Hot water spitting from taps after sitting

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Reach4

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As for anode producing hydrogen and oxygen I wouldn't be able to smell it if I got right close to it while the tap started sputtering would I???
You would not. Oxygen and hydrogen are odorless.

I am not saying that this is what happens, but it is possible.

Did you get the stubby anode or the long-electrode Ceranode?
 

Cudos

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Also if there is air in top of the water heater would opening the pressure relief valve briefly not allow that air to be pushed before it had a chance to enter the water line? obviously not a ideal fix assuming it would work at all.
 

Reach4

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Also if there is air in top of the water heater would opening the pressure relief valve briefly not allow that air to be pushed before it had a chance to enter the water line?
Presuming the common top T+P valve, I would think so, except that some of the gas may have already entered the output water pipe. After all, the output is at the top. But the T+P valve test lever sounds worthwhile.

As a test, you could put a container with some water at the output of the discharge pipe. Gas bubbling thru the water would tell the story.
 

Cudos

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Thank-You Reach4,
This might be a stupid question but, if i put a container of water under the discharge tube when opening the release valve ad it bubbles in water how do I know if its just air from tank or actual gas? might have misunderstood.
 

Phog

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That will create a closed system and if you don't have an expansion tank, the pressure may rise to the point the TPR valve might release.

I would not expect the T&P valve to release -- as long as the water heater is fully up to temp before the inlet valve is closed. (Substantially all the thermal expansion will already have occurred at that point). If it does release then this could be an important clue.

But this is a good point to bring up -- maybe it would be good to place a piece of paper underneath the T&P outlet so that if anything does come out, it would leave visual traces.
 

Reach4

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This might be a stupid question but, if i put a container of water under the discharge tube when opening the release valve ad it bubbles in water how do I know if its just air from tank or actual gas? might have misunderstood.
Air is a gas, mostly nitrogen. So are the bubbles air, or hydrogen or what? At that point, with the discharge tube a couple inches into water, I would have no problem trying to light the gas. I am not a pro.
 

Jadnashua

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For whatever reason, it appears some water is leaking out of your WH when everything is off. On an electric WH, if water doesn't fully cover the upper element once you turn things on, you'll quickly cause it to overheat and die. So, if nothing else, you'd want to open a hot water valve and wait for the flow to become stable without air prior to turning the WH back on.

As water changes temperature, it will either expand as it gets hotter, or contract as it gets colder. Depending on the actual temperature change, that operation by itself could create a vacuum in your system once you turn things off and suck in some air from the weakest seal. Opening the well back up won't displace the air unless you open a valve in say a sink.

Do you have a bladder, storage tank? With an artesian well, I'm not sure about the typical arrangement. If there is one, that will act like an expansion tank. IF there is none, then you'd need one if there's a check valve anywhere in the system to help prevent pressure spikes when the WH runs.
 
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