THE OLD HOUSE DOCTOR 2-23-04

ENOUGH WITH THE WATER HEATERS AWREDDY

            I know that I told you how to replace your electric water heater’s elements last time, but I want you to go back in time so you can clean it out while it’s empty. Just go to www.gobackintime.com  to find out how.

            You’ve successfully wrested the lime-encrusted elements from their holes and your last (and most important) task is to clean out the lime that fills the bottom of the tank. If you don’t, the lime granules will breed new lime on your elements, and then where would you be? Snurfling for crusted gum on the bottoms of bus benches, I bet.

            Borrow a friend’s shop-vac, get some duct tape and a two-foot section of the largest diameter garden hose you can find. Make a long handled scoop that will fit through the element hole and reach the other side of the tank (I prefer a cheap camping ladle with the spoon ground down). Use a flashlight to check your progress as you scrape the lime granules towards the front of the tank.

            Lime that gathers at the bottom of the tank is not solid; it fell off the elements. These granules are easily moved to the front of the tank, where you can vacuum them out with the piece of garden hose you duct-taped onto the shop-vac hose. Your piece of garden hose will clog almost immediately, and squeezing the hose firmly (oh my!) to break up the clogs will be a constant task. The lime is crushed easily, and though this task of scooping, vacuuming, crushing and peering with your flashlight seems monotonous, the boredom can be assuaged with regular doses of fine tequila.

            The whole process may take a half an hour or so, but keep at it until the bottom of the tank is completely clean and your vacuum weighs more than your Saint Bernard. Squeezing the hose constantly is the key, and letting the vacuum rest occasionally will keep it from burning up, as stepping down the hose size makes it work harder. Then go to www.goforwardintime.com to find your job done and your hot bath waiting.