[Shop-talk] Water heater problem

[Wayne]

See this web site for really good water heater info:
http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/

On 1/25/2010 5:00 PM, Rich White wrote:
> Periodically our water heater does not get the water very hot.  Most of the
> time, the first shower of the morning is nice and hot even requiring some cold
> water to be added to the mix.  Sometimes it is only warm with no cold water
> added.  It is like the heater is not always heating the water to the same

Could be a bad thermostat (integrated into the gas valve, and probably as expensive as a whole new heater) or scale on the thermostat probe or so much scale and crud in the bottom that the thermostat probe is buried.  Flushing the thing might help, but it's probably on borrowed time already.

> I had a plumber swear to me that a gas water heater didn't have a
> sacrificial anode rod.  Any truth to that?

No.  He's clueless.

> There certainly was one on my last gas water heater, but I don't see where
> it is on the Bradford White I have now.

On some of them it's integrated into the cold water inlet tube.  See the web site at the top.  It has brand specific info.

Their good advice is to buy a cheap heater, and add your own additional insulation and change the anode rod periodically.  And replace the crappy drain valve with a ball valve.  And they'll sell you a very expensive kit to do so, if you value convenience over price.

-W