Brand New Water Heater - Noise and Sediment

[gld]

Installed 40 gallon electric water heater. It filled and heated silently. Next day you can hear it heating the water 40ft away. Get RMA for both elements and replace. It fills and heats again completely silent. Next day when it heats the same sound returns. Sound is similar to water starting to boil, a hiss or a faint whistle.

The other thing noted was that when the heating elements were removed after only 24 hours of use they had a 16th inch of brown scale and some brown scale was noted at the screw in port of the element.

This was a new in the box A.O. Smith from Lowes.

Is it possible to get scale on the elements this quickly and is the heater defective?

 

[Twowaxhack]

You probably have crappy water.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Check the voltage to the heater. What does it read ?

 

[gld]

As far as our city water quality - our water hardness is 200 some of the lowest in the area and runs clear. The previous water heater was in place for 19 years! The voltage shows 229 at the heater. Thanks for the response.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Sediment comes from the water.

Elements can produce noise, that I don’t deny. Is it causing a problem ?

From what you described I believe I might would try a different brand element. Sometimes the element can be tightened just a little and that will quiet them down, but that usually only works when they’re making noise from the start. They can vibrate.

 

[RS]

It sounds like you need a water softener!

 

[sarg]

Now would be the time to contact A.O. Smith and question them.

 

[Twowaxhack]

If the elements are getting scale build up then that’s most likely the source of the noise.

Water gets trapped inside the scale and boils from the heat of the element. This causes noise.

Maybe try some low density elements.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Low density elements don’t scale up as quick as high density elements.

 

[Steve Kohn]

This is why I browse this forum, to reassure me not to worry about the hum coming from my own 40-gallon electric water heater. (And in another post, not to worry about my 15-year-old GE Profile fridge going bad soon.)

 

[Twowaxhack]

This is why I browse this forum, to reassure me not to worry about the hum coming from my own 40-gallon electric water heater. (And in another post, not to worry about my 15-year-old GE Profile fridge going bad soon.)

A hum while the elements are heating is perfect.

 

[gld]

I can't say how rewarding this has been. I post that the heater can be heard 40ft away from a room that I can't even hear my dishwasher from and am told that's normal. I post that the last water heater lasted 19 years without a peep or noticeable noise and that the water runs very clear. I'm told that I probably have crappy water that coated the elements with heavy sediment in a single day.

I replaced the elements and over 3 days the noise just got louder. After draining the water heater and inspecting the new elements I see they are now coated with flaking metal. I'm sure this is also normal to electric water heaters and my abnormal water supply.

Problem solved - returned it!

 

[Ludington]

Did you get another a. O. Smith ? And how's the new one working ?