Winston

Winston wrote:

(...)

Could be cavitation.

Any valves connecting water to your heater should be
'full on'. That is to say, the handle(s) should be
turned counterclockwise till it stops.

Here, a homeowner has turned off the 'inlet' and
'outlet' valves before disconnecting the water
supply.

http://www.waterheaterinstallation.i...d-top-crop.jpg


Beware that the top of the heater will be HOT so
use caution and think about the consequences of
an involuntary flinch. Test first with the back
of your hand and please stay clear of the exhaust
stack poking up from the middle of the heater.

--Winston

Let me correct myself.

The photo shows control valves for a parallel
water heater, not the valves I was indicating.
Still, the principal is the same. A restriction
in the inlet side of your water heater could
cause creation of air bubbles, so any valve(s)
providing water to or from the heater must
be fully open, to minimize this cavitation.

--Winston

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

Just on the wild side, ask your neighbors if they have any funny
business with their water supply. Can't hurt to ask.

Damn, son, pay attention. She already done did that already.

Uh, I have been paying attention.

Look! A squirrel!

wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. We have town water.

What could be causing this? The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.

thanks.

Jane

Hello Jane,

Steam bubbles wouldn't reach your faucet unless your tap water was
boiling hot.

Water tanks have anodes to keep them from rusting. Anodes produce
bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen. It happens faster with soft water.
Some anodes are designed to slow the bubbling.

I'll bet you aren't using as much hot water lately. That gives the gas
more time to accumulate.

E Z Peaces wrote:
wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house,
but just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have
any problems. We have town water.

What could be causing this? The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.

thanks.

Jane

Hello Jane,

Steam bubbles wouldn't reach your faucet unless your tap water was
boiling hot.

Water tanks have anodes to keep them from rusting. Anodes produce
bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen. It happens faster with soft water.
Some anodes are designed to slow the bubbling.

I'll bet you aren't using as much hot water lately. That gives the
gas more time to accumulate.

Excellent diagnosis!

You could probably test this by holding a match under the faucet.

No, wait...

On Jul 16, 12:11*pm, E Z Peaces wrote:
wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. *My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. *Sorry about the
multiple postings

Question:

I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. *As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.

Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. *We have town water.

What could be causing this? *The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.

thanks.

Jane

Hello Jane,

Steam bubbles wouldn't reach your faucet unless your tap water was
boiling hot.

Water tanks have anodes to keep them from rusting. *Anodes produce
bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen. *It happens faster with soft water.
Some anodes are designed to slow the bubbling.

I'll bet you aren't using as much hot water lately. *That gives the gas
more time to accumulate.

I use very little hot water lately. You could be right. Anyway, the
plumber is coming next week.

Thanks for the response.

Jane

On Jul 14, 10:59*pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
YvonneD wrote:
On Jul 14, 3:37 pm, wrote:
I am sorry for your loss and I see that you have received some good
advice. I will only add one thing. You have been trouble shooting
this thing very well and you provided all the information that most
people would not have included allowing someone to give you some
answer.

Thank you.

I do plan to have the plumber here within the next week or so. *I just
would like to have some idea of what might be wrong. *I hate dealing
with these things in complete ignorance. *Sort of like taking the car
in for service and not even knowing how to check the oil.

I admire your diligence.

The air has to be coming from somewhere! If the water's not too hot, it's
not steam. If you don't see the same thing on the cold side, air is not
being pumped into your system from the supply lines.

The only other thing if COULD be is a miracle - or the opposite: a demon. In
either case, I'd call the Church.

Just on the wild side, ask your neighbors if they have any funny business
with their water supply. Can't hurt to ask.

Thanks.

Actually I've had some air in the cold water pipes too. That's been
going on for over a year and doesn't seem to happen in the winter.
Maybe it is from the main inlet, although my neighbor across the
street doesn't have this problem.

The plumber is coming next week.

thanks again.

YvonneD wrote:
On Jul 16, 12:11 pm, E Z Peaces wrote:
wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. Sorry about the
multiple postings
Question:
I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.
Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. We have town water.
What could be causing this? The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.
thanks.
Jane
Hello Jane,

Steam bubbles wouldn't reach your faucet unless your tap water was
boiling hot.

Water tanks have anodes to keep them from rusting. Anodes produce
bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen. It happens faster with soft water.
Some anodes are designed to slow the bubbling.

I'll bet you aren't using as much hot water lately. That gives the gas
more time to accumulate.

I use very little hot water lately. You could be right. Anyway, the
plumber is coming next week.

Thanks for the response.

Jane

Maybe it's related to a strange experience I had a couple of years ago.
Does your hot water look milky?

My hot water supplies four sinks, a washer, and a shower. One day when
I drew some hot water in a glass at the sink in the main bathroom, tiny
gas bubbles made it look white. The water slowly cleared as it sat in
the glass. I tried it again. Still white. I removed the aerator.
Still white. After I drew more than a quart, it still wasn't clear. It
was clear the next day and ever since.

I wonder if the white appearance came from tiny bubbles of hydrogen and
oxygen that had been dissolved in the water until I reduced pressure by
opening the tap. I don't know why the water with the dissolved gases
would have collected in the pipe to that tap.

If more gas had accumulated in the water, perhaps it would have
sputtered from the tap. I wonder why the water was cloudy that day but
not before or since. Could something unusual in the town water that day
have increased gassing in my water heater anode?

On Jul 14, 8:28�pm, YvonneD wrote:


No, the water is not hotter than usual. �In fact I was thinking of
asking them to set the temp higher when they come.

Also, it is not well water. �I use Town water.-

Air in water lines that are on city water can be a common occurence,
especially if you are at the end of the main line. When the pumps
loose power due to an electrical outage, or other reason, air is
produced thru what is called "cavitation" in the pumps volute. If this
is the case, there is not much you can due about it, other than
contacting your water company and see if they can (or are willing) to
either reduce the pressure slightly or take other measures. They way
want to know about your problem in order to maximize their delivery
and avoid other problems. Anyway, check with them before you call a
plumber.

Hank ~~~~ Sorry about your loss.

Hustlin' Hank wrote:
On Jul 14, 8:28?pm, YvonneD wrote:


No, the water is not hotter than usual. ?In fact I was thinking of
asking them to set the temp higher when they come.

Also, it is not well water. ?I use Town water.-

Air in water lines that are on city water can be a common occurence,
especially if you are at the end of the main line. When the pumps
loose power due to an electrical outage, or other reason, air is
produced thru what is called "cavitation" in the pumps volute. If this
is the case, there is not much you can due about it, other than
contacting your water company and see if they can (or are willing) to
either reduce the pressure slightly or take other measures. They way
want to know about your problem in order to maximize their delivery
and avoid other problems. Anyway, check with them before you call a
plumber.


Not too many, if any, municipal systems use pumps to supply the water mains.
They use pumps to fill gravity-fed tanks. This has several advantages:

* They can use a smaller pump and have it run when demand is low to get
ahead of the curve
* The water distribution system still works - for several days - if the
electricity goes off or the pump fails
* A gravity system maintains a constant and predictable pressure

I've got a relatively new water reservoir right down the street. It's 60' in
the air of course but the sucker is HUGE. The pole on which it stands is
round, concrete, and about 30' in diameter. The tank itself is also
concrete, about 60' in diameter and twenty feet high and must contain about
4.5 million gallons!

Every time I pass it, I think it would make a really swell dwelling with
just a few additions: Elevator, windows, gun ports, etc.

Here's what it looks like:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...D40 %26um%3D1

Hustlin' Hank wrote:
....
Air in water lines that are on city water can be a common occurence,
especially if you are at the end of the main line. When the pumps
loose power due to an electrical outage, or other reason, air is
produced thru what is called "cavitation" in the pumps volute. If this
is the case, there is not much you can due about it, other than
contacting your water company and see if they can (or are willing) to
either reduce the pressure slightly or take other measures. They way
want to know about your problem in order to maximize their delivery
and avoid other problems. Anyway, check with them before you call a
plumber.

What a bunch of mostly hooey...

And, even if it were, air in supply lines would show up in both hot
_AND_COLD_, not hot only...

--

On Jul 18, 4:43�pm, "HeyBub" wrote:


Not too many, if any, municipal systems use pumps to supply the water mains.
They use pumps to fill gravity-fed tanks. This has several advantages:

* They can use a smaller pump and have it run when demand is low to get
ahead of the curve
* The water distribution system still works - for several days - if the
electricity goes off or the pump fails
* A gravity system maintains a constant and predictable pressure

I've got a relatively new water reservoir right down the street. It's 60' in
the air of course but the sucker is HUGE. The pole on which it stands is
round, concrete, and about 30' in diameter. The tank itself is also
concrete, about 60' in diameter and twenty feet high and must contain about
4.5 million gallons!

Every time I pass it, I think it would make a really swell dwelling with
just a few additions: Elevator, windows, gun ports, etc.

Here's what it looks like:http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...ron.com/ve...-

You are correct in most cases. However, there are relay stations and
booster pumps. In the district I am in, they use towers and booster
pumps. The air can be caused by the cavitaion of the booster pump.

I am at the end of a water main and I get air everytime the electric
goes out and sometimes when it don't. I was just adding my $.02.

The tower would make a great house if you didnt' mind all the damn
stairs.

Hank ~~~too old for that many stairs

dpb wrote:
Hustlin' Hank wrote:
...
Air in water lines that are on city water can be a common occurence,
especially if you are at the end of the main line. When the pumps
loose power due to an electrical outage, or other reason, air is
produced thru what is called "cavitation" in the pumps volute. If this
is the case, there is not much you can due about it, other than
contacting your water company and see if they can (or are willing) to
either reduce the pressure slightly or take other measures. They way
want to know about your problem in order to maximize their delivery
and avoid other problems. Anyway, check with them before you call a
plumber.

What a bunch of mostly hooey...

And, even if it were, air in supply lines would show up in both hot
_AND_COLD_, not hot only...

--

The OP said there are bubbles in the cold, but not as many. Suppose the
incoming water is saturated with dissolved air. If it stands in
cold-water pipes in the house that are warmer than the source, bubbles
will form. Even more will form in the water heater. Households using
more water might not notice it.

I imagine water wouldn't have that much air unless it was dissolved
under pressure. Could a municipal water system dissolve air in water
under pressure? Another possibility is that the dissolved gas was
generated in the pipes as a product of water purification. Could that be?

On Jul 18, 6:45�pm, E Z Peaces wrote:


I imagine water wouldn't have that much air unless it was dissolved
under pressure. �Could a municipal water system dissolve air in water
under pressure? �Another possibility is that the dissolved gas was
generated in the pipes as a product of water purification. �Could that be?-

Anything is possible. The bottom line is that air is in the lines,
both hot and cold. If it were me, I'd call the water department and
see what they have to say about it before I call a plumber. If they
have a tower, I would think the air (if any) that may have been
produced in the purifying process would escape in the tower, but maybe
not all.

Water lines are pressurized and don't need to be layed in a sloped
fashion like sewer/waste lines. Her tap could be at a point a little
higher than her neighbors where the air could settle. Therefore she
would get air and her neighbors wouldn't. But again, anything is
possible.

Hank

On Jul 18, 12:11*pm, E Z Peaces wrote:
YvonneD wrote:
On Jul 16, 12:11 pm, E Z Peaces wrote:
wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. *My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. *Sorry about the
multiple postings
Question:
I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. *As the water gets warmer the air gets worse..
Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. *We have town water.
What could be causing this? *The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.
thanks.
Jane
Hello Jane,

Steam bubbles wouldn't reach your faucet unless your tap water was
boiling hot.

Water tanks have anodes to keep them from rusting. *Anodes produce
bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen. *It happens faster with soft water.
Some anodes are designed to slow the bubbling.

I'll bet you aren't using as much hot water lately. *That gives the gas
more time to accumulate.

I use very little hot water lately. *You could be right. *Anyway, the
plumber is coming next week.

Thanks for the response.

Jane

Maybe it's related to a strange experience I had a couple of years ago.
* Does your hot water look milky?

My hot water supplies four sinks, a washer, and a shower. *One day when
I drew some hot water in a glass at the sink in the main bathroom, tiny
gas bubbles made it look white. *The water slowly cleared as it sat in
the glass. *I tried it again. *Still white. *I removed the aerator.
Still white. *After I drew more than a quart, it still wasn't clear. *It
was clear the next day and ever since.

I wonder if the white appearance came from tiny bubbles of hydrogen and
oxygen that had been dissolved in the water until I reduced pressure by
opening the tap. *I don't know why the water with the dissolved gases
would have collected in the pipe to that tap.

If more gas had accumulated in the water, perhaps it would have
sputtered from the tap. *I wonder why the water was cloudy that day but
not before or since. *Could something unusual in the town water that day
have increased gassing in my water heater anode?

YES! I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that the hot water
is cloudy. Exactly as you described yours. Did you have air in the
pipes at that time?

On Jul 18, 12:38*pm, "Hustlin' Hank" wrote:
On Jul 14, 8:28 pm, YvonneD wrote:



No, the water is not hotter than usual. In fact I was thinking of
asking them to set the temp higher when they come.

Also, it is not well water. I use Town water.-

Air in water lines that are on city water can be a common occurence,
especially if you are at the end of the main line. When the pumps
loose power due to an electrical outage, or other reason, air is
produced thru what is called "cavitation" in the pumps volute. If this
is the case, there is not much you can due about it, other than
contacting your water company and see if they can (or are willing) to
either reduce the pressure slightly or take other measures. They way
want to know about your problem in order to maximize their delivery
and avoid other problems. Anyway, check with them before you call a
plumber.

Hank ~~~~ Sorry about your loss.

I live in a condo. There are four other units in my building. None
of them are having problems. This isn't just a little air, it's
enough to make the pipes rattle.

On Jul 19, 5:20*am, "Hustlin' Hank" wrote:
On Jul 18, 6:45 pm, E Z Peaces wrote:



I imagine water wouldn't have that much air unless it was dissolved
under pressure. Could a municipal water system dissolve air in water
under pressure? Another possibility is that the dissolved gas was
generated in the pipes as a product of water purification. Could that be?-

Anything is possible. The bottom line is that air is in the lines,
both hot and cold. If it were me, I'd call the water department and
see what they have to say about it before I call a plumber. If they
have a tower, *I would think the air (if any) that may have been
produced in the purifying process would escape in the tower, but maybe
not all.

Water lines are pressurized and don't need to be layed in a sloped
fashion like sewer/waste lines. Her tap could be at a point a little
higher than her neighbors where the air could settle. Therefore she
would get air and her neighbors wouldn't. But again, anything is
possible.

Hank

Yes there is air in both hot and cold BUT, there is only a little
burst of air when I first turn on the cold water, before the water
comes out and only in the kitchen. This has been happening for more
than a year, and for some reason doesn't happen at all in the winter.
There is lots of air in the hot water, the worst being once the water
has run a while. No matter how long the water runs there are still
bursts of air and it happens everywhere the hot water is used.

YvonneD wrote:
On Jul 18, 12:11 pm, E Z Peaces wrote:
YvonneD wrote:
On Jul 16, 12:11 pm, E Z Peaces wrote:
wrote:
I've already posted this, but I screwed up the Subject line. My
husband passed away recently and my brain is only on half power.
Also, he used to take care of these kind of issues. Sorry about the
multiple postings
Question:
I noticed that within the past month or so I have a lot of air when I
turn on the hot water. As the water gets warmer the air gets worse.
Since it's only the hot water I assume it's a problem in my house, but
just to be sure I checked with my neighbors and the do not have any
problems. We have town water.
What could be causing this? The air comes out in strong bursts
sometimes and it makes the pipes vibrate.
thanks.
Jane
Hello Jane,
Steam bubbles wouldn't reach your faucet unless your tap water was
boiling hot.
Water tanks have anodes to keep them from rusting. Anodes produce
bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen. It happens faster with soft water.
Some anodes are designed to slow the bubbling.
I'll bet you aren't using as much hot water lately. That gives the gas
more time to accumulate.
I use very little hot water lately. You could be right. Anyway, the
plumber is coming next week.
Thanks for the response.
Jane
Maybe it's related to a strange experience I had a couple of years ago.
Does your hot water look milky?

My hot water supplies four sinks, a washer, and a shower. One day when
I drew some hot water in a glass at the sink in the main bathroom, tiny
gas bubbles made it look white. The water slowly cleared as it sat in
the glass. I tried it again. Still white. I removed the aerator.
Still white. After I drew more than a quart, it still wasn't clear. It
was clear the next day and ever since.

I wonder if the white appearance came from tiny bubbles of hydrogen and
oxygen that had been dissolved in the water until I reduced pressure by
opening the tap. I don't know why the water with the dissolved gases
would have collected in the pipe to that tap.

If more gas had accumulated in the water, perhaps it would have
sputtered from the tap. I wonder why the water was cloudy that day but
not before or since. Could something unusual in the town water that day
have increased gassing in my water heater anode?

YES! I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that the hot water
is cloudy. Exactly as you described yours. Did you have air in the
pipes at that time?

The bubbles were so tiny that the only sign was a milky white color that
cleared up as the water sat. I don't know why it happened only once
that I noticed or why I didn't notice milky water in the kitchen.

YvonneD wrote:
On Jul 18, 12:38 pm, "Hustlin' Hank" wrote:
On Jul 14, 8:28 pm, YvonneD wrote:



No, the water is not hotter than usual. In fact I was thinking of
asking them to set the temp higher when they come.
Also, it is not well water. I use Town water.-
Air in water lines that are on city water can be a common occurence,
especially if you are at the end of the main line. When the pumps
loose power due to an electrical outage, or other reason, air is
produced thru what is called "cavitation" in the pumps volute. If this
is the case, there is not much you can due about it, other than
contacting your water company and see if they can (or are willing) to
either reduce the pressure slightly or take other measures. They way
want to know about your problem in order to maximize their delivery
and avoid other problems. Anyway, check with them before you call a
plumber.

Hank ~~~~ Sorry about your loss.

I live in a condo. There are four other units in my building. None
of them are having problems. This isn't just a little air, it's
enough to make the pipes rattle.

It you get it at hot and cold taps, it sounds as if air is getting into
municipal pipe. It can happen when hydrants are flushed or pipes are
repaired. I don't know how it would get in every day.

Perhaps bubbles smaller than peas travel along the municipal pipe, and
the slope guides them to your condo and not others. When your cold tap
in the kitchen is off, just enough air collects to make a small pop when
you turn it on. When the water is flowing, the bubbles are too small to
pop.

In the water heater, the little bubbles would rise to the top and enter
the outlet as a larger bubble. That would explain why you hear big pops
while the hot water flows.

If the problem starts with little bubbles in the municipal main, I don't
know what would cause those bubbles.

E Z Peaces wrote:

(...)

If the problem starts with little bubbles in the municipal main, I don't
know what would cause those bubbles.

One thing's for sure.
It cannot possibly be cavitation.

--Winston

Remember that water has some air dissolved in it. How much can
be dissolved depends on the temperature and pressure of the water.

Winston wrote:
E Z Peaces wrote:

(...)

If the problem starts with little bubbles in the municipal main, I
don't know what would cause those bubbles.

One thing's for sure.
It cannot possibly be cavitation.

--Winston

Are you mad?
Of course it could be cavitation!
Water running quickly enough past an edge causes cavitation
all the time. Get real buddy.

--Winston