RE: Hot Water Tank thread Corosion? And Pilot light?

[Joe Gleason]

 
Pulled my Anode plug, like I normally do for winter, when I went to put it back in after leaving it  out all winter... the anode hole seemed to have a white hard deposit.  At first I  thought it might be plumber tape.. but s it s hard like a mineral...
 
 Is there a good way of clearing that out... I could barley get the new Anode in?
 
 Also, I usually run the hot water tank on Pilot light only... This time it seems to keep going out... Pilot light only generates enough heat to very  warm dish water... and general clean up... 90% of what we  need!... And doesn t seem to consume as much  fuel...  I  hate hearing the tank kick i nto high gear!
 
 

[Pick 6]

 Joe Gleason
Try using CLR on the threads with an old tooth brush. I don t know how you would allow it to soak but that should work.

[Jeffrey]

 Joe Gleason
I don t know how to get the stuff out of the water heater, other than just flushing it out.
 
 Our water heaters must be really different designs, because my pilot lite flame is smaller than a match flame. And is in a tube, quite a distant from the tank.
 I don t think running mine on pilot would raise the temp at all?

[MtnCamper]

 Joe Gleason
If you have, (or a friend) just run a 3/4 NPT pipe tap in the threads. But only enough to clean them out. Hand tight. Rinse and tape and reinstall.

[jackgoesthepopup]

 Joe Gleason
You can just cleam the threads with a wire brush. IF the pilot light keeps on going out check the thermocouple. As far as the deposits in the bottom of the tank put some CLR in it and let it soak for awhile then flush teh tank.

[tlhdoc]

 Jeffrey

 

ORIGINAL:  Jeffrey
 
 I don t know how to get the stuff out of the water heater, other than just flushing it out.
 
 Our water heaters must be really different designs, because my pilot lite flame is smaller than a match flame. And is in a tube, quite a distant from the tank.
 I don t think running mine on pilot would raise the temp at all?
 

 
 What brand is your water heater?  How does the heat from your burner get to your tank?

[wynot]

 Joe Gleason

IF the pilot light keeps on going out check the thermocouple.

 Not according to Suburban.  When I explained to them that the thing would stay lit if it wasn t closed, and if there was no wind, I got a response in literally minutes on their website.  They told me that they have found that the vent design is causing the pilot to suffocate depending on the weather, and told me to do a mod to the vent bottom (basically, open the vent bottom so that the pilot can stay lit).  Apparently, either the closed bottom pulls too well sometimes and sucks out the pilot light or simply keeps the pilot from receiving sufficient oxygen to stay lit.