Purging New Water Heater Of Air

[Industrial Toys]

A friend enlisted my help today. He installed a new GSW 60 Gallon Electric Water Heater, and could not get it to work. Seemed he burned up the upper element.

But he's not dumb. He had water coming out the out pipe, assuming the heater was full.

Apparently the in and out ports have internal pipes that go half way down inside the tank from the top of the tank.

So how is one supposed to get the air out?

There is a thermal safety valve on the side with a handle, where you could let air out to a level above the element, but still would not get all the air out of the tank. I had him look through the manual but a cursory search could find nothing about this. You might think it was important!

Maybe this will save someone else some grief.

 

[oosik]

When I replaced my hot water tank - just VERY slowly turned on every hot water faucet in the house. Let them run for about 5 minuets. Some came on pretty gently. A couple blew water like a volcano. After about two minuets - no more air/water mix. Let it run another three. Then after all the air has blown out the faucets - I throw the breaker and turn the hot water tank on.

Since I draw water directly from a spring - there is alway a small amount of sediment( dirt ) in the lines. Once a year I blow out the sediment by opening the last hot & cold water faucet on the run. Let it run for five.

As far as trapped air in the hot water tank. Once I open all the hot water faucets and let them blow - never had any problem on down the line.

 

[i7win7]

Don't think you ever will heated water turns into steam (air and water vapor). The thermal safety also works as pressure relief. You should use it 1 per year. This Old House showed pictures of the damage caused when the safety didn't work. Explosion + water damage.

 

[3gunr]

Oosik is right . open all faucets let run till no more air. With the faucets closed the water had no where to go , so the tank was not very full.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Thanks.

But the outlet port on top has the pipe going halfway down the tank inside, the brochure says so, inlet and outlet, for more even heating of the water, so water coming out will be doing so, once the left over air is compressed enough. But not covering the top element.

Unless the pipe has some small holes and he didn't wait long enough. How would you know?

 

[techman]

Open the manual lever on the P-T valve which is normally mounted on the top of the tank. When the air stops, it is bled.

Paul

 

[Industrial Toys]

My gut feeling is that he was in a hurry, had water coming out the taps and thought that was it, tank full. I bet there are little holes in those internal pipes. They wouldn't be much good though when the calcium plugs them up.

PT is on side just above upper element.

 

[Deere Dude]

If the P-T valve is open and purged he should have been ready to turn on the electricity. That valve is above the heating elements which are submerged by that point. There will be air in the water lines until finally purged but that shouldn't have caused an element to fail.

 

[RalphVa]

I agree with Paul techman. Think this is what I used when replacing the tank. Just logical.

Ralph

 

[PILOON]

Open the manual lever on the P-T valve which is normally mounted on the top of the tank. When the air stops, it is bled.

Paul

YEP, that's the way to do it!