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Redundant electric hot water tank

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joncroteau
joncroteau Member Posts: 53
in Domestic Hot Water

hello- I had a new Viessmann installed last winter which also supplies my hot water. My 7 year old electric hot water tank is now obsolete in my system. It’s currently plumbed with shutoffs to isolate it from the new system. My thought was that I could use it as a backup if I should ever need it. Should I drain it or leave it full? It’s shut off at the breaker.

Comments

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 26,735

    i would drain it to prevent bacteria from growing in room temperature water

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
    GGross
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 26,887

    drain it and leave it open until you need it.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,729

    Make sure to paste a note on the electrical panel and at the water heater. You don't want to forget and fire it up with no water in it.

    A breaker lock out would be better.

    If you are not home and you have a power failure someone could go down and flip breakers. Murphy's law

    bburdjoncroteauIntplm.GGross
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 4,021

    Hi, I agree with all of the above. You want the tank to dry. I would also check the condition of the anode rod and replace it with a magnesium rod if needed. No point in having an "almost gone" tank in the system.

    Yours, Larry

    joncroteau

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