needs advice from a plumber
Submitted: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 at 09:50
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First up, my apologies for apparently usurping this site with a non related topic, but I promise to weave 4 wheel driving into it eventually.
Our Rheem 135 litre hot water system (31 series) is playing up. The water pressure has dropped off significantly and the water temperature does not seem to indicate the high setting of the thermostat (second highest setting).
This morning I filled up a 9.6 litre bucket with water from the hot tap closest to the heater (approx 1 meter) and it took 3 minutes to fill. The cold tap next to it took 13 seconds.
On cold nights we have to supplement the hot water with boiled water from the kettle when running a bath, and it takes ages to fill. Showers run out of steam very quickly also.
The problem has been obvious for some time, but we have learned to live with it, however we recently had the diode changed (by a mechanic!!), and the problem seems to have gotten worse.
Can anyone please advise what the likely cause is and a possible solution, or is that like asking how long is a piece of string?
We are planning to go off roading in the
Pilbara in a couple of months (I did promise to weave 4 wheel driving in), but I can see that possibly going out the window if I call in a plumber. Is it a big problem, will it be expensive to fix?
Again my apologies to the
forum readers and to the ExplorOz team, but I dont know any plumbers and this seems like a good place for my questions to get wide exposure without doing the dirty on a hard working tradesman by calling him out and then sending him packing. The unit was new in 1998.
Reply By: herkman - Wednesday, May 14, 2003 at 14:02
Wednesday, May 14, 2003 at 14:02
I would try a cheap fix first.
The unit is too new to be beyond fixing.
Turn the unit off, and they drain all the water out of the heater, there will be a drain plug on the bottom.
Get yourself some thread tape from local hardware store, remove the plug and watch what I suspect will be mud coming out. When the unit is empty, chock it on oposite side to plug, turn the water on, and let it run out until it is completly clear. Screw plug back in, until just finger tight, fill with water, and the when full, pull the plug out, if no more rubbish comes out, then run the tape around the plug and put it back in, and tighten. If it keeps coming out dirty, keep repeating process until you get it clear. Remove the chock.
The crud tends to make the heater less efficient, but if that does not fix it, the problem could lie with the thermostat. If they are not expensive, that would be the next to go.
The fact that you are loosing pressure, appears to me, that the tank is full of rubbish. You could try taking the inlet pipe off, and see what the pressure is like.
In SA where crud abounds in the water, most plumbers put a filter on the water intake, they are about $60 for the assembly, easy to fit and replacement elements are only $10.
If you are like me, I hate to have tradesmen around, they cost a heap, never come on time, and always make a mess.
Hope we have helped.
Regards
Col Tigwell
AnswerID:
20022