Hi, usually over in Water Softener threads. My Bradword White wh is making crackling and pop noise when heater is heating. I know this is sediment at bottom of tank "cooking" and releasing gases, these are the sounds. I have been good at flushing 10 to 20 gallons every 6 months and changing the anode rod every 12 to 18 months. I have started in past 4 to 6 months seeing brown/orange color fine sediment in the flush (initial 3 gal, i collect in bucket). Is it time, as I want to avoid failure, leakage, then replace and clean up. I use soft water. Thx
9.5 yr 75 gal gas water heater tank, time to schedule replacement?
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John Gayewski
In the Trades
Yes go ahead and replace it. No one can say for sure when it'll fail. If it feels like time it's time. Don't you have a floor drain nearby? A pan for it to leak into?
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Master Plumber Mark
Sensitivity trainer and plumber of mens souls
Bradfords dont last long if you have a water softener and lots of sodium in the water....
You are a special kind of guy in the fact that you actually change out the anode rods on
your unit as most people (and myself) never fool with those anode rods
Most people never flush their heaters in our area and they still last mostly over 10 years...
I would wait until it finally starts to leak,
unless it is gonna cause major damage in your home
you might as well squeeze that very last drop you can out of the unit
You are a special kind of guy in the fact that you actually change out the anode rods on
your unit as most people (and myself) never fool with those anode rods
Most people never flush their heaters in our area and they still last mostly over 10 years...
I would wait until it finally starts to leak,
unless it is gonna cause major damage in your home
you might as well squeeze that very last drop you can out of the unit
Last edited:
Master Plumber Mark
Sensitivity trainer and plumber of mens souls
I give these ZIRCONS to my customers all the time...
they cost about 13 bucks each or a 5 pack for 40 bucks...
they work just like a smoke alarm and will wake the dead in the
middle of the night
Thanks for the responses.
** Update ** Installed new Bradford White, 75 gal tank - natural gas. Basically same thing as before, just what ever the latest gen of model is. See pics of install. As for alarms, I have a different, automated approach. I have a solution using the follwoing:
A mechanical home main water value on/off motor to actually turn the main water valve on or off (Bulldog Robot). I like this design as I do not have to put an active smart device in line to the plumbing. https://www.econetshop.com/bulldog.html
For sensors, I have sensors from YoLink (https://shop.yosmart.com/pages/yolink-smart-water-solutions. I have multiple Pucks and a Rope puck in my WH pan). I not only have sensors at the WH, but also in other areas of my home, e.g. washer/dryer floor, bathroom sinks/toilets, and even at top of my kitchen refrigerator/freezer as I have conditioned water feeding ice maker/water dispensing. I have had water failures at the washing machine area (discharge line got loose, popped out and spewed water all over - I was home. Top of a 1995 Sub Zero water inlet for ice/water dispense - failed, water over the kitchen floor -- I was home, but happened over night. One toilet valve failed when I was away for 1/2 day - water over floor -- slow leak (thankfully). WH (2 of them) failed, water came over pan and could not drain to garage floor fast enough.
So, I have the Bulldog Robot mechanically mounted on the water main valve in my garage -- mounted like the picture from the URL. I have multiple sensors through out the house. If the "puck" senses water, bulldog valve physically closes vale.
** Update ** Installed new Bradford White, 75 gal tank - natural gas. Basically same thing as before, just what ever the latest gen of model is. See pics of install. As for alarms, I have a different, automated approach. I have a solution using the follwoing:
A mechanical home main water value on/off motor to actually turn the main water valve on or off (Bulldog Robot). I like this design as I do not have to put an active smart device in line to the plumbing. https://www.econetshop.com/bulldog.html
For sensors, I have sensors from YoLink (https://shop.yosmart.com/pages/yolink-smart-water-solutions. I have multiple Pucks and a Rope puck in my WH pan). I not only have sensors at the WH, but also in other areas of my home, e.g. washer/dryer floor, bathroom sinks/toilets, and even at top of my kitchen refrigerator/freezer as I have conditioned water feeding ice maker/water dispensing. I have had water failures at the washing machine area (discharge line got loose, popped out and spewed water all over - I was home. Top of a 1995 Sub Zero water inlet for ice/water dispense - failed, water over the kitchen floor -- I was home, but happened over night. One toilet valve failed when I was away for 1/2 day - water over floor -- slow leak (thankfully). WH (2 of them) failed, water came over pan and could not drain to garage floor fast enough.
So, I have the Bulldog Robot mechanically mounted on the water main valve in my garage -- mounted like the picture from the URL. I have multiple sensors through out the house. If the "puck" senses water, bulldog valve physically closes vale.
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Master Plumber Mark
Sensitivity trainer and plumber of mens souls
It Looks good enough but you might want to throw a thermal expansion tank on the unit
if you are on city water..... the bigger 5 gallon one is best to go with....
putting the recirulation pump on a time is not a bad idea too
if you are on city water..... the bigger 5 gallon one is best to go with....
putting the recirulation pump on a time is not a bad idea too
LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
I have two of them that I've been using for the last 25 years. Both are on the main floor where my water heater is. One of them I soldered a phone jack to so I could run the probe wire down to the sump pit in my crawlspace. I have had two HWT failures and two sump pump failures and the ZIRCONs alerted me each time.
