Lower element on the electric water heater went out last night so I opted to replace both while I had the tank drained. When I pulled the lower element the bottom of the tank was slush, just gross sediment. House was new in March of 2018 so this has only been three years; likely why the element failed as well. Thinking a whole home filtration system is in order.

My question is this, water enters the house and then is pex throughout the attic. I would assume that the cold water feed to the water heater is somewhere mid-line in relation to all the other fixtures in the house. How do I determine the appropriate point that is prior to all the runs to tap into it to run it through the filters become coming back to the pre-existing pex beside pulling out all the insulation and looking?

Also, any suggestions on whole home filtration systems?

quote:

Originally posted by SigM4:
How do I determine the appropriate point that is prior to all the runs to tap into it to run it through the filters become coming back to the pre-existing pex beside pulling out all the insulation and looking?

Where's the water shutoff valve for the house? It'll be somewhere after the meter, but before any runs start.

Sometimes it's buried in the yard under an access panel, which won't help much in this situation if that's the case.

But often it's somewhere soon after where the main water supply enters the house, like in the basement, or the garage, or possibly in the attic in your case. In that case, if it's an interior valve somewhere relatively easy to access, just after the shutoff valve could be a good spot to locate your whole house filter. Inside, easy to get to, and easy to cut off the water temporarily when the filter needs changing or maintaining, plus it's a simple way to ensure it's located before any runs.

Water shutoff is in the flower bed right in front of the house. Thus I figure the water probably makes it up into the attic at some point near that part of the house. Which is where I'd likely start looking. I just wasn't sure if there was some rule of thumb as to where in the sequence of fixtures and tees off this main line the water heater would be placed?

This is why I flush my water heater annually....also a good idea to check the anode (there’s a plastic circle on the top, pry it off and you should see a rather large bolt. Be careful they have gorillas in the factory putting them in, last one I did took a big guy holding the full tank so it wouldn’t rotate and then I needed a four foot piece of pipe on a breaker bar to get it loose. If it’s over halfway gone go to a local Ferguson and ask for a new one)

Bets thing to do OP is trace the line from the meter to the edge of the slab, then tee into it there, feed it to the filter and run it back to the line just before the slab...then it doesn’t matter where it comes up in the house-you’ve gotten it before it even gets into the home.

Ps: I write on the heater with a sharpie to help me remember. Plus when I see ten flushes show up I will buy a new heater

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
This is why I flush my water heater annually....also a good idea to check the anode (there’s a plastic circle on the top, pry it off and you should see a rather large bolt. Be careful they have gorillas in the factory putting them in, last one I did took a big guy holding the full tank so it wouldn’t rotate and then I needed a four foot piece of pipe on a breaker bar to get it loose. If it’s over halfway gone go to a local Ferguson and ask for a new one)

Easier way, 1/2" cordless impact.

A water filter will help, but it sounds like your tank has magnesium from the anode rod in it. I drain every year or else there will be so much magnesium it will clog the drain spigot.

As Excam_Man said use an impact wrench to change to anode rod. It should be 1 1/4 or 1 1/16 IIRC. If your anode rod is as thin as wire, it's done. Be sure to get a segmented replacement rod if you have overhead clearance issues.

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:


Easier way, 1/2" cordless impact.

Now I have a reason for a new tool!

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:

Now I have a reason for a new tool!

Glad to be of help.

My Bradford White is a few weeks shy of eight years old. Last month, after noticing it does not seem to heat as much water as it used to, I flushed it for the first time. Nadda trash water. All crystal clear.

Maybe the utility switched our water to a colder reservoir? Although COLD is only 45.2˚F and it's been colder before.

The house filters I've seen have always been whole house filters; you'd put a 2-stage filter right where it comes into the house. I've seen these outside, after a check valve, but with your recent cold snap, that sounds like it would not work out.

Around here water is buried a minimum of 36" by code. The mains are typically 4' deep in the street.

And the utility always waits until a street is freshly paved before jacking it up for a minor repair.

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Originally posted by Woodman:

And the utility always waits until a street is freshly paved before jacking it up for a minor repair.

I didn't know you lived close to me.

If the crud in your tank was the residuum of hardness minerals, a typical filter probably won’t do much to help. You’d need a softener or reverse osmosis setup. And a RO system big enough to treat all the water for your house is probably impractical.