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Neglected Oil Fired Hot Water Heater, What Now?

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FatJack
FatJack Member Posts: 1
in Domestic Hot Water
Guys, I bought a house with a 9 year old oil fired hot water heater. It is working fine, but it turns out that it has not been serviced or flushed since it was installed! I assume that I should have a professional check the oil burner, right? Should I also flush the tank and check the corrosion rods? (That seems like an easy DIY task, is it?) I've been told that flushing the tank at this stage may invite more problems than it prevents so appreciate any professional advice.

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  • Jellis
    Jellis Member Posts: 228
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    a technician should certainly look over the burner, change the filters and nozzle and clean the unit. They should then perform a combustion test to verify proper operation of the burner. I would certainly check the Anode Rods, if the rods are completely worn and gone you could already have some degradation in your tank, I would say flushing is a good idea, if flushing causes any kind of issue then i would say its good to be replacing the tank anyway.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,540
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    wahat @Jellis said is good advise
    Jellis
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,505
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    Along with above excellent advice, I’d also recommend pulling the burner to check/clean the chamber, and check the end cone.

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

    Jellis
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,304
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    Hi, Is it a glass lined or stone lined tank?

    Yours, Larry

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