I am trying to figure out why I run out of hot water for my bathtub.

Tub is from the mid 50's using a gas water heater.

I flushed out the hot water tank but it was only slightly rust
colored.

Thanks,
Andy

On Feb 13, 5:32*pm, Andy wrote:
I am trying to figure out why I run out of hot water for my bathtub.

Tub is from the mid 50's using a gas water heater.

I flushed out the hot water tank but it was only slightly rust
colored.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * *Andy

Thermostat may be obscured by a layer of crud if the WH is fairly old.
May also need a new dip tube to help it deliver just heated water.
Considering the current prices on WH's it makes sense to keep it going
a few more years. For now, turn up the thermostat a bit to see if that
will help.

Joe

On Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:41:13 -0800 (PST), Joe wrote:

On Feb 13, 5:32*pm, Andy wrote:
I am trying to figure out why I run out of hot water for my bathtub.

Tub is from the mid 50's using a gas water heater.

I flushed out the hot water tank but it was only slightly rust
colored.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * *Andy

Thermostat may be obscured by a layer of crud if the WH is fairly old.
May also need a new dip tube to help it deliver just heated water.
Considering the current prices on WH's it makes sense to keep it going
a few more years. For now, turn up the thermostat a bit to see if that
will help.

Joe

.... just to add-on... I've drained two WH's in my life time. In a few
short months both leaked and flooded my garage. Happens at the worst
of times. I did have one that leaked (past warranty), but was
returned and I was given a new one. The latter was never drained.

When they go bad, it only takes me a couple hours of labor / store
time to replace them. Nor, do I buy them with the longest warranty.
Six year warranty works for me.

On Feb 13, 6:32*pm, Andy wrote:
I am trying to figure out why I run out of hot water for my bathtub.

Tub is from the mid 50's using a gas water heater.

I flushed out the hot water tank but it was only slightly rust
colored.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * *Andy


@Andy:

Have you lived in this house long ?

Did the hot water heater used to deliver enough hot
water to fill the tub in the past ?

Or is this just something you have always dealt with
and are just asking now to satisfy your curiosity ?

~~ Evan

On Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:32:43 -0800 (PST), Andy
wrote:

I am trying to figure out why I run out of hot water for my bathtub.

Tub is from the mid 50's using a gas water heater.

I flushed out the hot water tank but it was only slightly rust
colored.

Thanks,
Andy


Maybe only a little rust came out, but you can still have several
inches of sediment in the bottom of the tank reducing the heat
transfer.

Not being able to see the situation and the age of the water heater,
it is not possible to diagnose, but it may be time for a new one.

On Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:32:43 -0800 (PST), Andy
wrote:

I am trying to figure out why I run out of hot water for my bathtub.

Tub is from the mid 50's using a gas water heater.

I flushed out the hot water tank but it was only slightly rust
colored.

Thanks,
Andy


How old is the hot water tank? If I had to guess, faulty part inside
like the thermocouple or thermostat. I'd say if it's like 10 years
old or more, probably best to just replace the hot water heater itself
unless you are handy.

How old is the hot water tank? * If I had to guess, faulty part inside
like the thermocouple or thermostat. *I'd say if it's like 10 years
old or more, probably best to just replace the hot water heater itself
unless you are handy.

if the tank is more than 5 years old its probably best to just replace
it with a larger tank that will be more efficent.

is it gas or electric??.

things that contribuite to this problem.........

lower incoming water temp. sludged up tank, thermostat too low, a
fixture that is using more water than usual. some tanks are low BTU

How old is the hot water tank? * If I had to guess, faulty part inside
like the thermocouple or thermostat. *I'd say if it's like 10 years
old or more, probably best to just replace the hot water heater itself
unless you are handy.

How old is the hot water tank? If I had to guess, faulty part inside
like the thermocouple or thermostat. I'd say if it's like 10 years
old or more, probably best to just replace the hot water heater itself
unless you are handy.


if the tank is more than 5 years old its probably best to just
replace
it with a larger tank that will be more efficent. go higher BTU and
larger capacity

things that contribuite to this problem.........


lower incoming water temp. sludged up tank, thermostat too low, a
fixture that is using more water than usual. some tanks are low
BTU .......

old tanks arent worth messing with

On 2/13/2012 5:32 PM, Andy wrote:
I am trying to figure out why I run out of hot water for my bathtub.

Tub is from the mid 50's using a gas water heater.

I flushed out the hot water tank but it was only slightly rust
colored.

Thanks,
Andy

sounds like the dip tube has broken off. Check it out, it's on the
inlet side. They are available at the hardware store.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

On Feb 14, 1:34*am, bob haller wrote:
How old is the hot water tank? * If I had to guess, faulty part inside
like the thermocouple or thermostat. *I'd say if it's like 10 years
old or more, probably best to just replace the hot water heater itself
unless you are handy.
How old is the hot water tank? * If I had to guess, faulty part inside
like the thermocouple or thermostat. *I'd say if it's like 10 years
old or more, probably best to just replace the hot water heater itself
unless you are handy.

if the tank is more than 5 years old its probably best to just
replace
it with a larger tank that will be more efficent. go higher BTU and
larger capacity

things that contribuite to this problem.........

lower incoming water temp. sludged up tank, thermostat too low, a
fixture that is using more water than usual. some tanks are low
BTU .......

old tanks arent worth messing with

Thanks to all for the responses.

The tank was made in 1995 by Richmond.

My research shows that that model is among the ones that had defective
dip tubes.

The hot water situation for the present is just an annoyance.

I will decide later if I want to replace the dip tube.

Andy

Thanks to all for the responses.

The tank was made in 1995 by Richmond.

My research shows that that model is among the ones that had defective
dip tubes.

The hot water situation for the present is just an annoyance.

I will decide later if I want to replace the dip tube.

Andy-

replace the tank its 17 years old, far past its normal life
expectancy.

trying to remove dip tube will just create a leak either immediately
or long term

the good news is your replacement tank will be more energy efficent

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:59:25 -0800 (PST), Andy
wrote:

On Feb 14, 1:34*am, bob haller wrote:
How old is the hot water tank? * If I had to guess, faulty part inside
like the thermocouple or thermostat. *I'd say if it's like 10 years
old or more, probably best to just replace the hot water heater itself
unless you are handy.
How old is the hot water tank? * If I had to guess, faulty part inside
like the thermocouple or thermostat. *I'd say if it's like 10 years
old or more, probably best to just replace the hot water heater itself
unless you are handy.

if the tank is more than 5 years old its probably best to just
replace
it with a larger tank that will be more efficent. go higher BTU and
larger capacity

things that contribuite to this problem.........

lower incoming water temp. sludged up tank, thermostat too low, a
fixture that is using more water than usual. some tanks are low
BTU .......

old tanks arent worth messing with

Thanks to all for the responses.

The tank was made in 1995 by Richmond.

My research shows that that model is among the ones that had defective
dip tubes.

The hot water situation for the present is just an annoyance.

I will decide later if I want to replace the dip tube.

Andy

How big is the water heater?

How big is the bathtub?

How big are you? The smaller you are, the more water it takes to fill
the bathtub.

When I moved in, baths were fine. They usually take me 30 minutes.

When the first tank leaked, I said, Why do I need a 65 gallon tank
when I live alone, so I think I got a 45 or 50 gallon tank. After
that, I ran out of hot water frequently. Even though there was only
2 tablespoons of sediment in the bottom of the tank (I cut it open and
looked.) and the dip tube looked fine.

So the next WH was 69 gallons and I haven't run out of hot water.

If your tub is from the mid-50's it's probably a lot bigger than mine,
which is barely wider than I am when my arms are at my side. And
which isn't long enough to suit me either. If I want to keep my legs
straight, I have to sit upright.

Sme time between the 2nd WH and the 3rd, they lowered the temp at
which they ship the WHs. I like that I can't possibly burn myself
with all hot, but even after raising the temp twice, if I don't make
the water hot enough in the first place, the hot water is not enough
to raise the temperature of an almost full tub. I will probably
raise the temp a thrid time. Raising the temp means it takes less hot
water to fill the tub, along with more cold water. It's the simplest
way to fix this. And there is a wide range between the temp it came
with and a temp that is still safe for a child. I forget what the
numbers are.

On Feb 14, 9:05*am, bob haller wrote:
Thanks to all for the responses.

The tank was made in 1995 by Richmond.

My research shows that that model is among the ones that had defective
dip tubes.

The hot water situation for the present is just an annoyance.

I will decide later if I want to replace the dip tube.

Andy-

replace the tank its 17 years old, far past its normal life
expectancy.

trying to remove dip tube will just create a leak either immediately
or long term

the good news is your replacement tank will be more energy efficent


I would agree that at 17 years I would just replace the
water heater. For a gas water heater, that is past the
average life. I'd also consider what would happen if
it suddenly fails with a major leak, which is not unusual.
If it's in a place where that would do damage, then
it's a no-brainer to replace it.

As for efficiency, there are a range of options today.
What works for you will depend on your projected
cost of fuel in your area vs. how much more a
more efficient one costs. You also have any install
issues with a different type, eg venting for a direct
vent type, etc.

If you insist on fooling around with the existing one,
first place I'd start is to check what temp the water
is coming out. Could be as simple as the thermostat
needs to be adjusted or the dip tube. As others have
said, if you start unscrewing fittings on it, that may
lead to replacement too.

The one time I replaced a dip tube, this worked for me:

1) Shut off the water main, turn gas valve from middle to "warm"
2) Open the tank drain, open the upstairs faucets, and drain a gallon or so
of water
3) Using tubing cutter, cut the cold water inlet tubing about 6 inches over
the tank
4) Pipe wrench, gently unthread the nipple and tube from inlet side
5) Check for dip tube, didnt find one. Slip the new tube in.
6) Solder half a copper union to the nipple I just threaded out (tubing
should be horizontal, balanced on a brick or something while soldering)
7) Rectoreseal the nipple, push the tubing from above out of the way, crank
the threaded part back in
8) Put the other half of the union on. Guess where to cut the other piece of
copper, size to fit
9) Sweat the other half the union to the copper coming from above
10) Snug down the union, turn water on, check for leaks, reset gas
thermostat

Present invoice to customer. Next change out will be a lot easier, since you
can just shut off the water, turn down the gas, and take it apart at the
union and the threads.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Andy" wrote in message
...

Thanks to all for the responses.

The tank was made in 1995 by Richmond.

My research shows that that model is among the ones that had defective
dip tubes.

The hot water situation for the present is just an annoyance.

I will decide later if I want to replace the dip tube.

Andy

On Feb 14, 10:29*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
The one time I replaced a dip tube, this worked for me:

1) Shut off the water main, turn gas valve from middle to "warm"
2) Open the tank drain, open the upstairs faucets, *and drain a gallon or so
of water
3) Using tubing cutter, cut the cold water inlet tubing about 6 inches over
the tank
4) Pipe wrench, gently unthread the nipple and tube from inlet side
5) Check for dip tube, didnt find one. Slip the new tube in.
6) Solder half a copper union to the nipple I just threaded out (tubing
should be horizontal, balanced on a brick or something while soldering)
7) Rectoreseal the nipple, push the tubing from above out of the way, crank
the threaded part back in
8) Put the other half of the union on. Guess where to cut the other piece of
copper, size to fit
9) Sweat the other half the union to the copper coming from above
10) Snug down the union, turn water on, check for leaks, reset gas
thermostat

Present invoice to customer. Next change out will be a lot easier, since you
can just shut off the water, turn down the gas, and take it apart at the
union and the threads.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"Andy" wrote in message

...

Thanks to all for the responses.

The tank was made in 1995 by Richmond.

My research shows that that model is among the ones that had defective
dip tubes.

The hot water situation for the present is just an annoyance.

I will decide later if I want to replace the dip tube.

Andy

dont mess with OP tank unless he is prepared for a ;leak and a instant
tank replacement.

tank is well past its service life

On Feb 14, 10:29*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
The one time I replaced a dip tube, this worked for me:

1) Shut off the water main, turn gas valve from middle to "warm"
2) Open the tank drain, open the upstairs faucets, *and drain a gallon or so
of water
3) Using tubing cutter, cut the cold water inlet tubing about 6 inches over
the tank
4) Pipe wrench, gently unthread the nipple and tube from inlet side
5) Check for dip tube, didnt find one. Slip the new tube in.
6) Solder half a copper union to the nipple I just threaded out (tubing
should be horizontal, balanced on a brick or something while soldering)
7) Rectoreseal the nipple, push the tubing from above out of the way, crank
the threaded part back in
8) Put the other half of the union on. Guess where to cut the other piece of
copper, size to fit
9) Sweat the other half the union to the copper coming from above
10) Snug down the union, turn water on, check for leaks, reset gas
thermostat

Present invoice to customer. Next change out will be a lot easier, since you
can just shut off the water, turn down the gas, and take it apart at the
union and the threads.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"Andy" wrote in message

...

Thanks to all for the responses.

The tank was made in 1995 by Richmond.

My research shows that that model is among the ones that had defective
dip tubes.

The hot water situation for the present is just an annoyance.

I will decide later if I want to replace the dip tube.

Andy

Most installations don't have enough overhead to replace the dip tube
without uninstalling the tank. I'd just replace the whole thing. The
others are right, you mess aorund with it and it's going to leak
within 2 months.

On 2/14/2012 9:29 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
The one time I replaced a dip tube, this worked for me:

1) Shut off the water main, turn gas valve from middle to "warm"
2) Open the tank drain, open the upstairs faucets, and drain a gallon or so
of water
3) Using tubing cutter, cut the cold water inlet tubing about 6 inches over
the tank
4) Pipe wrench, gently unthread the nipple and tube from inlet side
5) Check for dip tube, didnt find one. Slip the new tube in.
6) Solder half a copper union to the nipple I just threaded out (tubing
should be horizontal, balanced on a brick or something while soldering)
7) Rectoreseal the nipple, push the tubing from above out of the way, crank
the threaded part back in
8) Put the other half of the union on. Guess where to cut the other piece of
copper, size to fit
9) Sweat the other half the union to the copper coming from above
10) Snug down the union, turn water on, check for leaks, reset gas
thermostat

Present invoice to customer. Next change out will be a lot easier, since you
can just shut off the water, turn down the gas, and take it apart at the
union and the threads.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

All these nay sayers must be water heater salesmen. LMAO! The damn dip
tubes are flexible. No overhead needed to replace. If it's REALLY
REALLY tight against something, just drill a hole and drop it through
it. duh.


--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

On Feb 14, 1:35*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
On 2/14/2012 9:29 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:





The one time I replaced a dip tube, this worked for me:

1) Shut off the water main, turn gas valve from middle to "warm"
2) Open the tank drain, open the upstairs faucets, *and drain a gallon or so
of water
3) Using tubing cutter, cut the cold water inlet tubing about 6 inches over
the tank
4) Pipe wrench, gently unthread the nipple and tube from inlet side
5) Check for dip tube, didnt find one. Slip the new tube in.
6) Solder half a copper union to the nipple I just threaded out (tubing
should be horizontal, balanced on a brick or something while soldering)
7) Rectoreseal the nipple, push the tubing from above out of the way, crank
the threaded part back in
8) Put the other half of the union on. Guess where to cut the other piece of
copper, size to fit
9) Sweat the other half the union to the copper coming from above
10) Snug down the union, turn water on, check for leaks, reset gas
thermostat

Present invoice to customer. Next change out will be a lot easier, since you
can just shut off the water, turn down the gas, and take it apart at the
union and the threads.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
* *www.lds.org
.

All these nay sayers must be water heater salesmen. *LMAO! *The damn dip
tubes are flexible. *No overhead needed to replace. *If it's REALLY
REALLY tight against something, just drill a hole and drop it through
it. *duh.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The tank is 17 years old. That puts it in the mid 90s when
the ones with bad dip tubes that deteriorated and fell apart
were made. So there is a good chance that the dip tube
is indeed the problem. It also puts the tank past it's typical
life. I
don;t know what you're seeing, but in my experience, about
13 years or so is typical for a gas water heater.
So, I think most of us "nay sayers"
aren't saying it isn't impossible to replace the dip tube, just
that it's not wise to do so.

It also depends on who is doing the replacing. If it's someone
that can't do it themselves and has to pay a plumber, then
they have to evaluate spending the service cost on something
that isn't likely to last much longer no matter what they do.
And there is the issue of the consequences of failure.
Often water heaters go with no warning, starting to spew
water. I'd evaluate what the consquences of that might
be as well.

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:05:14 -0800 (PST), bob haller
wrote:


Thanks to all for the responses.

The tank was made in 1995 by Richmond.

My research shows that that model is among the ones that had defective
dip tubes.

The hot water situation for the present is just an annoyance.

I will decide later if I want to replace the dip tube.

Andy-

replace the tank its 17 years old, far past its normal life
expectancy.

trying to remove dip tube will just create a leak either immediately
or long term

the good news is your replacement tank will be more energy efficent


Use to be I heard 13 to 15 years was average tho lately I was told it
was like 8 (I still find this hard to believe). Either way, you are
at the end of the useful life of the water heater so a replacement is
in order. Now you can decide what is the best capacity, recovery
time, etc... for you and as others said, you will have better
efficiency so you might have a lower cost per month. I just
replaced both of mine in the last year so I feel your pain.

On 2/14/2012 2:01 PM, wrote:
On Feb 14, 1:35 pm, Steve wrote:
On 2/14/2012 9:29 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:





The one time I replaced a dip tube, this worked for me:

1) Shut off the water main, turn gas valve from middle to "warm"
2) Open the tank drain, open the upstairs faucets, and drain a gallon or so
of water
3) Using tubing cutter, cut the cold water inlet tubing about 6 inches over
the tank
4) Pipe wrench, gently unthread the nipple and tube from inlet side
5) Check for dip tube, didnt find one. Slip the new tube in.
6) Solder half a copper union to the nipple I just threaded out (tubing
should be horizontal, balanced on a brick or something while soldering)
7) Rectoreseal the nipple, push the tubing from above out of the way, crank
the threaded part back in
8) Put the other half of the union on. Guess where to cut the other piece of
copper, size to fit
9) Sweat the other half the union to the copper coming from above
10) Snug down the union, turn water on, check for leaks, reset gas
thermostat

Present invoice to customer. Next change out will be a lot easier, since you
can just shut off the water, turn down the gas, and take it apart at the
union and the threads.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

All these nay sayers must be water heater salesmen. LMAO! The damn dip
tubes are flexible. No overhead needed to replace. If it's REALLY
REALLY tight against something, just drill a hole and drop it through
it. duh.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The tank is 17 years old. That puts it in the mid 90s when
the ones with bad dip tubes that deteriorated and fell apart
were made. So there is a good chance that the dip tube
is indeed the problem. It also puts the tank past it's typical
life. I
don;t know what you're seeing, but in my experience, about
13 years or so is typical for a gas water heater.
So, I think most of us "nay sayers"
aren't saying it isn't impossible to replace the dip tube, just
that it's not wise to do so.

It also depends on who is doing the replacing. If it's someone
that can't do it themselves and has to pay a plumber, then
they have to evaluate spending the service cost on something
that isn't likely to last much longer no matter what they do.
And there is the issue of the consequences of failure.
Often water heaters go with no warning, starting to spew
water. I'd evaluate what the consquences of that might
be as well.

granted, the condition needs to be evaluated. That involves draining,
and removing the drain valve and looking in there. Not an impossible
task even for a DIY'r. I just don't believe in replacing stuff just to
watch it leave.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

That's what I thought. I only had about two feet. But, the dip tube came in
at angle, and amazed me. "Coming in for landing....."

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message
...

Most installations don't have enough overhead to replace the dip tube
without uninstalling the tank. I'd just replace the whole thing. The
others are right, you mess aorund with it and it's going to leak
within 2 months.

On Feb 14, 5:24*pm, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
That's what I thought. I only had about two feet. But, the dip tube came in
at angle, and amazed me. "Coming in for landing....."

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message

...

Most installations don't have enough overhead to replace the dip tube
without uninstalling the tank. *I'd just replace the whole thing. *The
others are right, you mess aorund with it and it's going to leak
within 2 months.

I decided that when the hot water output becomes unacceptable, I will
replace it.

It has a 5 year warranty, so at 17 yrs. old, I got my money's worth.

:-)

It will be fun when I take it apart to see how it works.
There might something salvageable.

Should be safer than an analog TV where I cut a wire using some work
gloves.
I thought that it would be O.K. being unplugged for 5 years. :-)

Andy

On Feb 14, 7:36*pm, Andy wrote:
On Feb 14, 5:24*pm, "Stormin Mormon"





wrote:
That's what I thought. I only had about two feet. But, the dip tube came in
at angle, and amazed me. "Coming in for landing....."

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message

....

Most installations don't have enough overhead to replace the dip tube
without uninstalling the tank. *I'd just replace the whole thing. *The
others are right, you mess aorund with it and it's going to leak
within 2 months.

I decided that when the hot water output becomes unacceptable, I will
replace it.

It has a 5 year warranty, so at 17 yrs. old, I got my money's worth.

:-)

It will be fun when I take it apart to see how it works.
There might something salvageable.

Should be safer than an analog TV where I cut a wire using some work
gloves.
I thought that it would be O.K. being unplugged for 5 years. :-)

Andy- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

you will almost certinally find the tank all sluged up, and have
serious trouble removing any fittings.

i generally replace my tanks at about 8 years not waiting for them to
leak.

this after having a tank failure late christmas eve with family
coming........ houseguests

if you take the total cost of a new tank and divide by years of
service they are actually pretty cheap


your new tank will have much better insulation and save you money. why
wait till the last minute? just replace it and be done with chilly
baths

Let me add OP is currently paying to heat sludge in the bottom of the
tank.. thats a waste of gas

I dont like running out of hot water so I went with a 75 gallon 75,000
BTU tank

common tanks are 30 or 40 gallon 30,000 BTU

I have endless hot water. That helps when I hurt my back........

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:35:21 -0600, Steve Barker
wrote:


All these nay sayers must be water heater salesmen. LMAO! The damn dip
tubes are flexible. No overhead needed to replace. If it's REALLY
REALLY tight against something, just drill a hole and drop it through
it. duh.


But the biggest problems is getting out the tube breaking a 17 year
old fitting. You do a job like that leaving enough time to go buy and
install a new unit when the corroded threads give way. Or worse.

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:48:35 -0800 (PST), bob haller
wrote:

On Feb 14, 7:36*pm, Andy wrote:
On Feb 14, 5:24*pm, "Stormin Mormon"





wrote:
That's what I thought. I only had about two feet. But, the dip tube came in
at angle, and amazed me. "Coming in for landing....."

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message

...

Most installations don't have enough overhead to replace the dip tube
without uninstalling the tank. *I'd just replace the whole thing. *The
others are right, you mess aorund with it and it's going to leak
within 2 months.

I decided that when the hot water output becomes unacceptable, I will
replace it.

It has a 5 year warranty, so at 17 yrs. old, I got my money's worth.

:-)

It will be fun when I take it apart to see how it works.
There might something salvageable.

Should be safer than an analog TV where I cut a wire using some work
gloves.
I thought that it would be O.K. being unplugged for 5 years. :-)

Andy- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

you will almost certinally find the tank all sluged up, and have
serious trouble removing any fittings.

i generally replace my tanks at about 8 years not waiting for them to
leak.



My plumber told me now it's average life is 8 years (hard for me to
believe) when I remember it used to be 13 to 15 years in the past.
I wonder if he's telling me the truth or trying to make more sales?

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:36:59 -0800 (PST), Andy
wrote:

On Feb 14, 5:24*pm, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
That's what I thought. I only had about two feet. But, the dip tube came in
at angle, and amazed me. "Coming in for landing....."

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message

...

Most installations don't have enough overhead to replace the dip tube
without uninstalling the tank. *I'd just replace the whole thing. *The
others are right, you mess aorund with it and it's going to leak
within 2 months.

I decided that when the hot water output becomes unacceptable, I will
replace it.

It has a 5 year warranty, so at 17 yrs. old, I got my money's worth.

:-)

It will be fun when I take it apart to see how it works.
There might something salvageable.

Should be safer than an analog TV where I cut a wire using some work
gloves.
I thought that it would be O.K. being unplugged for 5 years. :-)

Andy


Next logical question is what brand to install. My advice since it
happened once to me, make sure you get one with a "metal" faucet not
plastic. I once had a 10 year old water heater and suddenly the
plastic faucet just cracked and the water was going everywhere it
wanted and not in the pan unfortunately. If it matters I got twin
"State" gas water heaters recommended by my plumber but I recall
hearing other local plumbers recommended another brand around my way.
I think I read that different parts of the country also have different
recommended brands for that locality. Probably someone around here
will know more about this than myself. I am tho going by my recent
experience with my hot water heater replacements. Also my house
originally had twin 50 gals and like some others said here, my plumber
told me I was really only using perhaps 40 outa 50 gals due to the
sludge buildup and for economy recommended I replace my twin 50's with
twin 40's instead. I have and so far, can't notice the difference in
amount of hot water. I think my gas bill is a little cheaper but I'm
not 100% sure but it would seem so based on new gas hot water heaters
vs. 13 year old ones.

you will almost certinally find the tank all sluged up, and have
serious trouble removing any fittings.

i generally replace my tanks at about 8 years not waiting for them to
leak.

My plumber told me now it's average life is 8 years (hard for me to
believe) when I remember it used to be 13 to 15 years in the past.
I wonder if he's telling me the truth or trying to make more sales?-

nope new tanks today often chase low price over long life. home depoot
has been selling GE tanks with 12 year warranty last time i checked

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:02:22 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:35:21 -0600, Steve Barker
wrote:


All these nay sayers must be water heater salesmen. LMAO! The damn dip
tubes are flexible. No overhead needed to replace. If it's REALLY
REALLY tight against something, just drill a hole and drop it through
it. duh.


But the biggest problems is getting out the tube breaking a 17 year old
fitting. You do a job like that leaving enough time to go buy and
install a new unit when the corroded threads give way. Or worse.

Agreed. Our (electric) tank is also 17 years old (maybe 16) - I had 6ft
of breaker bar on the bottom element trying to remove it last year and
there's no way it's coming out, and the drain valve (a plastic-bodied
piece of sh*t) is also stuck and I expect won't come out without breaking
(I wanted to replace it with something that wasn't designed by a 5 year
old)

cheers

Jules

On Feb 14, 11:12*pm, "Doug" wrote:
On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:36:59 -0800 (PST), Andy





wrote:
On Feb 14, 5:24*pm, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
That's what I thought. I only had about two feet. But, the dip tube came in
at angle, and amazed me. "Coming in for landing....."

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message

....

Most installations don't have enough overhead to replace the dip tube
without uninstalling the tank. *I'd just replace the whole thing. *The
others are right, you mess aorund with it and it's going to leak
within 2 months.

I decided that when the hot water output becomes unacceptable, I will
replace it.

It has a 5 year warranty, so at 17 yrs. old, I got my money's worth.

:-)

It will be fun when I take it apart to see how it works.
There might something salvageable.

Should be safer than an analog TV where I cut a wire using some work
gloves.
I thought that it would be O.K. being unplugged for 5 years. :-)

Andy

Next logical question is what brand to install. *My advice since it
happened once to me, make sure you get one with a "metal" faucet not
plastic. *I once had a 10 year old water heater and suddenly the
plastic faucet just cracked and the water was going everywhere it
wanted and not in the pan unfortunately. *If it matters I got twin
"State" gas water heaters recommended by my plumber but I recall
hearing other local *plumbers recommended another brand around my way.
I think I read that different parts of the country also have different
recommended brands for that locality. * Probably someone around here
will know more about this than myself. *I am tho going by my recent
experience with my hot water heater replacements. *Also my house
originally had twin 50 gals and like some others said here, my plumber
told me I was really only using perhaps 40 outa 50 gals due to the
sludge buildup and for economy recommended I replace my twin 50's with
twin 40's instead. *I have and so far, can't notice the difference in
amount of hot water. *I think my gas bill is a little cheaper but I'm
not 100% sure but it would seem so based on new gas hot water heaters
vs. 13 year old ones.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have a State that I bought from HD. It was just your
average conventional one. I did the math and it did
not seem worth it in terms of payback to go with one
of the more expensive ones with longer warranty,
higher efficiency, etc. It's been in about 12 years now
I think and it's still fine.

About 5 years ago the thermocouple failed. I called
up state, they looked up the warranty and said it was
still covered. Two days later I had a new one on my
doorstep, no charge, no need to return the old one.

So, I'm very happy with State.

On Feb 14, 10:02*pm, "Doug" wrote:
On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:48:35 -0800 (PST), bob haller
wrote:









On Feb 14, 7:36*pm, Andy wrote:
On Feb 14, 5:24*pm, "Stormin Mormon"

wrote:
That's what I thought. I only had about two feet. But, the dip tube came in
at angle, and amazed me. "Coming in for landing....."

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message

...

Most installations don't have enough overhead to replace the dip tube
without uninstalling the tank. *I'd just replace the whole thing. *The
others are right, you mess aorund with it and it's going to leak
within 2 months.

I decided that when the hot water output becomes unacceptable, I will
replace it.

It has a 5 year warranty, so at 17 yrs. old, I got my money's worth.

:-)

It will be fun when I take it apart to see how it works.
There might something salvageable.

Should be safer than an analog TV where I cut a wire using some work
gloves.
I thought that it would be O.K. being unplugged for 5 years. :-)

Andy- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

you will almost certinally find the tank all sluged up, and have
serious trouble removing any fittings.

i generally replace my tanks at about 8 years not waiting for them to
leak.

My plumber told me now it's average life is 8 years (hard for me to
believe) when I remember it used to be 13 to 15 years in the past.
I wonder if he's telling me the truth or trying to make more sales?

I would think that newer tanks would be more efficient and last as
long as older tanks.

But I had an H.P. printer that went out after 2 years of low use.
I had to use a grinder to look inside it. :-)

Based on many problems with H.P. products from many lines,
H.P. made it to my "never buy from again" list. :-)

There are still plenty of good manufacturers out there.

Andy

On Feb 14, 7:52*pm, bob haller wrote:
Let me add OP is currently paying to heat sludge in the bottom of the
tank.. thats a waste of gas

I dont like running out of hot water so I went with a 75 gallon 75,000
BTU tank

common tanks are 30 or 40 gallon 30,000 BTU

I have endless hot water. That helps when I hurt my back........

Gel packs from the freezer are great for back pain.
I put a pillow case around it.

Andy

On Feb 15, 8:50*am, Jules Richardson
wrote:
On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:02:22 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:35:21 -0600, Steve Barker
wrote:

All these nay sayers must be water heater salesmen. *LMAO! *The damn dip
tubes are flexible. *No overhead needed to replace. *If it's REALLY
REALLY tight against something, just drill a hole and drop it through
it. *duh.

But the biggest problems is getting out the tube breaking a 17 year old
fitting. *You do a job like that leaving enough time to go buy and
install a new unit when the corroded threads give way. *Or worse.

Agreed. Our (electric) tank is also 17 years old (maybe 16) - I had 6ft
of breaker bar on the bottom element trying to remove it last year and
there's no way it's coming out, and the drain valve (a plastic-bodied
piece of sh*t) is also stuck and I expect won't come out without breaking
(I wanted to replace it with something that wasn't designed by a 5 year
old)

cheers

Jules

plastic drain valves are designed to work ONCE, to drain the water at
end of life......

they are not designed to be opened repeatedly.

to drain sludge out of a tank repeatedly use a ball valve.

all regular valves will get gunk stuck between washer and seat and the
small entry area will clog preventing big stuff from passing thru the
valve.

say a new tank costs 500 bucks and lasts 10 years. thats 50 bucks cost
per year or under a buck a week, not even the cost of a candy bar per
week......

water heaters are cheap and tend to be highly reliable.

take the junk one to a scrap yard, where a 100 pounds of scrap metal
TANK is worth about 10 bucks or more

I have endless hot water. That helps when I hurt my back........

Gel packs from the freezer are great for back pain.
I put a pillow case around it.

Andy

cold for first 24 hours to reduce swelling then hot/warm after that to
promote healing.

one of my few luxuries is standing in a warm shower after a hard days
work

On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:04:35 -0800, bob haller wrote:

On Feb 15, 8:50Â*am, Jules Richardson
wrote:
On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:02:22 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:35:21 -0600, Steve Barker
wrote:

All these nay sayers must be water heater salesmen. Â*LMAO! Â*The damn
dip tubes are flexible. Â*No overhead needed to replace. Â*If it's
REALLY REALLY tight against something, just drill a hole and drop it
through it. Â*duh.

But the biggest problems is getting out the tube breaking a 17 year
old fitting. Â*You do a job like that leaving enough time to go buy
and install a new unit when the corroded threads give way. Â*Or worse.

Agreed. Our (electric) tank is also 17 years old (maybe 16) - I had 6ft
of breaker bar on the bottom element trying to remove it last year and
there's no way it's coming out, and the drain valve (a plastic-bodied
piece of sh*t) is also stuck and I expect won't come out without
breaking (I wanted to replace it with something that wasn't designed by
a 5 year old)

cheers

Jules

plastic drain valves are designed to work ONCE, to drain the water at
end of life......

If they were a one-time deal they'd save a few cents and not fit them at
all, instead having a plastic seal that could be smashed to open the
tank.

they are not designed to be opened repeatedly.

Except when draining the tank in sites that aren't used over winter, or
when replacing heating elements.

all regular valves will get gunk stuck between washer and seat and the
small entry area will clog preventing big stuff from passing thru the
valve.

Exactly. It's a very poor design; the passage through the narrow body is
small, not straight, and has an angular cross-section. I'm struggling to
think of any way that it could be worse - and yet it seems to be standard
on all the tanks I've seen at HD etc.

I'll gladly fit a good valve myself when I eventually buy a new tank, I
just wish the tanks cost an extra few $$ and had them as standard.
Unfortunately on my ancient one the crappy valve is joined onto a short
piece of plastic pipe, which then joins to the tank somewhere on the
underside; if I try and remove it, there's a fair chance that it'll be
the pipe rather than the valve which fails - which would then mean
removing the whole tank to get access so I could fix it. That's more
trouble than it's worth (heck, I don't even know if the threads on the
tank-side of the plastic pipe are anything standard; there's no reason
that they have to be)

cheers

Jules

On Feb 15, 9:15*am, bob haller wrote:
I have endless hot water. That helps when I hurt my back........

Gel packs from the freezer are great for back pain.
I put a pillow case around it.

Andy

cold for first 24 hours to reduce swelling then hot/warm after that to
promote healing.

one of my few luxuries is standing in a warm shower after a hard days
work

I agree with you.

I enjoy the hot showers for pain relief and to clear my sinuses.

Andy

On Feb 15, 1:18*pm, Andy wrote:
On Feb 15, 9:15*am, bob haller wrote:

I have endless hot water. That helps when I hurt my back........

Gel packs from the freezer are great for back pain.
I put a pillow case around it.

Andy

cold for first 24 hours to reduce swelling then hot/warm after that to
promote healing.

one of my few luxuries is standing in a warm shower after a hard days
work

I agree with you.

I enjoy the hot showers for pain relief and to clear my sinuses.

Andy

yes!