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Posted by Jules on October 5, 2009, 8:08 pm
On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:33:12 -0400, gfretwell wrote:
> My bet is the bottom of that water heater is slugged solid with scale
> and you will be buying a new one soon enough. At least do it on your
> own schedule.
Good call there, by the way. Wasn't getting much scale out of the drain
valve, so I'd figured it couldn't be too bad. Then I took the drain valve
apart, and the internal valve passage is a square-section s-shape, and
only of about 1/4" diameter.
I took the upper element out and had a peek inside, and it was choked
with scale at the bottom, like you figured. Not surprisingly, a lot of the
bits are far too big to ever stand a chance of getting through that valve
body...
I managed to break some of it up, probably got about 3 gallons of
solid scale out of it and another of sludge; I think that might drop the
level below the lower element (just waiting on it to heat right now)
which will buy some time, but it's looking like a new heater's a good
idea sometime soon :-)
cheers
Jules
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Posted by charlie on October 13, 2009, 3:42 pm
> On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:57:11 -0500, Jules
>>I have one of those heater element sockets which have holes in the
>>end to take a 3/8" shaft - and I had no problems with the upper element,
>>but the lower one is jammed up solid; with some 3/8" metal rod through the
>>socket holes and a 4' thick-walled hollow bar on that as a breaker, it
>>just keeps on bending the 3/8" rod where it meets the socket...
>>Heating around the element nut with a torch hasn't helped, nor has leaving
>>the whole lot to soak in penetrating oil for a few hours, nor has
>>thumping it with a big hammer to loosen the corrosion (makes me nervous,
>>that, though - tank looks to be cast iron, and I don't want to crack it).
>>Worst-case I might be about to drill the darn thing out, I suppose,
>>although I was mainly interested in checking the element for scaling, not
>>outright replacing it (it's giving 13.8 ohms consistent with the upper
>>one, and nothing to ground on either terminal), plus i don't want to risk
>>trashing the tank threads.
>>Next attempt might be to drill the holes larger in the socket, as I have a
>>bit of 5/8" solid rod sitting up in the workshop - but before I go
>>modifying the tool, I was wondering if anyone had any other bright ideas?
>>Maybe leaving it to soak overnight in penetrating oil is worth a shot?
>>cheers
>>Jules
> If it ain't broke DON'T FIX IT!
> Worst case is you will be buying a new water heater and that "worst
> case" could be right now if you keep screwing with that element.
> You may not break the metal can but you can crack the glass lining.
they haven't made them with glass linings for a LONG time
> My bet is the bottom of that water heater is slugged solid with scale
> and you will be buying a new one soon enough. At least do it on your
> own schedule.
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Posted by Twayne on October 13, 2009, 8:12 pm
>> On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:57:11 -0500, Jules
>>> I have one of those heater element sockets which have holes in the
>>> end to take a 3/8" shaft - and I had no problems with the upper
>>> element, but the lower one is jammed up solid; with some 3/8" metal
>>> rod through the socket holes and a 4' thick-walled hollow bar on
>>> that as a breaker, it just keeps on bending the 3/8" rod where it
>>> meets the socket... Heating around the element nut with a torch
>>> hasn't helped, nor has
>>> leaving the whole lot to soak in penetrating oil for a few hours,
>>> nor has thumping it with a big hammer to loosen the corrosion
>>> (makes me nervous, that, though - tank looks to be cast iron, and I
>>> don't want to crack it). Worst-case I might be about to drill the
>>> darn thing out, I suppose,
>>> although I was mainly interested in checking the element for
>>> scaling, not outright replacing it (it's giving 13.8 ohms
>>> consistent with the upper one, and nothing to ground on either
>>> terminal), plus i don't want to risk trashing the tank threads.
>>> Next attempt might be to drill the holes larger in the socket, as I
>>> have a bit of 5/8" solid rod sitting up in the workshop - but
>>> before I go modifying the tool, I was wondering if anyone had any
>>> other bright ideas? Maybe leaving it to soak overnight in
>>> penetrating oil is worth a shot? cheers
>>> Jules
>> If it ain't broke DON'T FIX IT!
>> Worst case is you will be buying a new water heater and that "worst
>> case" could be right now if you keep screwing with that element.
>> You may not break the metal can but you can crack the glass lining.
> they haven't made them with glass linings for a LONG time
>> My bet is the bottom of that water heater is slugged solid with scale
>> and you will be buying a new one soon enough. At least do it on your
>> own schedule.
Huh, saw glass lined in the local place just yesterday.
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Posted by bob haller on October 13, 2009, 8:14 pm
> >> On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:57:11 -0500, Jules
> >>> I have one of those heater element sockets which have holes in the
> >>> end to take a 3/8" shaft - and I had no problems with the upper
> >>> element, but the lower one is jammed up solid; with some 3/8" metal
> >>> rod through the socket holes and a 4' thick-walled hollow bar on
> >>> that as a breaker, it just keeps on bending the 3/8" rod where it
> >>> meets the socket... Heating around the element nut with a torch
> >>> hasn't helped, nor has
> >>> leaving the whole lot to soak in penetrating oil for a few hours,
> >>> nor has thumping it with a big hammer to loosen the corrosion
> >>> (makes me nervous, that, though - tank looks to be cast iron, and I
> >>> don't want to crack it). Worst-case I might be about to drill the
> >>> darn thing out, I suppose,
> >>> although I was mainly interested in checking the element for
> >>> scaling, not outright replacing it (it's giving 13.8 ohms
> >>> consistent with the upper one, and nothing to ground on either
> >>> terminal), plus i don't want to risk trashing the tank threads.
> >>> Next attempt might be to drill the holes larger in the socket, as I
> >>> have a bit of 5/8" solid rod sitting up in the workshop - but
> >>> before I go modifying the tool, I was wondering if anyone had any
> >>> other bright ideas? Maybe leaving it to soak overnight in
> >>> penetrating oil is worth a shot? cheers
> >>> Jules
> >> If it ain't broke DON'T FIX IT!
> >> Worst case is you will be buying a new water heater and that "worst
> >> case" could be right now if you keep screwing with that element.
> >> You may not break the metal can but you can crack the glass lining.
> > they haven't made them with glass linings for a LONG time
> >> My bet is the bottom of that water heater is slugged solid with scale
> >> and you will be buying a new one soon enough. At least do it on your
> >> own schedule.
> Huh, saw glass lined in the local place just yesterday.- Hide quoted text=
-
> - Show quoted text -
yeah me too, at both lowes and home depot. my tank is 9 years old, i
was shopping
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Posted by charlie on October 14, 2009, 1:07 pm
>>> On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:57:11 -0500, Jules
>>>> I have one of those heater element sockets which have holes in the
>>>> end to take a 3/8" shaft - and I had no problems with the upper
>>>> element, but the lower one is jammed up solid; with some 3/8" metal
>>>> rod through the socket holes and a 4' thick-walled hollow bar on
>>>> that as a breaker, it just keeps on bending the 3/8" rod where it
>>>> meets the socket... Heating around the element nut with a torch hasn't
>>>> helped, nor has
>>>> leaving the whole lot to soak in penetrating oil for a few hours,
>>>> nor has thumping it with a big hammer to loosen the corrosion
>>>> (makes me nervous, that, though - tank looks to be cast iron, and I
>>>> don't want to crack it). Worst-case I might be about to drill the darn
>>>> thing out, I suppose,
>>>> although I was mainly interested in checking the element for
>>>> scaling, not outright replacing it (it's giving 13.8 ohms
>>>> consistent with the upper one, and nothing to ground on either
>>>> terminal), plus i don't want to risk trashing the tank threads.
>>>> Next attempt might be to drill the holes larger in the socket, as I
>>>> have a bit of 5/8" solid rod sitting up in the workshop - but
>>>> before I go modifying the tool, I was wondering if anyone had any
>>>> other bright ideas? Maybe leaving it to soak overnight in
>>>> penetrating oil is worth a shot? cheers
>>>> Jules
>>> If it ain't broke DON'T FIX IT!
>>> Worst case is you will be buying a new water heater and that "worst
>>> case" could be right now if you keep screwing with that element.
>>> You may not break the metal can but you can crack the glass lining.
>> they haven't made them with glass linings for a LONG time
>>> My bet is the bottom of that water heater is slugged solid with scale
>>> and you will be buying a new one soon enough. At least do it on your
>>> own schedule.
> Huh, saw glass lined in the local place just yesterday.
well, if it's glass lined, then why a: does it need an anode, and b: what
would rust to produce a hole in the casing?
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> and you will be buying a new one soon enough. At least do it on your
> own schedule.