# Marbles in my hot water heater



## marty (Jan 17, 2000)

Got a propane hot water heater about 7 years old. Last few days hearing a marble sound from it. I flush it every six months to keep it clear. We have a lot of lime in our water. Is it time for a new one? I've seen what damage one does when they blow and they can be messy. Thanks for any ideas....m


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## Mitchell Ulrich (Sep 10, 2007)

Before I became a Taxidermist, I installed water heaters for Sears. I have more than 5000 to my credit.

Those 'Marbles" are the sounds of hot water mixing with cold. You hear it most when some one turns on the hot water, but not always. 

This condition is usually due to whats called the dip tube. Its starting to deteriorate,crack/erode and or split. 
A dip tube is noting more than a clear, hard plastic tube (older models are metal). It extends to the lower 1/3rd of the tank. On the more expensive models, it actually goes to the very bottom of the tank where it forms a 3/4 circle. The very end of the tube is crimped shut thus forcing the cold water out through a series of holes drilled into the bottom circle. Not only does it lessen the hammer or knock caused by the hot and cold mix, it also helps scour the bottom of the liner. This helps reduce rust out and the formation of calcium deposits on the glass liner. It should be noted that unless you faithfully drain water as prescribed, it can be detrimental to the tank to suddenly start following this procedure. I have replaced a lot of heaters due to the boiler drain (the valve at the bottom) and the T&P valve(temperature/pressure relief valve) leaking after never have been used. Then the home owner encounters your problem, reads the manual and then bingo, weekend and heater...shot. You can replace all of these items however, with the cheap plastic drain valves used today, they usually shear off leaving the plastic and threads inside.

What to do?

(1).....You can replace the dip tube. Keep in mind that its a long tube. So first, see if you have room to fully pull it out..IE clear the ceiling!!! It will be located under the COLD water nipple. This procedure is not user friendly and not advisable for the novice plumber as it may mean draining/ disconnecting/ and moving the unit. I have used a wide screw driver and pounded it into the lip of the tube to get these out before! Sometimes they wont just pull out! Install the new one just like you removed the old one. Did I mention you are going to need a new nipple and die-electric union washer and pipe dope?

(2).....Do nothing. But, start saving your $10's and 20's whenever you can. It may last you another month or it could go another couple of years...IF you see a gooie type of clear slime come out of any fixture,this includes the boiler drain where your most likely to encounter it, REPLACE the unit immediately! Do it now and don't wait!

Almost all water heaters are rated/sold by years, either 5, 7, or 10. Check the manual (usually in the plastic bag on the side of the unit) and check your warranty. On many units there will be a label with the year of manufacture on it. It will most likely be located directly above the gas valve. (I know it is on all Sears units) If you dont remember what year you bought the heater, don't worry. This IS the info that the service tech will go on. You WONT get a free replacement, but it will be pro-rated, if its still under warranty and there WILL be an installation charge. That is, IF it was installed by a designated installer or a qualified plumber. At least that was Sears policy. There are other company's that make water heaters, but none with the no hassle policy that Sears offers...Sears make great heaters!

Now if you want antlers installed on your water heater....well, I can do that too! hope this helped.

Mitch


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## marty (Jan 17, 2000)

Well this is a five year and it been seven so I guess I got to dig a bit deeper in my pockets for a new one. Even if I could change the the dip tube I'd have to punch a hole in my ceiling to get it out looks like.

Thanks for your help Mitch. Antlers on a water heater now there's a neat wall piece for my room:lol:


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## dougdad (Nov 11, 2007)

Check out the on demand tankless units, you wont be sorry. I have a Bosh Aquastar and I love it. It has saved us allot of $$$ not heating the tank up all the time, and it has been very dependable.


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## jig head (Jan 13, 2003)

I started to get all kinds of white sh#t plugging up all my faucets.
so I drained and flushed the water heater.
it did not help.
so I called the plumbing store where I bought my ao smith water heater. he said the dip tube was shot.he said to replace the tube. it was a simple job. my water heater is 8 years old.
now after doing that and flushing it out more and cleaning all the faucet strainers. it works great again .
I cant believe how long I have hot water now.


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## FishTales (Feb 13, 2002)

jig head said:


> I started to get all kinds of white sh#t plugging up all my faucets.
> so I drained and flushed the water heater.
> it did not help.
> so I called the plumbing store where I bought my ao smith water heater. he said the dip tube was shot.he said to replace the tube. it was a simple job. my water heater is 8 years old.
> ...


Been there and done that, I managed to clean out all the white crap from the disintegrating dip tube.
I did some investigation and found out the manufacturer of the dip tubes changed the chemical composition and it didn't work. 
There are about 5 major manuf of water heaters but only one supplier for the dip tubes.
This problem went on for about 5 years before the problem was brought to light. For a while they were offering to replace the dip tube but when I found out about it, I was about 6 months past the deadline.
I flushed out the tank and it's still working okay, but have a new 50 gallon sitting in the basement just waiting to go in. :coolgleam
Rich


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Trevormunoz said:


> While some people might not be interested in this or find it to be strange, the fact of the matter is that it’s actually a perfectly valid option. Just like you can use two different shower heads if you wish, you can add marbles to your hot water heater.


Welcome to the very end of 2021. You resurrected a 13.5-year old post for that? Good luck with the marbles in your water heater, lol.


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## CrawlerHarness (Dec 9, 2017)

Bot. I am assuming the staff has already deleted the account.


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