Dissolved minerals in the water that enters your house will often precipitate out of the water when it is being heated in the water heater tank. This will often result in the deposits (largely calcium) building up on the bottom and lessening the efficiency of gas and oil-fired units. The minerals can also coat the heating elements of electric tanks and cause these to work harder and burn out more quickly. If you have a fossil-fueled water heater (gas or oil) and there likely to produce a rumbling sound after the burners have been on for a while. Electric heating elements that are coated over may make a faint hissing sound. Tanks with mineral deposits should have drained and electric heating elements should be removed and cleaned.

The electric power has to be off before any efforts are made at draining electric tanks. If the heating elements are not covered by water, they will burn out instantly. Turn off the power to oil burners so they do not fire and close the gas valve or turn down the thermostat prior to draining fossil-fueled tanks.

The shutoff valve on the cold water supply line to the water heater should be turned off when it is being drained.  Energy conscious people schedule draining a water heater after taking baths, showers, or washing clothes. They turn off the gas valve or the electric circuit breaker before using the hot water so that no unnecessary or wasteful heating takes place.

Once the fuel supply is turned off, a hose can be attached to the drain valve and lead to the floor drain or other lower elevation outfall. The water will often be reluctant to drain out because it is held in place by a vacuum. Tripping the pressure relief valve lever will allow air to enter the tank and help it drain more quickly.  Doing this repeatedly will often stir up the mineral deposits on the bottom and help flush them out.

Once the tank has been drained, electric elements can be disconnected and removed. We suggest that homeowners make a sketch of the electrical connections so that they are able to reconnect them with ease.

The government has mandated that compressor driven equipment commonly used for central air conditioning and heat pump installations be much more efficient than in the past. This means the equipment is capable of producing much more heat/cooling energy at the same utility consumption as before. However, there could be a catch.

For upgraded central air conditioning and heat pump units to deliver the efficiency for which they are rated, the ducting work in the house must be capable of moving much more air than most are capable of handling. This could very possibly mean that you may not see the energy savings that you hope for or that your ducting system may need to be modified to see the maximum results of efficiency. Discuss this with any contractor attempting to sell you replacement equipment.

You need to do your homework to check out which equipment is going to be efficient, durable and with low maintenance. Fossil-fueled systems as replacements today are more dependable than earlier versions and are certainly worth investigating as options. Call around to good reputable mechanical contractors. Ask for their recommendations and convey the points that are important to you; efficiency, low maintenance, durability and explain that you realize that this type of equipment may cost more.

For further questions about this topic or any other concerns about your home, please feel free to reach out to us via our “Contact Us” page and we will get back to you within 48 hours. Include images of your issue, if need be. We’re here to help in any way that we can.