Best Way to Clean a Water Heater

 



Hello my name is Craig and I’ve been a professional property manager for over 40 years. We have really hard water and the sediment builds up quickly in our water heaters.  None of the cleaning methods I tried seem to work and the ones that did were extremely labor intensive. It soon became my life’s mission to develop a fast and simple method that anyone can do. In this article I will share what works, what doesn’t, and the reasons why. Everybody depends on hot water, and sooner or later every water heater will fail. It doesn’t matter if you’re a landlord, tenant or a home owner, the information I am about to share could potentially save you a lot of heart ache and money. 


P2 Pictures of water heater with window and ½ water heater.


Why Clean Them? How does this sediment affect me? 


  1. Shortage of hot water. You can’t even get a full bath.
  2. On electric heaters excess sediment will cover up the lower heating element and cause it to burn out.  Now, only the top third of the tanks water will get hot.
  3.   On gas heaters excess sediment displaces the volume of water available to be heated.
  4. No hot water at all.
  5.   The element may also short out. This is when the sediment corrodes away the outer casing of the lower element and exposes the inner filament wire to the water. Electrical energy will short out through the water to the tank. This condition may persist for an extended period of time until the electrical current gradually becomes great enough to pop the reset button on the upper thermostat or the breaker trips. The upper thermostat will eventually fail and you may get burned wires.

2.The upper element may be burned out. 




  1. Very high unexplainable electric bills.

This may also be caused by a shorted out lower element corroded by sediment. One electrical terminal on the element always has 120 volts of power going to it. It will leak power to ground through the water continuously. This could go on for years costing you a small fortune and you would never even know. The water may slowly but continuously heat to boiling. The reset button on the upper thermostat may pop. You may notice water or steam coming out the discharge pipe on the pressure relief valve. 

P3 Show pictures of shorted out water heater elements.

  1. High gas bills.

Sediment will accumulate on the heating surfaces of gas water heaters, insulating the heat from the water causing long heating times and low efficiency. Listen for popping and rumbling noises.

  1. Poor quality of hot water.
  2. Extremely hard hot water. 

Your water heater acts like a big water softener. It removes minerals from the hot water. That’s what the sediment is, but your tank can only store so much. We have found in our research, using tanks with windows and lights in them, that the water inside the tank will turn cloudy every time a large flow of hot water occurs. The incoming cold water exits the end of the dip tube directly into the sediment stirring up the fine particles. Does your hot water appear cloudier that your cold water? Are you tired of cleaning up water spots and scale?

  1. Foul odors.

I have seen the insides of many water heaters and some of them are absolutely disgusting. They can be the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. They may break down the sediment releasing sulfur compounds causing rotted egg or other odors. We don’t waste money on pipe magnets or electric wave treatment. It’s far better to just clean it out.

P4 Show pic of cutaway heater and sediment

  1. Expensive water heater repair or replacement bills.
  1. On both electric and gas water heaters excessive sediment will shorten the life of the tank.
  2. Nearly all electric water heaters, if not leaking, can be refurbished to function like new just by replacing the elements and cleaning out the sediment. Do this first before you call a plumber.

P5 Show pictures of shorted out water heater elements.

Flushing:


To flush a water heater just hook up a garden hose to the drain valve and open the valve. Cold water enters at the top of the heater and flows to the bottom of the heater through the dip tube. It flows out the dip tube on top of the sediment providing some hydraulic agitation. The flowing water moves the suspended sediment particles toward the drain valve and they are supposed to exit through the hose. This method sounds good in theory, and many people including professional plumbers do it. The fact is it does not work. No significant amount of sediment ever comes out. Watch all the videos and see for yourself.

  •  Here is why it doesn’t work 
    •
    1. This method is intended to be done at least twice per year. This is impractical for us to do.
    2. The sediment is heavy and the hydraulic agitation alone is not strong enough to move much of it.
    3. The sediment forms on hot surfaces and flakes off. The flakes form clumps and the buildup is very porous. Water flows right through it without building any pressure.
    4. The sediment acts like a colander. Smaller particles are strained out by the larger ones and only water flows out.
    5. The factory drain valves are designed to keep the sediment in. They only have a 9/16 inch hole in them for water to pass.  
    1. Advantages:
    1. Very fast and easy to do.
    2. It will help clean the sediment of some of the fine particles.

    P6 Show pictures of sediment, and cut up drain valves.


    Vinegar or other Chemical Cleaning


    Drain the water from the tank and add the vinegar solution. The sediment is supposed to dissolve so it can be flushed out. We have found that this method is impractical and simply does not work. Here is why we do not use it.

    1. It is very labor intensive.
    2. The reaction produces foam and fumes at first, then stops. 
    3. We were unable to dissolve the sediment even after changing out the vinegar several times. Even samples of sediment in jars could not be dissolved.
    4. Our tenants could not be left without hot water for long extended periods.
    5. Stronger and more toxic chemicals were not an option for us due to liability reasons. The types of chemicals that could dissolve sediment would also corrode the tank, eat up the anode rod and damage metal drain lines.

    P7 Show pictures of adding vinegar, the reaction, after time.

    Air Injection: 


    In this method air is injected into a full vented water heater tank. The air provides pneumatic agitation and clears the drain valve. It is fast and easy and does a good job of clearing a plugged valve, but does not remove any significant amount of sediment. Here is why.


    1. Although there is pneumatic agitation it comes at a high cost. There is no longer any hydraulic agitation coming out the end of the dip tube.
    2. There is no pressurized high flowing water to move the sediment towards the valve. It is just gravity fed.
    3. The air bubbles come straight up. This pushes the sediment away from the valve opening creating a clear path for water to flow. The Dirty water clears up and people think it worked.
    4. There is no water pressure to run the wastewater up and out of your basement with a discharge hose. All wastewater must be caught in buckets and packed out by hand.
    5. You still have the colander effect of the sediment. Larger particles and clumps strain out the smaller ones.
    6. You are still trying to clean through the restrictive factory drain valves.

    P8 Show pictures of Sediment Buster working on window tank, ½ tank injection, and sediment removed.

    Vacuum Extraction: (only works on electric water heaters)


    In this method the tank is completely drained and the lower heating element is removed. Attach a small bent tube to the end of a shop vacuum hose. The element opening is only one inch in diameter so the cleaning tube has to be small enough to fit through it. Next, use the shop vacuum to suck out the sediment through the tube. This method will work but we do not use it for the following reasons:


    1. It is extremely labor intensive and is not practical for us to do. 
    2. The sediment particles are larger than the tube opening so the tube plugs up every few seconds. You have to use the tube to bust up the large clumps and flakes. No fun!!!
    3. You can’t see inside the tank while you are cleaning. There is no light, and the tube completely blocks your field of view.
    4. It is very hard to reach the entire bottom of the tank.

    P9 Show a picture of the vacuum hose with the tube attached.

    Our Solution: The Turbo Tank Cleaner


    P10 Show a picture of a cut in half Turbo Tank Cleaner with all parts labeled.

    I am very proud and excited to share with you our patented new invention.

    The first step in this method is to turn off the inlet water to the water heater. Next the tank is depressurized by opening a hot water fixture until the flow stops. The fixture is then closed to airlock the tank. The factory drain valve can now be removed and the tool inserted into the tank with minimal water loss. Attach a drill and garden hose to the tool. Turn the inlet water back on to the water heater. Spin the tool with the drill until the sediment is removed.

    P11 Show video of tool working

    1. Advantages:
    1. There is very little labor involved.
    2. Quickly extracts massive sediment deposits. This means you can go many years between cleanings and forget about flushing.
    3. There is no need to drain the tank.
    4. There is very little clean up afterwards.
    5. This method utilizes both mechanical and hydraulic agitation.
    6. Takes advantage of pressurized flowing water to move agitated sediment towards the tool.
    7. The auger eliminates the sediment’s colander effect because the sediment is mechanically pulled into the tool.
    8. The grinder turns the sediment into a fine slurry that can flow out through the garden hose. 
    9. The wastewater is pressurized and can travel uphill and for hundreds of feet. This eliminates the need to pack water out of ones basement.
    10. The sediment can be neatly trapped in a bucket at a distant location.
    11. Absolutely will not harm your tank’s glass lining, anode rod or dip tube.
      1.  The spinning agitator is for stirring only and it’s harmless. It feels quite differently under water and there is no need to spin at high RPM.
      2. There is no glass in your water heater. There never has been. It’s a tough baked on ceramic enamel coating similar to the one on your stove.

    P12 Show pictures of tool working, sediment bucket, hands on spinning agitator and lining sample.


    1. Disadvantages:
    1. The slurry can’t be disposed of in the sewage system due to its high sediment content.
    2. The factory drain valve must be removed. Many inexperienced home handymen may lack the confidence to comfortably perform this task, especially on a full tank of water.
    1. Solution:
    1.  We highly recommend permanently installing a Turbo Tank Cleaner clean through drain valve kit. The Turbo Tank Cleaner can then be inserted directly into this valve making future cleanings even faster and easier.

    P13 Show pictures of our drain valve kit.


    Avoid scams:


    The modern water heater is engineered to be a disposable item and is not designed to be cleaned. The entire industry thrives on selling and installing as many water heaters as possible. According to my desperate tenants, every man, woman and child desperately depends on a limitless supply of hot water just to survive. This is the perfect storm for scamming and deception. Over ninety percent of all water heaters are replaced needlessly.

    P14 Show picture of scrapped water heaters.

    1. Water heater replacement scam: 
    2.     The plumber charges a large service call fee just to show up.
    3.     The age and condition of the water heater are well noted.
    4. An aggressive repair cost is given with no guarantee it will last. Simple inexpensive solutions are often ignored.
    5. A very kind hearted gesture is made: Do to the age of this water heater and its very short life expectancy, it wouldn’t be wise to waste more money on it. It would be much better to put that money toward the cost of a new one. I am willing to sacrifice todays service fees and put that money toward the cost of a brand new one for you if you get it today.
    6. Special promotions for water heater tune-ups and cleaning. 

    This is just sucker fishing to find gullible people. They flush, not clean, and flushing does nothing. Their real motive is to sell water heaters. Always ask what method they are going to use to clean out the tank and will you have to pay them if they are unsuccessful. How do they verify the tank is clean??? This will help weed out the greedy dishonest plumbers and service companies and help you find someone you can trust.

    Conclusion:


    Sediment can be the root cause of many costly and annoying problems. Avoid gimmicks and work arounds, just clean it out. There is only one practical way to clean massive sediment deposits out of your water heater. The Turbo Tank Cleaner is the simple solution that anybody can do. If the tank isn’t leaking most electric water heaters can almost always be fixed by replacing the elements and cleaning out the sediment. It also does an excellent job on gas heaters. Don’t be shy, let your land lord know if you have a problem and how they can fix it. Be careful and ask questions when choosing a pro. They may not be up to date on this advanced modern cleaning technique. Check out our website and please feel free to call, text or email us. We are here to help you!!!

     208-520-5579

    P15 Show logo/Play Jingle


    Helpful Links: 


    Turbo Tank Cleaner website: https://turbotankcleaner.com

    Demonstration of Turbo Tank Cleaner: https://youtu.be/DHG4CBmJ4tY

    Troubleshoot Honeywell gas valve: https://youtu.be/cAo4I2eoJ9Q 

    Top Ten Pilot Light Problems: https://youtu.be/0yPw4RhRRd8

    Rheem Pilot Light Issues: https://youtu.be/0Jd7QWubNEA

    https://youtu.be/3k0GhJwQTI8 

    Trips Breaker and Change Element: https://youtu.be/TNi9w4bAdRK

    Water Heater Leaking? Top 5 Fixes: https://youtu.be/u_MTFIN5Rjs 

    Replace Electric Water Heater Parts: https://youtu.be//u316_y9H67Q8

    Pilot Keeps Going Out CLEAN FILTER: https://youtu.be//YZ4r594jKIM

    Water Heater Leaking CO: https://youtu.be/ynEB1UWBEQQ

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