Low pressure hot water side solved

[Jsmallberries]

Current gas heater is a 17 year old Lochnivar.

Pressure would drop on the hot water side if using one shower and another appliance or shower at the same time. Decided to check the supply lines before buying the new unit. The hot water side was almost completely sealed, see photo. The washers were also badly degraded with deep black residue coating the inside of the lines

Hard water in our area, I'm amazed we had any hot water coming through.

How often should supply lines be replaced in a hard water area?

 

[Reach4]

Wow. Impressive.

Maybe replace the supply lines when you replace the WH. That is probably pretty loaded up too.

Have you considered a water softener? They are nice.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jadnashua]

Are those deposits hard or soft? Some hoses synthetic rubber degrades...pick a better hose if that's the case. If they're hard, and you haven't thrown them away, as an experiment, stick the end in a cup of vinegar or clr or some other acid and leave it for a day or two and see what it looks like...if it's mineral deposits, you should see some of it dissolve.

 

[Jsmallberries]

JD,

Hard like stone, I saved them, will soak them to see what happens.

So the inside of the tank is probably coated in calcified mineral deposits, I'm surprised that the heater is still functioning as well as it is.

 

[Jadnashua]

The darker color may be manganese - a calcium based deposit tends to be white-grey-light brownish (but I'm not any soft of an expert on this!)...I'd consider having a water quality test done. It would maybe guide you to what would be required if you decided you wanted a water softener...you need to know what is there before you can remove it!

Do you have lots of water stains on your car when you wash it, or on the tub/shower?

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

It is a combination of minerals and electrolysis happenning on the nipples or unions
at the connection to your heater....... Normally we break them apart and loose with a large
screwdriver to open the port in the nipple coming out of the heater and it usually lasts another
5+ years..........


It looks like you used yellow connectors to your heater which usually are used on gas lines
maybe it would be better to get Brass Craft SSsteel connectors made specifically for water heaters

 

[Reach4]

It is a combination of minerals and electrolysis happenning on the nipples or unions
at the connection to your heater....... Normally we break them apart and loose with a large
screwdriver to open the port in the nipple coming out of the heater and it usually lasts another
5+ years..........

Interesting. So the deposits are likely localized to that nearby area rather than also distributed through the line. I had assumed the rest of the line would have that too.

Does having a dielectric nipple affect this happening?

 

[Jsmallberries]

After two days soaking in vinegar, look at the copper, looks new.

The blockage was localized right at this location only, end of supply line only. These were copper flex water supply lines from Brass Craft, builder installed in early 2000

Looking in to the nipple from the top of the tank there was a white/yellow coating on the nipple wall.

 

[Reach4]

Was the nipple a dielectric nipple (plastic lined)?

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

Dialectric unions always corrode rapidly and sometimes even corrode shut...
copper male adapters installed on a heater will also do about the same thing usually
only on the hot side of the system.......

Most times the minerals deposit themselves on the hot nipple and shut it down
just on that outlet port... it does not matter if its a dialectric nipple or not..
The hot side always seems to catch hell .

Interesting note..
I have never seen a more expensive brass nipple installed in a water heater corrode shut
they seem to last forever.... I dont understand why the elements leave the brass alone

 

[Reach4]

Hot side. Hmmm. I wonder why that is.

 

[Jadnashua]

Many chemical reactions work faster when hot...

 

[hj]

hot water is purer than cold water.