wallyuwl
New Member
Currently my house is getting repiped, so figured might as well replace the water heater as we have had some problems with it the last few years. It is a 400 series AO Smith, 2016 model year. A gravity fed hot water recirculation line was feeding into the drain valve. Part of the house was repiped already, and they removed the recirc line. Ever since we get at best lukewarm water, which I think might be due to the cold mixing with the hot since the heat trap was removed during install of the original recirc line?
I will have a gravity fed recirc line plumbed into the drain valve just like before. Our system is a well, and the only check valve in the system is just after the water gets into the house from the well, before even the pressure tank.
I plan to replace with the same water heater (only 410 model, but essentially the same thing, $900), or else a Richmond Essentials Plus model from Menards ($600). Might consider an AO Smith from Lowes (Signature 100 series, $620). Thoughts on any of these?
Today I stopped into the plumbing business where the former house owners bought the AO Smith. I was told that there is a heat trap (he called it a check valve) that needs to get taken out of the hot water nipple on top of the tank if you have a gravity fed recirc line. But it doesn't need to get taken out if you have a pump. The way the AO Smith ones are now made the heat trap is easy to remove, not so easy on the Richmond since the nipple needs to be removed. BTW, he said maybe the thermostat went bad on the gas control valve, causing the lukewarm water. I donno.
I'm having a hard time understanding why the heat trap needs to be removed (he didn't really explain it)? It doesn't seem to make sense to me, since doesn't the heat trap just keep water from going back into the tank?
My questions are:
1. Thoughts on those water heaters?
2. Do I need to remove the heat trap on the hot?
3. Any ideas on if removing the recirc line would case the lukewarm water we've had ever since it was removed (due to the existing water heater not having heat trap), or if it could coincidentally be a bad thermostat?
Thanks.
I will have a gravity fed recirc line plumbed into the drain valve just like before. Our system is a well, and the only check valve in the system is just after the water gets into the house from the well, before even the pressure tank.
I plan to replace with the same water heater (only 410 model, but essentially the same thing, $900), or else a Richmond Essentials Plus model from Menards ($600). Might consider an AO Smith from Lowes (Signature 100 series, $620). Thoughts on any of these?
Today I stopped into the plumbing business where the former house owners bought the AO Smith. I was told that there is a heat trap (he called it a check valve) that needs to get taken out of the hot water nipple on top of the tank if you have a gravity fed recirc line. But it doesn't need to get taken out if you have a pump. The way the AO Smith ones are now made the heat trap is easy to remove, not so easy on the Richmond since the nipple needs to be removed. BTW, he said maybe the thermostat went bad on the gas control valve, causing the lukewarm water. I donno.
I'm having a hard time understanding why the heat trap needs to be removed (he didn't really explain it)? It doesn't seem to make sense to me, since doesn't the heat trap just keep water from going back into the tank?
My questions are:
1. Thoughts on those water heaters?
2. Do I need to remove the heat trap on the hot?
3. Any ideas on if removing the recirc line would case the lukewarm water we've had ever since it was removed (due to the existing water heater not having heat trap), or if it could coincidentally be a bad thermostat?
Thanks.
