#Average age of water heater failure full

#Average age of water heater failure full

If you have a gas range you have probably noticed this same smell for a few seconds after putting a pot full of cold water over a burner. In a situation where the gas, air and temperature are not ideal you can get what we call incomplete combustion. As you might imagine it needs just the right amount of oxygen from the atmosphere and the correct amount of heat to burn completely. Natural gas is methane which requires an ideal burning situation to burn completely. If it occurs for just a minute or so just after the burner comes on it could be a normal occurrence. You could call your gas supplier and they typically would check it out without any cost to you. If it is a constant or common smell I would be very concerned. I occasionally notice what I imagine is a gas smell near the water heater but then at other times it is gone, should I be concerned? The water expelled can be a nuisance if so you might want a technician to see what can be done to stop your valve from “popping off”. An expansion tank can help in this situation and in some communities “air chambers” are required. This means that if you have 50 gallons of water in your system at 45 degrees Fahrenheit and you heat it to 120 degrees Fahrenheit it expands – it must go somewhere and if it can’t get out through the pressure reducing valve it must get out elsewhere. The other factor that creates your valve expelling water (if you are still with me) is that water expands when heated and cannot be compressed. This valve is what creates the “closed” system once water goes through this valve it cannot go back out. So these homes and sometimes all homes in a community are required to have a pressure reducing valve, which as its name suggests takes water in at a “higher inlet pressure and reduces that pressure and maintains that lower pressure regardless of higher inlet pressures or increased demand”. In order for the people at the top of the hill to have 50lbs of pressure those at the bottom might have 100lbs? The legal limit is typically 80lb many plumbing fixtures are not designed for any more than 80lbs and also a noise problem comes with higher pressure. Water loses almost 1/2 pound of pressure for every foot it goes up. Sometimes your water supplier raises the pressure to get more water for new construction in your area. In some areas, especially in hilly areas water companies often give people at the bottom of a hill higher pressure in order to get an acceptable pressure at the top of the hill. The most common situation like yours occurs when a home has a closed system this means that once water comes into your house it is locked in. Does your water seem too hot? Usually pressure is the issue. It sounds like your relief valve is working to relieve either too high of pressure or temperature. These valves are mandatory by law, without them you could get into a dangerous situation. This means that any higher pressure or temperature will open its spring loaded mechanism and release water thus making a safer situation for you. It typically has a setting of 150 lbs or 210 degrees Fahrenheit. When it expels water we call it “popping off”. That “gizmo” is probably your pressure and temperature relief valve. There is a “gizmo” at the top of the heater (or in the hot water piping) which has a drain that expels water now and then is that normal? Some people would suggest that you encourage your teenagers to move out but we wouldn’t dare do that. Covering all exposed hot water piping, especially under your home with 3/4″ foam insulation will save energy and perhaps give you more usable hot water. Coral like sediment keeps the heat from transferring into the water as efficiently so over time more heat gets wasted up the chimney. Flushing the heater periodically can keep sediment from building up and solidifying. A heater will save energy costs and last longer if it is fired up less. Try turning the temperature setting down little by little until it bothers you. Turn the controls to the pilot position while gone on vacation or for any extended period of time. If you are the brave, “cheap” type you can turn the water off before putting conditioner in your hair and leave it off until you have soaped up. Believe it or not some energy saving types actually clean soap off better than the old water guzzler while they conserve energy (or allow you to stay in the shower longer!). The most common ways that come to mind are: Change out that 3″ diameter shower head dad got for father’s day with a low flow model. With energy prices going up double digit numbers can you suggest ways to conserve on our hot water heating?