Does anyone know why this water heater carbonized?

Joseph_4

Water heater carbonized. The only info I have is that the water heater was off for a few years. I checked the draft, which was drafting well and there was nothing in the area inside by the flu baffles (birds nest etc.) I lit it up 6 weeks ago and it was fine till 2 days ago when the customer called me. 1) does is pay to clean out? 2) would the same thing happen if I put a brand new unit in? (in my 13 years of doing this, I have never seen one carbonize)

Larry Weingarten

Hello, You're doing well to have a heater from 1979 still running! My experience with carbon build up in heaters is that once it starts, soot accumulates very quickly. I've found that pulling the baffle out and hosing it down, and vacuuming the combustion chamber go a long way towards getting good draft, which helps prevent the return of the soot. May I assume the heater really is hooked up to natural gas and not propane?

If you're going to work on this tank, do check the anode rod as well.

Yours, Larry

EBEBRATT-Ed

Either you have a plugged chimney/flue pipe and no draft or way to much gas. Check the gas pressure and chimney do a combustion test, Co2, Co and 02.

That thing is dangerous and is/was dumping Co into the house.

You can't walk away from it unless it is right

hot_rod

adequate combustion air into the room? A good visual on the value of CO detectors in every fossil fuel home or building.

Steamhead

If I had to guess, I'd say the gas pressure regulator in the control got stuck from lack of use. Troubleshooting it would be interesting. But that thing was made in 1979- time to completely replace it.

Steve Minnich

@Steamhead 20 years ago

Steamhead

Steve Minnich said:

@Steamhead 20 years ago

Our point exactly.

Solid_Fuel_Man

Some of us were made on or before 1979.... Do we need to be replaced as well?

Steve Minnich

I was made in 1960. I hope not. I’m not done yet.