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calcium in water heater

george_42
george_42 Member Posts: 123
Has anyone ever tried removing calcium from tank
water heater using calcisolve or hcl

Comments

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,770
    Used to be a product called a muck vac that could flush out heaters, somewhat

    How old is the tank? At some point the accumulation becomes more like concrete, tough to flush out a 3/4” opening.

    What is your waters hardness?
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,481
    Hi @george_42 , It's fun that @hot_rod mentions the Muck Vac. It's a tool I came up with to solve noise problems in water heaters long ago. Haven't made them for years now. Still, there is a product called Mag-Erad, that is a citric acid based descaler. It can help some. It's non-toxic and won't damage the glass lining. I'd install a curved dip tube and full port ball valve for the drain. Then the tank can be flushed using water pressure. Possibly using both Mag-Erad and flushing together will give the best results. FIY waterheaterrescue is the place to go for flushing parts. So, what's the tank doing that makes you want to clean it?

    Yours, Larry
  • 23Bob
    23Bob Member Posts: 3
    Mag-Erad Water Heater Cleaner is easily found as sku 6831000 in the new 2 pound more economical package with the new United States Patent at Menards. A. O. Smith also is working on the new size upgrades and the sister product for those million BTU type heat exchangers is the A. O. Smith Un-Lime Delimer. Note that the National Codes have been changed. Temperature and Pressure Relief Valves on potable systems must be removed and waterside inspected for clogs and fallen off or corroding probes and the CSA NOT NB/ASME rating used because potable water is 20-80 pounds and the ASME Rating is 150 Pounds, or 360 degree Fahrenheit Water, clearly dangerous. The CSA rating assures the water never exceeds 210', remains under boiling, does not expand double nitroglycerine as water does when it flashes to steam as the pressure drops to under the boiling point of the superheated water. Mag-Erad is at Menards and that is a lot of locations nationally, more coming.