Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[nvestysly]

Woke up to wife saying there's no water. Checked and found no hot or cold. Heard some water winning in the basement. Feared the worst. Found the water heater was leaking like crazy, faster than the well pump could keep up with. There's a floor drain near the water heater so no flooded basement. Wife wanted to call a plumber. This old DIY person is not ready to give up yet, but I'm beyond wanting to wrestle a water heater up and down the stairs to the basement. Got one phone quote from a plumber, about $925, but for a shorter 6y guarantee WH. We're replacing a 8 year Richmond gas WH that has lasted 26 years.
Checked Menards. They have a 9y Richmond of similar size. Cost me $110 for delivery to the basement and take away the old WH. There's a 11% rebate on the before tax total and I get to use my $80 worth or rebates from previous purchases. $520 went on my charge card. I'll get $50 back from Menards, 2% back from my charge card. It will work out to about $460.
I got the old heater drained and out of position, and all the reusable fitting off of it, a fan running to dry up the floor and the new WH comes tomorrow

I did a similar repair but it was over 15 years ago. Hope the water heater will last a few more years before needing another replacement.

A few things to keep in mind... a long-time plumber told me to flush the water heater twice a year. I've done it probably once a year. Really should put it on a schedule/calendar. He suggested turning on the drain valve fully and let it run for several minutes to allow the water rushing into the tank to stir any debris and allow it to run out of the drain line. Made sense.

 

[nvestysly]

DW called me last Friday to say the clutch had broken on our 1984 Jeep CJ-7. She was able to pull off the main road (very busy at that time of day) and I drove over as quickly as possible to check on her and the vehicle. I suspected it was not the actual clutch but the clutch linkage. A quick inspection indicated the clutch rod had broken. Good (sort of) better than the actual clutch!

A few phone calls and I found a repair kit for the entire bellcrank assembly was available through Summit Racing and they have a warehouse within driving distance of our house. $75 and 4 hours the later the Jeep was back on the road.

 

[Music Lover]

Good for you! I replace my water heaters. I always manage to make it take a few hours longer than necessary sweating pipes, etc, but not something I’m ready to pay for.

I replaced my tank last winter and at the time ran PEX. No more sweating pipes and it takes just a couple minutes to make the connections the next time you have to replace the tank.

 

[aja8888]

DW called me last Friday to say the clutch had broken on our 1984 Jeep CJ-7. She was able to pull off the main road (very busy at that time of day) and I drove over as quickly as possible to check on her and the vehicle. I suspected it was not the actual clutch but the clutch linkage. A quick inspection indicated the clutch rod had broken. Good (sort of) better than the actual clutch!

A few phone calls and I found a repair kit for the entire bellcrank assembly was available through Summit Racing and they have a warehouse within driving distance of our house. $75 and 4 hours the later the Jeep was back on the road.

Nice job! I love Summit! I have bought a lot of auto parts/accessories from them over the years.

 

[Time2]

I just replaced the contacts in the starter solenoid of my 97 Toyota T-100.
Wife reported sometimes it clicks, before it will start. I ordered the parts and waited to verify the problem. About 2 weeks passed and then it happened to me. This was the 3rd time I've replaced them in 20 years. Mostly a short trip vehicle, so lots of starts. but only 117k miles.

 

[Walt34]

I’ll need an impact driver for when I decide to take the anode out next time.

I just got one of those and a set of impact sockets a few days ago in anticipation of changing out the anode rod on a regular basis. About five months ago we bought the third water heater in 17 years here, including the one that came with the house. That lasted ten years. The second one only lasted six years, just beyond the warranty, so that got me to do some reading about water heaters. With back, knee, and shoulder issues my days of wrestling water heaters in and out of place are long gone and the $1,400 for a new gas water heater, installed, got my attention.

As an aside, if you haven't bought a gas water heater recently get ready for some sticker shock. The newer ones have changes to the combustion chamber to help prevent flames ignited by the burner, such as gasoline fumes on the floor, from escaping back into the room. That's the theory anyway. Here's an explanation: What is Different About FVIR Water Heaters? | The ASHI Reporter | Inspection News & Views from the American Society of Home Inspectors

It turns out water heater maintenance wasn't a big deal where we used to live because the water was naturally soft and they lasted 20+ years as a matter of course. That is not the case here, where we have hard water and therefor also run a water softener, which adds corrosive salt to the water, hence our six-year water heater. (BTW, the "12-year warranty" heaters have either two anode rods or an extra-thick one installed when new.)

There are lots of youtube videos on how to replace an anode and almost all of them emphasize how hard it is to get one out if it's been in place for a number of years, and techniques involve 4-foot cheater bars and lashing the heater to the wall to keep it from rotating. Yikes! No wonder nobody wants to change it. Many people recommend against using an impact wrench because of concern about damaging the porcelain liner but I found no empirical information from water heater manufacturers either pro or con except one. A.O. Smith, who made the heater in our basement, actually recommends using an impact wrench to loosen the anode, and then use a regular ratchet wrench to finish removing it. When I found that (which of course I can't find again or I'd post the link) I called the company to confirm it, which a representative did.

So now I have a schedule posted on the water heater as to when it is to be flushed, and the anode replaced. The plumber who installed it suggested the anode be replaced, or at least checked, every two years. The manual says check at six months and annually thereafter. I'll start at flushing at six-month intervals (and have a new valve and pipe wrench handy, since they don't always want to fully close again). The anode I'll check annually until I get a feel for how long it lasts, which I suspect won't be long given the longevity of the last water heater.

Anyway, here's a photo of the model 2767 1/2" impact wrench from Milwaukee that advertises 1,400 ft/lbs of torque. I figure after replacing two anode rods I'll be ahead of the game vs. paying a plumber to do it. And hopefully I'll get to keep this water heater for 20+ years. It seems the standard size for the nut on top of the anode is 1 1/6". No one mentioned a different size.

Oh, and at Home Depot a new anode is ~$14.00 and up. There are also powered anode rods that supposedly don't need replacing because they're not sacrificial. I'm thinking about that but have more reading to do. Also, I discovered that there is such a thing as food grade anti-seize which I intend to use when I do change out the anode rod.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Super-L...ant-Bottle-with-Syncolon-PTFE-48008/304709597

 

[Ronstar]

I’ve seen a bunch of you tube anode removal horror videos also. First I bought a powered anode rod. Then I tried taking the old rod out using an 8’ cheater bar and the rod wouldn’t budge. It did start to rotate the water heater so I stopped. I turned the water back on went out and bought an impact driver. Haven’t tried it yet.

It seems like the sulfur smell is gone or at least less than before. And DW is not complaining about it. So I’m waiting to attack this again maybe next month or whenever she complains about sulfur smell.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Good for you! I replace my water heaters. I always manage to make it take a few hours longer than necessary sweating pipes, etc, but not something I’m ready to pay for.

Check out Sharkbite fittings. No sweat(ing).

 

[jazz4cash]

I just got one of those and a set of impact sockets a few days ago in anticipation of changing out the anode rod on a regular basis. About five months ago we bought the third water heater in 17 years here, including the one that came with the house. That lasted ten years. The second one only lasted six years, just beyond the warranty, so that got me to do some reading about water heaters. With back, knee, and shoulder issues my days of wrestling water heaters in and out of place are long gone and the $1,400 for a new gas water heater, installed, got my attention.

As an aside, if you haven't bought a gas water heater recently get ready for some sticker shock. The newer ones have changes to the combustion chamber to help prevent flames ignited by the burner, such as gasoline fumes on the floor, from escaping back into the room. That's the theory anyway. Here's an explanation: What is Different About FVIR Water Heaters? | The ASHI Reporter | Inspection News & Views from the American Society of Home Inspectors

It turns out water heater maintenance wasn't a big deal where we used to live because the water was naturally soft and they lasted 20+ years as a matter of course. That is not the case here, where we have hard water and therefor also run a water softener, which adds corrosive salt to the water, hence our six-year water heater. (BTW, the "12-year warranty" heaters have either two anode rods or an extra-thick one installed when new.)

There are lots of youtube videos on how to replace an anode and almost all of them emphasize how hard it is to get one out if it's been in place for a number of years, and techniques involve 4-foot cheater bars and lashing the heater to the wall to keep it from rotating. Yikes! No wonder nobody wants to change it. Many people recommend against using an impact wrench because of concern about damaging the porcelain liner but I found no empirical information from water heater manufacturers either pro or con except one. A.O. Smith, who made the heater in our basement, actually recommends using an impact wrench to loosen the anode, and then use a regular ratchet wrench to finish removing it. When I found that (which of course I can't find again or I'd post the link) I called the company to confirm it, which a representative did.

So now I have a schedule posted on the water heater as to when it is to be flushed, and the anode replaced. The plumber who installed it suggested the anode be replaced, or at least checked, every two years. The manual says check at six months and annually thereafter. I'll start at flushing at six-month intervals (and have a new valve and pipe wrench handy, since they don't always want to fully close again). The anode I'll check annually until I get a feel for how long it lasts, which I suspect won't be long given the longevity of the last water heater.

Anyway, here's a photo of the model 2767 1/2" impact wrench from Milwaukee that advertises 1,400 ft/lbs of torque. I figure after replacing two anode rods I'll be ahead of the game vs. paying a plumber to do it. And hopefully I'll get to keep this water heater for 20+ years. It seems the standard size for the nut on top of the anode is 1 1/6". No one mentioned a different size.

Oh, and at Home Depot a new anode is ~$14.00 and up. There are also powered anode rods that supposedly don't need replacing because they're not sacrificial. I'm thinking about that but have more reading to do. Also, I discovered that there is such a thing as food grade anti-seize which I intend to use when I do change out the anode rod.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Super-L...ant-Bottle-with-Syncolon-PTFE-48008/304709597

Any excuse to buy a new tool.

 

[Music Lover]

Anyway, here's a photo of the model 2767 1/2" impact wrench from Milwaukee that advertises 1,400 ft/lbs of torque. I figure after replacing two anode rods I'll be ahead of the game vs. paying a plumber to do it. And hopefully I'll get to keep this water heater for 20+ years. It seems the standard size for the nut on top of the anode is 1 1/6". No one mentioned a different size.

Good luck holding on to that at full power. Based on the pic, if it slips out of your grip it may spin into the water line and probably end up snapping it.

 

[euro]

Any excuse to buy a new tool.

Exactly!

 

[bbqcoder]

I had no luck trying to remove my anode rod using an impact wrench. My water heater is a 12 year unit that is currently on its 15th year. I plan to have food-grade anti-seize placed on the threads for the next unit when I replace it one day.

I'm curious if you need to pull a permit to do any plumbing work in your area? In Mass, all plumbing work needs to be done by a licensed plumber so technically I'm not suppose to change my own water heater. The only exception to this rule are "repairs".

I've done my own work a number of times but have also hired the plumber for other work.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

A.O. Smith, who made the heater in our basement, actually recommends using an impact wrench to loosen the anode, and then use a regular ratchet wrench to finish removing it.


Anyway, here's a photo of the model 2767 1/2" impact wrench from Milwaukee that advertises 1,400 ft/lbs of torque.

Using a Milwaukee impact wrench on an A.O. Smith water heater! Can't get any more Milwaukee than that unless you were drinking a Miller at the same time!

 

[ERD50]

...

It seems like the sulfur smell is gone or at least less than before. And DW is not complaining about it. So I’m waiting to attack this again maybe next month or whenever she complains about sulfur smell.

Is this on a private well? I finally got around to chlorine-shocking my well, and the sulfur smell has gone away. We didn't have the smell with the old water heater (anode rod gone long ago - like others, I couldn't get the old one out, so just let it be - that water heater was still working some 26 years later). But the smell came when we got a new water heater, and was less when I had them replace the anode, but still fairly strong.

Been 6 months since I shocked the well, no odor.

-ERD50

 

[Ronstar]

Is this on a private well? I finally got around to chlorine-shocking my well, and the sulfur smell has gone away. We didn't have the smell with the old water heater (anode rod gone long ago - like others, I couldn't get the old one out, so just let it be - that water heater was still working some 26 years later). But the smell came when we got a new water heater, and was less when I had them replace the anode, but still fairly strong.

Been 6 months since I shocked the well, no odor.

-ERD50

Yes - private well. But the smell is only from the hot faucets. And really only noticeable in the last few months since I put in a new water heater.

I shocked the well about 5 years ago. I figured that maybe I should do it again. But last time the well guy recommended that I run the water afterward and discharge the water outside. So I ran a hose from pressure tank piping out the back door for about 24 hours. Maybe the well guy wanted to avoid overloading the septic system.

I'm not doing that in this weather. Did you do a similar mega-discharge?

 

[ERD50]

Yes - private well. But the smell is only from the hot faucets. And really only noticeable in the last few months since I put in a new water heater.

I shocked the well about 5 years ago. I figured that maybe I should do it again. But last time the well guy recommended that I run the water afterward and discharge the water outside. So I ran a hose from pressure tank piping out the back door for about 24 hours. Maybe the well guy wanted to avoid overloading the septic system.

I'm not doing that in this weather. Did you do a similar mega-discharge?

The sulfur odor was only on hot for us too, it seems to be an interaction with something in the water (iron bacteria?) and the anode rod. Never noticed it on the cold water, ever.

Yes, you need to discharge it to keep a high does of bleach out of your septic. It shouldn't take 24 hours though. I ended up using more bleach than they seemed to indicate, (but then I read that interaction with the iron does require higher doses). So it took a while to get the odor down. I bought some test strips for pools, and IIRC, had to dilute it at first to get it in range of the strip. Once I got it down to about 2 ppm, I didn't worry about the septic, as that is normal municipal rates, and lots of people have municipal water with septic.

I'm thinking of doing a low dose every 6 months or so in the future. Dilute it in a 5 G bucket, calculate enough to bring it to 2 ppm, and just let it circulate back to the well for a while to get it mixed, and then just let it dissipate over time. It just means we'd have a municipal level of chlorine in the house, reducing over the course of a day until it all gets replaced/diluted. I think I calculated that to be just a cup of bleach or so, but I need to check.

-ERD50

 

[Walt34]

I'm curious if you need to pull a permit to do any plumbing work in your area? In Mass, all plumbing work needs to be done by a licensed plumber so technically I'm not suppose to change my own water heater. The only exception to this rule are "repairs".

Homeowners are allowed to do their own installations and plumbing. In reality, they're going to do it anyway so trying to regulate that is foolish. And if it blows up or asphyxiates them, that's further proof some people exist to serve as examples to others.

Here's an example from the Water Heater Rescue Closet of Horrors, a site I stumbled across in my quest for information about water heaters. Anyone who knows even a little bit about water heaters will just shake their head about it. They have other examples just as bad.

 

[Music Lover]

Yes - private well. But the smell is only from the hot faucets. And really only noticeable in the last few months since I put in a new water heater.

Smelly hot water from wells is a common problem. Shocking the well rarely works long term. I used to have that but once I removed the anode rod the smelly water went away immediately and never returned.

 

[WhenIsItTime]

“Sacrificial” Anode rods serve a purpose. Suggest switching to aluminum before removing completely.

Contact OhioPureWater if you have other odors or issues with water quality. They are great at remote diagnostics and recommendations for DIY’s. I’m not affiliated. Just a happy customer.

 

[thatguy]

We've had smelly water off and on. I thought it had something to do with how the water softener was working. The water heater I just replaced was, I think, the original from when the house was built in 1994. So like 25 years old, so I'm not gonna be concerned about replacing anodes for longevity.
There some thing about installing an aluminum-zinc anode to fix the smelly water but there's some issue about the aluminum-zink anode with a water softener.
A powered anode looks like an answer, but the ones I see online appear to be powered by cheap wall wart power supplies. Looks too easy for the anode power supply to fail and go unnoticed until the water heated fails prematurely.
My new WH has been in 3 days and the water doesn't stink yet. I'm gonna wait & see.

 

[Walt34]

A powered anode looks like an answer, but the ones I see online appear to be powered by cheap wall wart power supplies. Looks too easy for the anode power supply to fail and go unnoticed until the water heated fails prematurely.

I have the same reservation about a powered anode and found this one on Amazon and other sources, but the best price I've found is Amazon. Same deal with the wall wart, but it also has an audible alarm if it fails. One reviewer wrote that he did have one fail and the manufacturer promptly replaced the wall wart with no hassles.

They cost about $20-$30 more than the others without an alarm but for a one-off every 20 or so years I'd pay that premium.

https://www.amazon.com/100305721-Re...00305721+for+A.O.+Smith&qid=1583703812&sr=8-5

 

[NateW]

Homeowners are allowed to do their own installations and plumbing. In reality, they're going to do it anyway so trying to regulate that is foolish. And if it blows up or asphyxiates them, that's further proof some people exist to serve as examples to others.

Here's an example from the Water Heater Rescue Closet of Horrors, a site I stumbled across in my quest for information about water heaters. Anyone who knows even a little bit about water heaters will just shake their head about it. They have other examples just as bad.

That scary picture of a sized temperature-pressure relief valve (aka safety valve) looks just like the one that was in the water heater in my son's townhouse when he bought it. Upon seeing it I operated the lever and absolutely nothing came out. The home inspector never checked it my son said. The water is exceptionally hard where he lives. My son and I replaced it right away and it was calcified shut. Also drained what looked to several pounds of thick calcium carbonate goo from the water heater. You are supposed to check the operation of the safety valves yearly by opening them briefly and purging a quart or so of water from them.

Then, several months later when DW and I bought a house in the same geographic area and had a prepurchase inspection. I asked the inspector to check the water heater temperature-pressure relief valve and his response was, "we don't check those because they usually leak after the lever is operated.". We have a water softener so the water heater had no deposits in it and the safety valve works fine (I ended up checking it).

Google on "water heater explosions" and you will find plenty of videos of the carnage left behind when the pressure-temperature relief valve fails to open when the thermostat malfunctions and sticks "on" preventing the heating elements or gas burner from shutting off. Sometimes the malfunctioning water heater launches right through the roof!

 

[Time2]

That scary picture of a sized temperature-pressure relief valve (aka safety valve) looks just like the one that was in the water heater in my son's townhouse when he bought it. Upon seeing it I operated the lever and absolutely nothing came out. The home inspector never checked it my son said. The water is exceptionally hard where he lives. My son and I replaced it right away and it was calcified shut. Also drained what looked to several pounds of thick calcium carbonate goo from the water heater. You are supposed to check the operation of the safety valves yearly by opening them briefly and purging a quart or so of water from them.

Then, several months later when DW and I bought a house in the same geographic area and had a prepurchase inspection. I asked the inspector to check the water heater temperature-pressure relief valve and his response was, "we don't check those because they usually leak after the lever is operated.". We have a water softener so the water heater had no deposits in it and the safety valve works fine (I ended up checking it).

Google on "water heater explosions" and you will find plenty of videos of the carnage left behind when the pressure-temperature relief valve fails to open when the thermostat malfunctions and sticks "on" preventing the heating elements or gas burner from shutting off. Sometimes the malfunctioning water heater launches right through the roof!

MythBusters showed some amazing water heater explosions.

 

[mystang52]

Not quite a repair, but I'm still proud of this DIY job: We had our entry door replaced. But the door has a fancy-shmantzy door lock, that requires a special doohickey tool to remove. I had the tool, but couldn't find it. So the installer replaced the door, installed the deadbolt, and left me the old door with that lock still attached.
A short while later I found that tool. Start to finish, it took all of a half-hour to remove the lock and put it into the new door. This had all the earmarks of a successful DIY: 1) Project completed 2) Completed promptly and 3) Never uttered the F word.

 

[Walt34]

MythBusters showed some amazing water heater explosions.

Yes, here's a couple:

Explosion at 1:26

Explosion at 1:39