Hot is lower pressure than it was as of the middle of last week, yes very sudden and at all fixtures


Reading up on the stop and waste valve now

quote:

rising-stem “stop & waste” type valve

Woodman, where will I find this in the hot water line? No luck with my google fu

A valve that you have to turn a whole lot of times, like 6-8 full turns, is a "stop and waste" valve. Like a regular valve, not a ball valve or a gate valve.

There's a chance the washer broke loose and is flapping around in the valve body.

It would be the first valve before the water heaters. Or the one after the first water heater. Or the one after the water heaters, if that was the issue. On the cold feed or even on the hot side. If that was the issue.

A near-total obstruction might give you the impression there is a pressure loss, when you are actually witnessing a loss of flow.

I'll bet you a shiny thin dime that you are experiencing a loss of volume, not a loss of pressure.

I'd replace both due to age. But I've never seen a water heater on city water get so filled up with crap it reduces flow. Amount of hot water yes, flow no (not that it can't happen). It seems to me that you have a supply valve that's partially closed or something else blocking flow to or out of the water heaters.

15 years! I can't get a 50 gallon water heater to last much more than the 6 year warranty. Original AO Smith went bad between 6-7 years. Second Bradford White lasted just under 6 years and was replaced under warranty. Third Bradford White is I think at 7 years.

They always corrode through and get pinhole tank leaks. Probably because the water here is super hard (Indiana Limestone) and it takes a ton of salt to soften it, which makes it rather corrosive.

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
15 years! I can't get a 50 gallon water heater to last much more than the 6 year warranty. Original AO Smith went bad between 6-7 years. Second Bradford White lasted just under 6 years and was replaced under warranty. Third Bradford White is I think at 7 years.

They always corrode through and get pinhole tank leaks. Probably because the water here is super hard (Indiana Limestone) and it takes a ton of salt to soften it, which makes it rather corrosive.

I'd recommend you check for voltage potential on the water lines.

I would certainly take this opportunity to upgrade to a tankless gas water heater. Navian is our preferred brand as it is slightly better performing than Rinnai.


https://www.navieninc.com/series/npe-s2

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
15 years! I can't get a 50 gallon water heater to last much more than the 6 year warranty. Original AO Smith went bad between 6-7 years. Second Bradford White lasted just under 6 years and was replaced under warranty. Third Bradford White is I think at 7 years.

They always corrode through and get pinhole tank leaks. Probably because the water here is super hard (Indiana Limestone) and it takes a ton of salt to soften it, which makes it rather corrosive.

I'd recommend you check for voltage potential on the water lines.

It's fine - lines right at the heater have big grounding clamps on them, and voltmeter shows like 0.05 volts to ground.