PSA: that weird knocking from your water heater is not normal, trust me

Last Tuesday at 6 AM in my shop on Fletcher Ave, the hot water heater started banging like someone was hammering on the pipes, and I figured it was just air in the lines so I ignored it. Three hours later the relief valve blew and dumped 40 gallons of scalding water across the floor, ruining a stack of brake rotors I had sitting nearby. Has anyone else dealt with sediment buildup that suddenly turns into a geyser, and what's the cheapest way to flush it before it bites you too?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopherwilson18d ago

Reminds me of how people treat their furnaces and sump pumps the same way. Everyone assumes these things are basically indestructible until the moment they arent, and then its always at the worst possible time. A quick yearly flush of the tank takes twenty minutes and a garden hose, but nobody does it because the heater was quiet yesterday. Same logic applies to cleaning out the dryer vent or checking the anode rod, all cheap insurance that gets skipped until theres a mess to clean up.

kim.zara18d ago

Wait, so you're telling me people actually flush their water heaters every year?