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Boiler20  
#1 Posted : Monday, June 30, 2014 7:25:33 PM(UTC)
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Boiler20

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5-6 years ago I bought a new 50 gallon hot water heater. Paid the installer that Lowe's recommended/contracted with to install it. We have fairly hard water here in central Indiana. I knew to flush it 1-2x per year and would do so. However, i missed doing it for over a year, about 2 years ago. No appreciable difference in the lime scale that came out of the hose the next time.

Now, over the last 9-12 months, we've had ever decreasing hot water pressure throughout the house. No decrease in cold water pressure. I took some pics of the top of the hot water heater and showed them to a licensed plumber at a different Lowes. He indicated that from what he can see, the install was copper pipe straight to the hot water heater....no dialectric connections. He showed me a kit to install that would solve the problem, but only after I disconnected the existing pipes and scraped out the connections / unions with either a screw driver and/or a stiff wire brush.

Is this the answer? Should I go back to that Lowes and ask for a refund on the installation? I doubt I have the receipt still, for either the hot water heater or the install, but maybe. In my opinion, THAT is why I paid to have someone who is supposed to be professional and licensed, do the install! I could have made that mistake myself!

I've never used a torch or soldered, so I hesitate to cross that bridge, or am I making it out to be more complicated than it really is? I've done some light plumbing (replacing toilets, faucets, under-sink pipes, etc.,....but that's about it. I've replaced a few alternators and done some brake jobs on my cars and so forth over the years and enjoyed it, but that's about the extent of my 'handiness'. Is this something I can tackle? Is that the issue for the lack of flow?

Thoughts?

Thanks!
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denman  
#2 Posted : Thursday, July 3, 2014 4:36:34 AM(UTC)
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denman

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I am not a plumber so the following is not from a trained person just what I have picked up over the years.

As far as I know dielectric fittings are to prevent galvanic corrosion.
Your problem sounds more like calcification in the pipes.
But it could be corrosion at the fitting right at the hot water tank or calcification at this point. Hopefully this is the case as it is the easiest fix.

The only way to find out which it is to disconnect the tank.

One thing to note is that many tanks have a galvanic fittings as part of the tank.

I do not think going after Lowes will get you anything so I would not bother especially as you do not have any of the paperwork.

Since you have never messed with plumbing I would recommend that you get a plumber in.
They can disconnect the tank and check/find out what the actual problem is and hopefully repair it in a timely fashion.

If it is calcification in the pipes the system may have to be flushed to dissolve and then clear out the lime deposits.

Would also be a good idea to get them to pull your scavenger rod in the tank to see what shape it is in as it may require replacement.
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!!
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