I recently noticed the water coming out of my hot water has taken on an orange/dirty colour so decided to do some maintenance on the hot water tank. Below is what I’ve tried so far over the span of 2 weeks, the water has kept the same discolouration – some improvement but not clear like when I compare to water out of my cold water tap. It’s certainly not as bad as when is started but still there. I’m at a loss as to what to try next, do I have any other options or is next step to replace the tank?? Thanks!
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I flushed the tank two weekends in a row now trying to get the water coming out to be as clear as possible. Tank continues to have small particulate flowing out when I flush but nothing I would consider excessive (probably rust as it was attracted to a magnet when I ran one through the water)
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I replaced the anode with a new one, the previous anode was completely gone to the core (probably never replaced before). Water tank is 7 years old and I live in a very hard water area + have a water softener. I’m suspecting the tank has probably started rusting inside but not sure how bad.
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There are no leaks or dripping water around the tank that I can tell.
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As a last ditch effort I bought an endoscopic camera to see what’s going on in the tank itself. Below are the best pictures I could produce given the conditions (fed through the hot water inlet when tank was empty)
first 2 pictures are where tank walls meets bottom – you can see sediment that looks like small rust particles, second picture is of the wall, there’s lots of buildup like this at the top of the tank? Is this rust or something else and is this what’s causing my water discolouration? Anything to be done?
Best Answer
That's as good an excuse as any for buying an endoscope. I've wanted one for a while.
You did not say if you have hard or soft water. That matters.
I think your tank is too far gone. Tanks that do not get anode rod replacements are typically good for 8-15 years depending on usage. Tanks that do can go from 15-25 years that has been my experience. Your tank has been missing an anode rod for a long time now.
If you have hard water you should be periodically draining sediments. If you have very hard water you should replace the dip tube with a curved dip tube. This allows the tank to be drained then all of the sediments to be expelled. If you don't do this then they build up on the bottom and cause the bottom of the tank to overheat which damages the glass and causes the tank to start rusting.
The tank is steel with vitreous glass bonded to the inside. The glass does not perfectly cover all the steel in the tank which is why there's an anode rod.
If you have copper pipe there should be dielectric fittings used.
The hotter the temp you keep the water heater the faster it will corrode.