Rheem Water Heater - "normal" sediment or defective water heater?

[Phog]

That doesn't look like anything that normally comes out of a water heater. The anode turns to opaque off-white powder as it disintegrates. Mineral deposits run the gamut from brown to yellow to white to gray, but are also usually opaque. Rust is of course reddish brown and opaque. That almost looks like translucent flat flakes -- maybe it's just the picture. Completely speculating here but could this possibly be small pieces of the the glass lining from the inside of the tank flaking off?

 

[Reach4]

Consider a softener. If you put it outside, you must protect it from the sun with at least a cover.

Would anything in the anode be creating this much debris??? Would changing it out this soon eliminate the stuff? Thanks!

I don't know. It could be the old anode was eaten away protecting your WH, and a new anode would introduce new material that could turn to sediment. Do you have a separate place to unscrew your anode, or do you have a combo anode where the anode is on the cold input nipple?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[GoldenDaze]

Sorry, I didn't realize there was a page 2 here. I believe the anode is a separate access point; I'd have to cut out some foam sealant to get to it. There's another access area almost out to the (top) edge, but the guy who installed the WH blocked access to that one and aligned it directly under the cpvc pipe that hooks to the pressure release valve.... it could be the dip tube???

I bought some more vinegar today and put about 6 of those flakes in it to soak overnight and meanwhile, will try to collect bigger flakes in the aerator. Yes, they do look somewhat translucent especially when wet. Because of personal preference, a water softener is not an option for my house.

I did a preliminary google check to see if there might be other Rheem owners with the same issue.... couldn't find any but I'll check again. I could ask Rheem but don't expect I will get a straight answer. To be continued...

 

[GoldenDaze]

I bought some more vinegar today and put about 6 of those flakes in it to soak overnight and meanwhile, will try to collect bigger flakes in the aerator. Yes, they do look somewhat translucent especially when wet. Because of personal preference, a water softener is not an option for my house.
To be continued...

Result: All 6 of the flakes were barely recognizable this morning. When I gently touched them with my finger, they dissolved so I can only conclude that the city worker is correct and those flakes are calcium; guessing glass wouldn't dissipate like that. Perhaps the buildup in SW Florida has different characteristics than elsewhere. The faucet they're deposited in is the furthest from the WH (approx 60 ft.) so I'm hoping that these are remnants that have been sitting in the cpvc since repiped in 2001. On the other hand, the kitchen faucet is less than 30 ft. from WH and is still currently running ok with no reduction in flow (but had the biggest buildup immediately after the initial WH flush).

IF my showers continue to run out of hot water, then I will pull the anode rod for inspection (have been showering at the gym so don't know yet). Ready to put Humpty Dumpty back together again and see what happens. Lesson learned... I will, without any doubt, be draining the WH annually.

Thank you again for all your thoughts and opinions! Y'all have been very helpful.

 

[Reach4]

Result: All 6 of the flakes were barely recognizable this morning. When I gently touched them with my finger, they dissolved so I can only conclude that the city worker is correct and those flakes are calcium

Hardness deposits are a mix of calcium and magnesium compounds.

A softener would stop new hardness deposits, and would make your water nicer.

It is not something special about your WH that caused the deposits to form.

 

[LindainAZ]

Hi Goldendaze,

I am in Goodyear a suburb west of Phoenix AZ and found your thread because I have been having a similar issue since I moved in this house I bought in 2016. The house was built in 2005. The water is very hard here, so I decided to change out the water heater since I was having low flow to the kitchen and attributed it to the water heater being full of sediment.

New Rudd water heater installed Nov. 24, 2017. Up until about 3 months ago, I have minimal sediment but at the 3 month mark, I have to empty the aerator every 5-7 days

I had not flushed the water heater during that time. I did it 1 week ago and it was terrible. The sediment from the water heater looked like what I was getting at the kitchen faucet aerator. I have a re-circulator pug and uplugged that. The kitchen still is an issue and it is 30 feet from the water heater. Additionally the spare bathroom tub faucet clogged up on the hot water side. I can get cold no problem. Hot water is a trickle. The sink in that bathroom has no issues.

I'm at a loss of what to do next. No water softener, fairly new water heater. but the sediment looks like sand with chunky of sea shells, but after soaking in vinegar it does dissolve.

Anyone in this thread or forum have any suggestions ideas? The Rudd water heater has a 6 year warranty. I haven't called them yet.

 

[Terry]

I like to flush the water heater under pressure with the hose ending in a good spot for dirty hot water that doesn't kill plants.
The tub may need a new cartridge now. At least it would be nice if it would be that easy.

 

[Jadnashua]

When you heat water, it tends to drive the minerals out.

DO you have a tea kettle to boil water, or do you heat it up in the microwave? If you have a tea kettle, look at the bottom of it after awhile...it will have a significant mineral deposit on it. The same thing happens in your water heater, but since you're heating more water than you would for tea or coffee, it can build up faster.

An anode will do nothing to prevent this. The anode is there to help prevent the tank itself from literally dissolving or rusting away. You tend to get more mineral deposits at the hottest portion of the tank...on an electric, that's the element, and on a gas one, along the middle flue. After awhile, it flakes off and falls to the bottom and can build up significantly...faster when your water is quite hard, which is fairly common in the US SW.

 

[Terry]

bump