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05-29-2009, 12:50 AM
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#1
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Newbie
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 4
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Water Heater Question
New to the DIY. We flushed our electric water heater and replaced both elements and thermostats. We are refilling the tank and are not supposed to turn the power back on until is refilled. My question is: Should we be able hear the tank refilling? Upon initially starting to refill, we turned on another hot water valve... it sputtered but then started to run at a normal pressure. My mom is concerned because she can't hear it refilling, should we be able to hear it? Is there a way to test to make sure it is full, so we don't damge the new element?
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05-29-2009, 03:12 AM
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#2
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Building codes guy, Mod
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Kansas City area
Posts: 6,088
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If you can shut off the water supply to the heater you could open the valve near the bottom of the heater and see if you get a good amount of water coming out.
Water heaters fill pretty quietly.
__________________
The building code is a minimum standard, and merely meeting it instead of exceeding it equates to building your project to the worst standard that the law will allow. 
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05-29-2009, 03:17 AM
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#3
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Long-Time DIYer
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: On Albemarle Sound In Northeastern NC
Posts: 1,190
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Open the farthest hot water tub faucet (no aerator to clog) and run it until all of the air is out and it's running a full water flow. Then open all hot water faucets to remove the last of the air in the lines. You can't necessarily hear the tank filling, but you're right, fill it with water before turning on the power or you will fry the element(s).
Mike
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05-29-2009, 09:20 AM
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#4
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Newbie
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 4
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Oh good, that eases my mind, we will try to drain it a little to test it out. thank you for the response.
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05-29-2009, 09:24 AM
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#5
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Newbie
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 4
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Thanks Mike-I opened all the hot water valves in the house and now all are running at a good pressure. I think we are good now, Thanks for the help.
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05-29-2009, 10:50 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Nashua, NH, USA
Posts: 1,071
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thekctermite
If you can shut off the water supply to the heater you could open the valve near the bottom of the heater and see if you get a good amount of water coming out. .
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Psst! This is not a good test to prove that the tank is full enough to turn on the heat without damage.
__________________
Bait gone and the mouse trap has not snapped? Maybe ants got there first.
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05-30-2009, 01:33 AM
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#7
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Building codes guy, Mod
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Kansas City area
Posts: 6,088
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AllanJ
Psst! This is not a good test to prove that the tank is full enough to turn on the heat without damage.
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Then offer something more useful. If you want to openly disagree with me that is fine but qualify your statement.
__________________
The building code is a minimum standard, and merely meeting it instead of exceeding it equates to building your project to the worst standard that the law will allow.
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05-30-2009, 12:01 PM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Nashua, NH, USA
Posts: 1,071
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thekctermite
Then offer something more useful.
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(Then I would be parrotting someone else's response above.)
__________________
Bait gone and the mouse trap has not snapped? Maybe ants got there first.
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05-30-2009, 04:41 PM
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#9
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Newbie
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 4
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Hallelujah, we have completed this fix. The water IS filling properly, and does fill very quietly and quickly. We actually had to drain it and refill it another two times because we had a small leak around the upper element. In turn we had to take the new element back to the store and exchange it, it was faulty. We have replaced the element and refilled again, no leaks...and we have now restored the hot water. I appreciate you all for your input and help. Thank you very much, WOO~HOO. 
Erika
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