Force 10 six gallon water heater clogged

[Manny]

Hi Peggy,I was trying to commision my water system the other day and I found that my water heater is clogged. The tank pressurized after running the pump but I only get a trickle out the faucets for a second then nothing. Cold water side is fine. I couldn't find any diagrams or info on the force 10 site for help. I tried turning off the pressure and draining the tank to see if I could flush out the culprit but no luck. Is there some sort of solution that I can try to run through it to try and clear it, or is it save to try and use some sort of wire in the hot water outlet fitting to try and push the obstruction out?Thanks, Manny

 

[Stu Jackson]

See if your check valve is clear.

It will be on the cold water line into the heater, not part of the heater.

 

[Manny]

Check valve?

Hi Stu,I don't think there is a check valve on the cold water side...Is there supposed to be?I do know the tank is getting pressure. I can pull the pressure release valve and water shoots out just fine.Thanks, Manny

 

[Ed Schenck]

Yes, but Manny. . . . .

are you certain that the pressure problem is the tank? You removed the outlet hose at the tank and there is no pressure there? Or installed a length of new hose from the tank to the galley sink or bilge to check? Just wondering.Not sure why Stu asked about a check valve. I have never seen one on the cold water inlet.

 

[Ross]

Manny, do you have separate hot and cold faucets?

or do you have a mixing faucet? Do you have a screen on the faucet spout? Have you cleaned that? With 1/2 inch lines in and out how can you have a clog except at the spout? Do you have good water flow in the sink in the head? Do you get good cold water flow at all of your faucets?

 

[Stu Jackson]

OK, I take back the check valve thing

I was wrong, thinking about something else with full time conection to pressure water from the dock.Good ideas to check other ends, like inlet and outlets, faucets, etc.

 

[T37 Phil]

Check valve

There can be an external check valve on the cold water supply to water heaters. It prevents the back flow of hot water from the tank into the supply hose which is generally not designed to withstand it. If you've seen intake hoses that appear ballooned out, they are probably missing the check valve. I'm not sure if those things are prone to clogging or sticking.

 

[Manny]

99.9% sure it's the tank

The galley faucet, head faucet, and shower (why do I have a shower? - it's just not practical on that boat) all pump out plenty of cold water. All three have separate knobs but mix for hot and cold water. All screens have been cleaned. Not to rant but I have better water pressure on my boat than my house *grrWhile my water system is a rats nest of clear water lines and tee fittings, it is pretty easy to trace everything. The tee fittings out of the heater look okay and hoses are clean (its actually a couple of tees to split it to the three different valves. The hot water heater does pressurize - again I can turn on the pump and get water coming out of the top pressure release valve with good flow. I haven't had time disconnect the outlet hose yet. I'm going to try at the end of this week. When I open any of the hot water valves I get a little for a second, I can here the water pump start, then the flow stops. I would get air out of it for a minute if I tried after trying to flush water from the heater drain.Manny

 

[Ed Schenck]

Waiting patiently for. .

the test at the tank outlet. Because I own a sailboat I cannot bet. If I could I would lay a big sum that the tank is not the problem. Especially since you have good pressure at the relief valve.However should you find that it is the tank then try back pressure. Connect the inlet cold water to the outlet and see if you can flush it backwards.

 

[Manny]

Great idea Ed

I'll try to hook up the pressure side to hot water outlet if I find that the tank is definitely clogged.Thanks, Manny

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Is it possible that....

If you bypassed the water heater to winterize, is it possible that you reconnected the inlet and out hoses to be water heater backward? They ARE counter-intuitive...cold water inlet at the bottom, hot water discharge at the top. Putting the wrong hose on each fitting could be an easy mistake to make if you got distracted, and you wouldn't be the first person to do it. It would cause exactly the symptoms you describe...a little trickle of hot water at first, then nothing more.

 

[Manny]

Hi Peggy

I didn't bypass the heater when I winterized. This past year, to try and save money, instead of using the pink stuff I drained the system using compressed air. I only disconnected the line from the output of the pump. I also drained the heater through the drain gate valve at the lower portion of the unit. I wonder if it could be something from the anode... The other thread regarding heater longevity gave me a thought. Last year I had some the rotten egg smell coming from the hot water side of the system. I don't know if the anode can be replaced on the Force 10.Thanks again,Manny

 

[Manny]

Looks like tank is okay

I wrestled with the heater today, I couldn't get the hoses off of the tank or the tee fittings, so I tried to loosen the hose clamp at the heater outlet to see if I could get water to leak out of the fitting which it did slightly. I then tried it at the tees and I had some water coming out there. I didn't want to cut any of the hose since I didn't have any replacement with me. Now I have some hot water output from the head sink. Although there isn't much pressure, it is consistent. The other two don't work. Looks like I need to go to the chandlery for some tee fittings.Thanks for all the help,Manny

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Warm the hoses with a blow dryer to get 'em off

Warm 'em again and use some dishwashing liquid--or better yet K-Y--to put 'em back on.Contact Force 10 to learn whether the anode is replaceable.