Plumbers! Whats on my water heater?

Bansh88

Bansh88

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Can someone explain the setup on my water heater? All this plumbing I haven't seen before. Especially this black, plugged in contraption with dial.

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Isn’t that to circulate the hot water? So you have instant hot water? I noticed the same system on another house in Kingman.
 
ROBERT L said:
Isn’t that to circulate the hot water? So you have instant hot water? I noticed the same system on another house in Kingman.
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My electrician buddy thinks that. But wasn't really specific.
There's an unused timer mounted above it
 
A few ideas. Do you have water coming in at the top? I wonder If that is a fill from the bottom up?

Another idea...some people shut their hot water off during the summer months as you simply don't need it. I have heard that people who have AC garages, shut off power to their hot water and basically switch the hot and cold usage to to have cooler water during the summer and the "hot" water is your cold storage.

I wonder if it'a return or recirculation type setup.
 
We have shit water out here. I wonder if it's a constant recirculation or flush system to keep residue from building up.
 
the top 2 are normal. cold in and hot out. The bottom stuff is an outlet for a hose, maybe to wash something in the garage. The other two lines going into the wall could be straight to bathrooms for faster hot water or maybe dish washer or clothes washer. Can you trace those lines?
 
Looks like a T strainer of some sort. If it's installed correctly, the water is coming IN from the bottom/wall.
 
hot water recirculating pump, check valve and ball valves for service. A Watts automatic air vent with dual zone returns from the house.

It puts warm-ish water in the bottom so the heating element does not have to work so hard.
 
megadesertdiesel said:
hot water recirculating pump, check valve and ball valves for service. A Watts automatic air vent with dual zone returns from the house.

It puts warm-ish water in the bottom so the heating element does not have to work so hard.
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Yup. Had all the same stuff on a house I rented for 16 years.
 
megadesertdiesel said:
hot water recirculating pump, check valve and ball valves for service. A Watts automatic air vent with dual zone returns from the house.

It puts warm-ish water in the bottom so the heating element does not have to work so hard.
Click to expand...
My wants wants boiling hot water (psycho) to come from shower and faucet. Does this affect that in anyway?
What is the dial for?
 
megadesertdiesel said:
hot water recirculating pump, check valve and ball valves for service. A Watts automatic air vent with dual zone returns from the house.

It puts warm-ish water in the bottom so the heating element does not have to work so hard.
Click to expand...
why would you need an automatic air vent? in a pressurized system, are there bubbles being created by something?
 
Bansh88 said:
My wants wants boiling hot water (psycho) to come from shower and faucet. Does this affect that in anyway?
What is the dial for?
Click to expand...
black dial is for turning up the heat, just be careful, it can get really scalding hot
 
Bansh88 said:
Can someone explain the setup on my water heater? All this plumbing I haven't seen before. Especially this black, plugged in contraption with dial.

View attachment 179630View attachment 179631
Click to expand...
the copper hose bib is for draining the tank. its good to drain them once a year, you will see alot of debris come out, and sometimes I have had to blow air back into the hose to move the debris so water will flow out. I'm not sure what the other contraption coming off it is. the blue handle ball valve has a back flow valve right after it, and seems to be going to a filter
 
HOLY crap that is ugly....Better to put instant hots at the faucets....Can't imagine what your gas bill is like. Mine went down by 40% putting in a tankless. WTF is with the hot water outlet? Who solders those on??????
 
Pretty sure copper and galvanized don't play well together. At least the hose bib is brass...it's like the united nations of materials in there.
 
Someday when you want something to do, shut the water off, drain the water heater like zilla68 said, and get rid off the galvanized fittings on the bottom of the heater. The two dissimilar metals don’t work well for the long haul, electrolysis will corrode things quickly.

It’s great to see the house is plumbed in copper, I think it’s a plus for quality of the house.
 
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