Richard
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,997
- Location
- Knoxville, TN
- Tractor
- International 1066 Full sized JCB Loader/Backhoe and a John Deere 430 to mow with
We seem to have a lot of calcium in our water. Our long term plan include getting a water softner but with all the sticks we have in the fire, Mr. Budget says it’s later rather than sooner. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
On my current water heater, I’ve removed the drain spigot and replaced it with a ¾” nipple and a ¾” shut off valve (3/4” the entire way through it with no restrictions).
I hate having to replace a burnt element and at the same time, try to scoop bits & pieces of calcium deposits out of the tank using the little scoop I made.
I put the larger drain in so I could get a lot more flow & pass through the drain hoping that would help.
Today I went to drain the tank hoping I’d get (for example) 1 bucket of calcium chips blowing out the drain, rather than 2 buckets plugging everything up.
Didn’t seem to work. (or I have hardly in there)
So, I removed the hose, put a piece of clear tubing (1” ID I think) and a hose clamp to hold it on the OUTSIDE of the spigot end. This tubing was maybe 12” long and I put a bucket under it, opened the drain so I could get SOMETHING inside the tank to try to move the deposits around & get them to blow out. (there was minimal water in tank at this time)
The ¼” copper tubing I had just bent. I tried a cut section of co-axial cable and that actually seemed to work a bit. I then used my electricians fish tape and wiggled the end of it around on the inside of the tank. All the while, I still had some water seeping out the drain into the bucket I used, so THAT part worked very nice for me.
Ok..that’s sort of the painted picture.
Other than taking the element out & going through that hole, other than taking the ENTIRE tank outside like some do, I’m hoping the collective brain power here can tell me the secret, or that we can collectively come up with a simple way to allow water to drain out the tank drain at the same time something is used to “mix” the sediment in the tank to help the sediment move out the drainpipe.
This tank is (supposed to be) a self cleaning (with the supply tube going to bottom of tank and turning sideways to help the water swirl) type and my initial hope was the larger drain and the swirling water would help blow any deposits out. This process doesn’t seem to be working.
What are some ideas of a tool to put UP the ¾” opening & agitate the sediment?
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Richard
On my current water heater, I’ve removed the drain spigot and replaced it with a ¾” nipple and a ¾” shut off valve (3/4” the entire way through it with no restrictions).
I hate having to replace a burnt element and at the same time, try to scoop bits & pieces of calcium deposits out of the tank using the little scoop I made.
I put the larger drain in so I could get a lot more flow & pass through the drain hoping that would help.
Today I went to drain the tank hoping I’d get (for example) 1 bucket of calcium chips blowing out the drain, rather than 2 buckets plugging everything up.
Didn’t seem to work. (or I have hardly in there)
So, I removed the hose, put a piece of clear tubing (1” ID I think) and a hose clamp to hold it on the OUTSIDE of the spigot end. This tubing was maybe 12” long and I put a bucket under it, opened the drain so I could get SOMETHING inside the tank to try to move the deposits around & get them to blow out. (there was minimal water in tank at this time)
The ¼” copper tubing I had just bent. I tried a cut section of co-axial cable and that actually seemed to work a bit. I then used my electricians fish tape and wiggled the end of it around on the inside of the tank. All the while, I still had some water seeping out the drain into the bucket I used, so THAT part worked very nice for me.
Ok..that’s sort of the painted picture.
Other than taking the element out & going through that hole, other than taking the ENTIRE tank outside like some do, I’m hoping the collective brain power here can tell me the secret, or that we can collectively come up with a simple way to allow water to drain out the tank drain at the same time something is used to “mix” the sediment in the tank to help the sediment move out the drainpipe.
This tank is (supposed to be) a self cleaning (with the supply tube going to bottom of tank and turning sideways to help the water swirl) type and my initial hope was the larger drain and the swirling water would help blow any deposits out. This process doesn’t seem to be working.
What are some ideas of a tool to put UP the ¾” opening & agitate the sediment?
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Richard