I’m about to demo this thing, but first I want to know. We have a 2 year old propane fired 40-gallon tank, $300 from Lowe’s. Frequently when it’s firing it makes a boiling and thumping noise. What gives? It did not do this when new.
I have the new Takagi roughed in and am waiting for a couple of flue parts, so by next week this will be moot.
Replies
Boiling and thumping noises sound like the effects of lime buildup. Of course to get that amount of buildup you would need very hard water and/or high usage. Have you ever drained the the sediment from the tank?
I have drained the tank, about 1 year ago when the unit was one year old.
We are on well water but I don't think of our water as hard. No stains on the fixtures. The intake screen on the washing machine likes to be cleaned once in a while--it gets some white build-up on it and the fill rate slows down.
Since I'm installing a $1000 water heater shortly, it makes me wonder if I oughta install some kind of filter on the well side of the tank.
I have heard about water tanks and heaters being filled with sand or other materials brought in by the water flow. When You remove the water heater it would be instructive to remove the anode or other plug and take a look inside.I have noted that many people do recommend a simple course sediment filter be installed ahead of the water inlet into the house. I suppose the hose bibs could be unfiltered.
Hey Dave I've seen this happen from a few different things like pressure build up without an exp tank corroded pipes etc....
But it's kinda like callen a mechanic over the phone & saying your car goes clink clink clunk & he replies with did it go clunk clunk clink
expansion or backflow kinda noise?
never mind. I know what it is..if itis in use ( drawdown) it is normal to hear a slight rumble as cold water is tempering the hot, and the steel tank is adjusting ti it;s new temp.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" Everything looks like a nail, to a hammer"
It does that too, but if it's heating up after a shower or a laundry run it's in there hammering away. I need to look into filters.
A lot of plumbing supply houses will check your water for free where I live. Use the telephone and ask. They will tell you what type of filter hook-up you need for your water,[they are trying to sell you something}. This might help before you install the new water heater. Luck.
I shocked myself when I did some calculations on the costs of sediment/scale in water heaters (& boilers)
I figured what I came up with deserves its own thread: http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages/?msg=66339.1
Question for all: does a 75% decrease in efficiency mean the same as a 4fold increase in gas usage?
As you probably know the Takagi is an instant water heater and does not store water, but of course it does have water traveling thru a series of loops, amd of course water stands in those loops 24/7. So, while there is no tank for sediment to settle into, there certainly is a place for scale to land, and I need to find out what I can do about it. My plumber is an expert in this stuff so obviously I'm gonna call him.