# Water heater help **URL:** \ **Category:** Shift518 Off Topic\ **Created:** [December 15, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755 "2012-12-15T13:56:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pitman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4da419/32.png) [@pitman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/pitman)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/21 "2012-12-17T10:29:45Z")
> [@JRubino"](#): > > His hot water problem is caused by the element getting clogged with calcium. A tankless will save him money but he needs to address the hard water first. i agree. i was just adding some things to the topic. salt will help him ---
**Author:** ![wheels](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/wheels/32/6655_2.png) [@wheels](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/wheels)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 11:24am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/22 "2012-12-17T11:24:15Z")
> [@Ivana Trump's yacht in Buffalo Harbor UPDATE: \*Now with pics\*](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/ivana-trumps-yacht-in-buffalo-harbor-update-now-with-pics/51282/38): > > where do you live? I’m on Schenectady City water. Surprised me how bad it was as well. > [@JRubino"](#): > > His hot water problem is caused by the element getting clogged with calcium. A tankless will save him money but he needs to address the hard water first. The element was definitely clogged causing to be defective. Tested the resistance and it was shorted on itself from the buildup. I’m really hoping to avoid getting a softener installed. But its only been 4 years and it was that bad. I shop vac’ed the debris out of the bottom and will try keep it flushed out yearly. ---
**Author:** ![ds50r](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ds50r/32/3491_2.png) [@ds50r](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ds50r)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/23 "2012-12-17T11:26:13Z")
hmm yea thats kind of strange for Schenectady… but im not too familiar with the water system ---
**Author:** ![ninety1two40](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ninety1two40/32/6332_2.png) [@ninety1two40](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ninety1two40)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/24 "2012-12-17T12:27:21Z")
> [@FS: Apple Macbook, Guitar, MACTOOLS Multimeter](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/fs-apple-macbook-guitar-mactools-multimeter/48556/25): > > how does the water pump to the heater? if its a electric pump you will just have a hot water heater with no water City water, there are no pumps. ---
**Author:** ![usmc2801](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/usmc2801/32/6387_2.png) [@usmc2801](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/usmc2801)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/25 "2012-12-17T12:45:03Z")
> [@\*\*\*\*Official: Southgate Meet Thread\*\*\*\*](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/official-southgate-meet-thread/29171/3039): > > hmm yea thats kind of strange for Schenectady… but im not too familiar with the water system No its not, I am on Schenectady water and it has very high levels of calcium, my dishwasher heater is white from the water as well as my once black carbon water filter in the refrigerator. After seeing this thread I will be draining my water heater this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![wheels](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/wheels/32/6655_2.png) [@wheels](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/wheels)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/26 "2012-12-17T12:54:17Z")
> [@my 93 civic up again looking for trades](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-93-civic-up-again-looking-for-trades/51267/5): > > No its not, I am on Schenectady water and it has very high levels of calcium, my dishwasher heater is white from the water as well as my once black carbon water filter in the refrigerator. After seeing this thread I will be draining my water heater this weekend. I had trouble with the debris in the tank clogging up the drain on the bottom. I ended up unhooking the hose from the back of my washing machine and hooking it to the to drain on the water heater and flushing water back into the water heater to undo any clogs. Then unhooked the washing machine hose and let it drain until it clogged again. Repeated that a half dozen times until i could get all the water out without it clogging. I then vacuumed out that i could get at from the hole where the element goes. Then I opened the fill valve and kept the drain open to flush the tank out even more. ---
**Author:** ![ds50r](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ds50r/32/3491_2.png) [@ds50r](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ds50r)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/27 "2012-12-17T12:58:01Z")
good to know im in colonie so i dont think im on that system but im gonna drain mine aswell and do some maintenance heres a quick helpful step by step guide found > **[Water Heater Maintenance](http://www.instructables.com/id/Water-Heater-Maintenance/)** > > Very few people know that in order to keep your water heater running properly and efficiently very simple maintenace procedures need to be performed. (These come... ---
**Author:** ![JRubino](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jrubino/32/6285_2.png) [@JRubino](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JRubino)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/28 "2012-12-17T18:31:04Z")
> [@Baller, My computer is a donk](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/baller-my-computer-is-a-donk/50957/21): > > good to know im in colonie so i dont think im on that system but im gonna drain mine aswell and do some maintenance > > heres a quick helpful step by step guide found > [http://www.instructables.com/id/Water-Heater-Maintenance/](http://www.instructables.com/id/Water-Heater-Maintenance/) Honestly, this is a waste of time and energy. You’re in Colonie which isn’t known to have hard water. ---
**Author:** ![ds50r](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ds50r/32/3491_2.png) [@ds50r](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ds50r)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/29 "2012-12-17T18:35:59Z")
You think so? I don’t think anything has been done to it in 5 years? ---
**Author:** ![JRubino](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jrubino/32/6285_2.png) [@JRubino](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JRubino)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 5:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/30 "2012-12-18T05:27:52Z")
> [@The Vyrus](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-vyrus/51291/11): > > You think so? I don’t think anything has been done to it in 5 years? Your talking about saving pennies by doing that and after the fact you drain your tank down and then fill it up and the water heats back up in it, how much money do you really think you’ll be saving? Hot water tanks are basically disposable items. You get anywhere from 10-15 years out of them and you replace them. If you’ve gotta tank with a thermocouple, you may want to change that every other year as a preventive maintenance but even then you’d want to consider replacing the tank because they stopped putting thermocouples in years ago. ---
**Author:** ![ds50r](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ds50r/32/3491_2.png) [@ds50r](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ds50r)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 9:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755/31 "2012-12-18T09:13:37Z")
mine is a fairly newer water heater so ill take your advice ill check if its got a thermocouple if not ill leave well enough alone [Previous page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/water-heater-help/265755.md?page=1)