Fellow plumbers - Help solving air problem please.

[Matt30]

About 6 months ago, I installed a 40 gallon electric hot water tank for a customer. Just a generic, hardware store tank he bought.

For the past couple of months, they have been saying when they get up in the morning and open the hot taps, there is a burst of air and the water is very cloudy. After some use it goes away, until they leave the water untouched for a few hours, then it happens again. They didn't have this problem with the tank I replaced, it was 25+ years old.

I have been all over the plumbing system. Ruled out any possibility of it coming from the cold water. I keep coming back to something we talked about in trade school, but I have never run into in the field.

I remember having a discussion about anode rods, and if they start to deteriorate too rapidly, a gas can be formed that rises to the top of the tank and releases when a tap is opened, giving you the burst of air, and I would assume that's where the cloudy water comes from.

So, my plan was to replace the manganese anode with an aluminum one when I go back.

Has anyone come across this? Anything I am overlooking? Think I am into the right track?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mr_David]

I have heard that as well.
Only seen a similar issue from a small 3 gallon under the sink electric heater. Not even sure if that one had an anode in it.
I did not install it and not sure how or if it was ever resolved.

What if you just removed the anode without installing another?
See what happens. He bought it. Warranty should not be a problem for you.
We always inform the customer that there is no warranty on any products they supply. Sometimes even charge a little more on the labor seeing as there is no profit being made on material.

 

[Matt30]

Iit didn't really dawn on me about the anode while I was there. It was one of those moments driving to another job where it just comes to you. I will definitely check the anode before I replace it. I'm always a little hesitant to completely discard the anode, but I have had to in the past

He's also not on any water treatment, and coincidently, the ground water table changed a lot this year because it was so dry. So I told him to get his water re tested. Waiting on the results.

 

[KULTULZ]

-WATER HEATER OUT-GASSING-

You would only remove the anode temporarily for testing purposes.