Techtanium TT-79 Brown Water

R350NYC

Hi,

I am periodically getting brown hot water and think it is due to my indirect water heater. The house is about 8 years old and has the TT-79 installed. I have not replaced the anodes in the 3y I owned the house as I didnt know I had to until researching it. I dont know if the previous owner did it either. Nevertheless, I have ordered the anodes from SupplyHouse.com and am planning on changing them in the next week or two when they arrive.

I understand that at this point there is a chance that the unit is bad since the anodes are supposed to protect the unit from rusting and if I'm seeing brown water, then it's likely too late. Do you think it needs to be replaced regardless at this point? How do I know?

My second question is regarding the process of draining and inspecting/flushing the tank.

Below is a picture of my setup.

Am I correct with this method of draining/flushing:

1. Turn off recirculation pump and shut valves around it
2. Turn off cold water in (#1 in diagram)
3. Turn off boiler (to prevent water from feeding the heater)
4. Turn off boiler water Inlet (#3 in diagram)
5. Connect a hose to the hot water outlet (#4 in the diagram at the bottom)
6. Drain all the water out (80 gallons or so). Will the water come out directly? How does air displace water in the tank then?
7. Once drained, move onto flushing: turn cold water tap on while keeping the hot water outlet open (#4) and wait for water to turn clear. Once clear, turn cold water tap off.
8. Once flushed, remove the anode at the top and bottom. Replace and apply plumbers tape to the threads. Torque firmly but do not over tighten.
9. Close hot water outlet and slowly open all valves (cold water, recirculation). Turn on hot water faucet to bleed the air out.
10. Once all air is bled, turn boiler and recirculation pump back on.

Anything I'm missing here?

Thanks!!!

hot_rod

The sediment in the tank is heavy, very hard to flush out. I'd be surprised if you get even a cup full of sediment.

Rusty water often indicates a crack in the glass coating and the tank is rusting away.

No harm in changing the anode, but the horse is out of the barn

Larry Weingarten

Hi, I'd like to see the condition of the old anodes. That can tell you a lot about how the tank is doing. What is your water quality like? Do you salt-soften the water? Is there any steel anywhere else in the system? And, what is the static water pressure?

Yours, Larry

EdTheHeaterMan

I remember when I was working at a supply company for a year or so,  one of the plumbers asked me about an indirect water tank that was putting brown water into the whirlpool tub in an expensive home in Atlantic City NJ.   This went on for about 3 months. He would ask me about it every other week until one day he returned and asked for a 1-1/4 x 1" brass bushing.   Turns out he put a black steel bushing on the cold inlet of the potable water side of the tank.  

That bushong took 3 months of open system water flowing through it before it started to leak.  When he removed the bushing almost ⅓ of it was missing.  Now we know the tank was not at fault… “Installer error”

EBEBRATT-Ed

@EdTheHeaterMan

Had a new (3 year old) 500 gallon domestic DHW tank that when it was installed in a post office, they put a 2" black plug in an unused tapping. It blew out after 3 years on Christmas Eve. I got called out on it and the Gas burner that was in a pit in the boiler room floor was flooded the control panel was underwater when I got their and it still had power as the burner lights were on

EdTheHeaterMan

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1829641#Comment_1829641

That is because it was Gas Heat…. If it was Electric Heat I would be shocked if it was still heating when I arrived.

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