Gas in Hotwater heater- Help?!?

John Ruhnke

Thanks

JR

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John Ruhnke1

Gas in Hotwater Heater - Help ?!?

We installed two A.O. Smith hotwater heaters into a Doctors office. They replaced two existing and very old heaters that were in there. The two heaters are electric. Ever since the installation, the heaters sputter and cough up gas. This problem only happens on the hot water lines and after the new installation. The heaters are piped exactly the same as before. It is worst in the morning when the Doctor first shows up to work. Over night the heaters sit with no water running and this leads me to believe it may be some kind of chemical reaction happening in the heaters. The water is city with chlorine. The pipes are copper. No smell is detectible. Sulpher or other bacteria is ruled out because of the chlorinated water. No one in my area has seen or heard of such a problem. The pressure is 65-75 psi. No booster pumps are being used. The pressure is high enough everywhere so that air being sucked in by way of a leak is rulled out. Has anyone seen a simular problem before? HELP!?!?

JR

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Heatermon

Wow

That could have been my post about 15 years ago. Only it was an attorney, not a doctor, and believe me it was worse. The same complaint, and the same situation (two electric water heaters -Rheem brand though- in the attic above the office). Every morning they would get spurts of air in the faucet, then be O.K. for the rest of the day. We, of course, thought they were either 1. Exaggerating 2. Still had some leftover air trapped in the line. 3. Didn't have a clue as to how water expands when heated and lets loose with "milky" colored hot water.

Anyway, here's what you can do.

The air is more than likely "off gassing" of the anode rods. The best way to test this theory is to remove the rods (only temporarily though, one week at the most) to see if the air issue goes away. If it does, and I suspect it will, you then have to either convince the doctor that this is o.k. and he will have to live with it until it dies down or goes away (a few months or maybe even years). Or, you will have to experiment with what kind of anode will work with the least problem. We ended up with a zinc/aluminum combination rod that lessend the sputtering to a tolerable condition. It wasn't easy, because they now noticed every other little detail that came up (milky hot water, water noises, temperature differences etc.) but the daily sputterring did eventually go away. Good luck with your problem.

Heatermon

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ScottMP

John

I just had the same problem today. Electric hot water heater and sputtering and milky water. I would find out what anode rod came with the heater and put it another metal. If its an magnisum (sp) then change to a Aluminum and vice a versa.

We have had this problem twice over the years and both times this solved the problem.

Good Luck

Scott

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