Recent content by bnymbill

Any ideas what this flaky buildup is around where the PVC is connected to the blower on the water heater? 1st pic is new, 2nd pic is 4 years later. My guess is that the installer incorrectly used a sealer (silicone or glue) and the heat from the blower has caused this over time. I'm sure...

Thank you for all of the suggestions and input! Definitely a lot to consider. I have a sensor in the garage and one outside as well to track temp, humidity and dew point. Ended up with a fan that can be set for temp, humidity, or timer to experiment with the settings. Affordable enough at...

I’m in southern PA and while my insulated garage is great in the winter, it traps heat and humidity in the summer. In the evenings, the outside air is often cooler and less humid. I am looking for an air exchanger (not sure if that’s even the correct term) that would pull outside air in and...

I am wondering if I have the same problem, the exhaust was piped with a 2” street hub instead of a 2” pipe. I have water on top of the unit from time to time but the inside appears to be dry. My guess is the exhaust does not have a great seal and condensation is escaping around the street hub...

I'm not suggesting they're crazy...just that, after having lived there two years, they explained it to me as though there were a big drop in performance. Seems to me that 17.5 minutes is decent, despite having to adjust the handle 5 times during the shower, tested my 2 year old water heater and...

Perhaps my problem was listening to the tenants...3 girls, who probably take very hot showers. I stopped by the house today and took a 17:30 shower before running out of hot water. I think that's about right for a 40 gallon water heater.

The dial is set two notches from the max, no temperatures on the dial. I will get a temp reading tomorrow. The water steams when running only hot water at the faucet and the tenants tell me it's too hot shower when the valve is opened fully to hot. It doesn't make sense - 24 gallons of...

This is a gas water heater, so no elements are involved. I have the Moen Adler valve and trim kit with a 2 GPM shower head. Is it possible the cartridge needs to be replaced? I could also drop to a 1.5 GPM. I am looking to add a pressure reducing valve to the system as well. One theory I...

I got 10 years out of it - maybe it's time to bite the bullet and replace it. I'm in Baltimore and the water mains in my neighborhood were replaced last year, so I could see extra sediment accumulating.

My tenants complained of only being able to take 7 minute showers, so I measured the output at the tub. I'm only getting 24 gallons of hot water from a 40 gallon natural gas water heater, then it's mixed with cold water and eventually all cold in another 20 gallons. It's 10 years old, model...

Left a bit of the deposits in vinegar for a week and they did not dissolve. The tenants were on vacation for a week so the place has had a chance to air out a little bit. Unit was new in July 2011 and this is the first issue - I'm hoping for better/cleaner performance moving forward.

Detector hasn't gone off yet - I guess the water heater shuts off before enough CO builds up. The detector is about 8' from the heater. I was able to blow into the burner tube and feel the air coming out of the orifice. The parts are original, so it should be the correct orifice but I'll...

I cleaned it thoroughly and looked for leaks, didn't see any, so I reset it and let it heat a tank before I unplugged it. Flame was still high but mostly blue this time. Minor residue on flame sensor but burner chamber is very clean compared with the picture posted above. Video of flame...

My AO Smith GPVH40 water heater has been cycling out showing error code 6, Ignition/Flame Failure. The flame sensor, burner and burner chamber are coated in a white, powdery residue. I can clean the flame sensor, after which the water heater will operate but it will cycle out again in a day or...

If I understand correctly, the flow to the tub spout is not restricted to 2 GPM, only the flow to the shower head is restricted. That makes sense as to why the volume restriction is an issue with CPVC.