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What's this clunking noise in my gas DWH? Is it on it's way out? (Video)

Jells
Jells Member Posts: 576
in THE MAIN WALL
Doing maintenance in a tenant's apartment and I noticed the WH making odd noises I've never heard before. Stopped when I turned off the burner. No leaking, but the tank is 2010. Time for it to go?

https://youtube.com/shorts/C_S3kK1NoGU?feature=share

Comments

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 23,422
    As the tank fills with minerals the burner has to heat the sediment to heat the water, so that may be the percolation sound. Same happens to a tea kettle that fills with lime and hard water scale.
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Jells
    Jells Member Posts: 576
    hot_rod said:

    As the tank fills with minerals the burner has to heat the sediment to heat the water, so that may be the percolation sound. Same happens to a tea kettle that fills with lime and hard water scale.

    Sounds more like someone banging with a mallet than perking! Ughh. The more I think about the more I want to replace it if I have time left between finishing the shower replacement and when the tenant returns from her trip. It's 12, the end can't be long, and better to do it not as an emergency.

    As always, the big problem isn't the work, it's getting the damn 40 gal tanks up and down from the 4th floor! My back has told me never again, and I believe it.
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,600
    Hi, I agree with Hot Rod, that it's sediment. One approach would be to use Mag Erad to dissolve the scale. I'd only do this if you first checked the condition of the anode and found some metal left on it. Some gas controls have an adjustment for dialing down the size of the main burner, but your control isn't one of them. :/ If you do replace the heater, make sure it has a magnesium anode in it rather than aluminum. As aluminum dissolves, it produces lots of goo that falls to the bottom of the tank, encouraging noise. Magnesium doesn't do this.

    Yours, Larry

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