Is your Water Heater Popping?

If your water heater is making popping sounds, don’t be alarmed. The popping noises are probably coming from mineral deposits that have built up in your tank. When your water is heating up, steam is produced at the deposits and popping noises ensue. This isn’t a big deal, so you don’t have to let it stress you out.

Just remember maintenance is key, and if you want a quiet, pop-free water heater, you need to flush it occasionally so all deposits will be removed. If the popping just won’t stop, there are a few other things you can try. Here’s a list of what you’ll need:

• Pipe Wrench
• Garden Hose
• Funnel
• Adjustable Pliers
• Plumber’s Tape
• De-liming Solution

With all of the above on hand, the process to de-popping your water heater is fairly simple:

Draining:

1. Turn knob to PILOT/OFF
2. Turn off water supply at cold water pipe
3. Allow water to cool for at least two hours
4. Connect garden hose to drain at bottom of tank
5. Connect hose to a floor drain or somewhere outside
6. Flip pressure-release valve (located on top of the tank)
7. Open drain valve by turning it counterclockwise
8. Drain tank completely

Cleaning:

1. Close drain valve (don’t disconnect garden hose)
2. Detach hot water-pipe (at top of tank)
3. Pour de-liming solution into tank through a funnel
4. Reattach hot water-pipe with plumber’s tape and wrench
5. Open pressure-release valve
6. Turn cold water valve on
7. Refill tank
8. When tank is full (all air inside escapes) close release valve
9. Turn knob to ON
10. Let water heat and tank de-lime
11. Turn controls off and cool tank again

Draining (Phase 2)

1. Drain tank
2. Close drain valve
3. Refill tank
4. Close release valve
5. Turn controls to ON
6. Let water heat

Mission accomplished!

What if you can hear popping noises long after you’ve completed the process above? Call us, your trusted plumbers! If you couldn’t fix it with draining and de-liming, there may be a more serious problem that you’ll need us to come fix. Remember, when in doubt, trust a professional with all the intricate details of maintenance.

Water heaters are important because they keep us (and our surroundings) comfortable. Make sure to perform routine maintenance (or let us do it for you) so that you won’t have to deal with any popping noises. There’s no need for you to go even a day without benefiting from your water heater—stay on top of the mineral deposit build-up by keeping your device pop-free and in tip-top shape.