Water heaters

[Hatchdog]

... My question is those of you who have a standard water heater do you do an annual flush? My water is good from my well and has no iron to speak of.

Looks like it should be pretty easy to do myself???

I have flushed. But don't anymore. During the flush I got a lot of sediment out, but found it was not possible to get even close to all of it. After the flush, it took a long time for the stirred up water in the heater to run clear, gunking up the showers, sinks, dishwasher and bath towels. We're also on a well. The water is extremely hard. Mostly Iron, sulfur, calcium and some very fine sediment that is able to get through the 10micron filter. I have a water treatment system to deal with the iron and sulfur and a water softner to deal with the calcium. The whole setup probably only 75-80% effective though. We get drinking water via RO. Back to the tank, I believe it best to let sleeping sediments lie and not stir things up.

Flushing is easy. Hook up a garden hose to the bottom tank facet, run the hose outdoors and open the tank facet. Let it run until water is clear as you can get it. With the bottom facet open, the drain turbulence in the tank stirs things up. That sediment circulates over and over getting diluted, but never quite clearing.

Good points Mags I may let sleeping sediments lie as you suggested. My hearer is in the basement so I would have to drain it into the sump pump and pump it up to the septic tank.

[Mags]

...It’s hit or miss around here on wells. Drill anywhere and you get water. The question is how clean will the water be. A neighbor’s water a couple thousand yards away is terrible and even tastes rancid.

Similar here. Our water is terrible but the two closest neighbor's is at least drinkable.

[dave77]

...It’s hit or miss around here on wells. Drill anywhere and you get water. The question is how clean will the water be. A neighbor’s water a couple thousand yards away is terrible and even tastes rancid.

Similar here. Our water is terrible but the two closest neighbor's is at least drinkable.

When I was a kid we would usually go to visit my mom's brother where she grew up in North Dakota, the water was so bad I couldn't drink it, they were used to it and said it tasted fine.

I have a deep well, no aquifer, it's filtered through sand seams in the surrounding shale/clay (at least that's what the well driller said) and it tasted fine from day one. No treatment at all other than my refrigerator filter.

[Mags]

... the water was so bad I couldn't drink it, they were used to it and said it tasted fine....

My grand parents on my dad's side said the same thing. Half mile away, the water at my other grand parents tasted good.

[Sir Henry]

...It’s hit or miss around here on wells. Drill anywhere and you get water. The question is how clean will the water be. A neighbor’s water a couple thousand yards away is terrible and even tastes rancid.

Similar here. Our water is terrible but the two closest neighbor's is at least drinkable.

When I was a kid we would usually go to visit my mom's brother where she grew up in North Dakota, the water was so bad I couldn't drink it, they were used to it and said it tasted fine.

I have a deep well, no aquifer, it's filtered through sand seams in the surrounding shale/clay (at least that's what the well driller said) and it tasted fine from day one. No treatment at all other than my refrigerator filter.

I’m lucky to have good tasting water also. Some buy bottled water for drinking.

[Mags]

...
I’m lucky to have good tasting water also. Some buy bottled water for drinking.

Decades ago we were temporarily living in Escondido, CA. City water there was horrible. We had bottled water delivery service with a office like water stand under a 5 gal bottle.

[markiver54]

I've been drinking bottled water ONLY for decades and I'm very selective regarding which ones of those I consume. Don't trust the city water here and even though we're on a well at the cottage I still stick to bottled. I'm just used to it.

[JEBar]

Hope you get the electrical problem resolved quickly.

the problem turned out to be a blown GFCI breaker that I didn't know was there coupled by a bad on/off light switch that sends power to the tankless water heater .... we are very happy with a $200 plumbing/electric bill instead of $2,000 replacement cost

[markiver54]

Hope you get the electrical problem resolved quickly.

the problem turned out to be a blown GFCI breaker that I didn't know was there coupled by a bad on/off light switch that sends power to the tankless water heater .... we are very happy with a $200 plumbing/electric bill instead of $2,000 replacement cost

Glad it was a relatively simple fix. I must say though that it troubles me how much plumbers want for their services anymore.
Glad you're back to normal.

[JEBar]

young folks today who have the aptitude to work in skilled trades can make some serious money without being saddled with huge college loans