Water Heater Flushing?

[Jomo]

Last week our 6-year-old water heater stopped working. I tried the directions to restart the honeywell pilot light, which didn't work, so I called our home warranty company, which sent out a plumber. He said the problem was a bad gas control valve, which was covered under the warranty.

However, to install it he said he needs to flush the water heater and clean out the dust from the cabinet, which would be an additional $400. Does that sound right? I've never heard of a water heater that young that needed to be flushed. I also looked up how to reset the honeywell controller, which I did and the water heater is working again, although I don't know how long it will continue. Is replacing the valve something I can dyi, and should I flush the tank before doing it?

Thanks!

 

[Sylvan]

If you read the the owns manual they normally suggest flushing the tank /boiler blown down valve normally 2-4 times a year and testing the T&P at least 2 times a year

Mineral deposits act as an insulator on the probe and giving erroneous temperature fluctuations

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jomo]

Thanks, what about the $400 for a flush, does that sound like a lot?

 

[Reach4]

Thanks, what about the $400 for a flush, does that sound like a lot?

Consider the drive time, parking, billing, and chat time and etc time. Even so, it does seem high. Maybe he combines that with some other services.

Flushing is an easy DIY thing. See https://terrylove.com/forums/index....o-flush-a-hot-water-heater.79444/#post-576623 post #7.

 

[Dj2]

Having a home warranty is problem #1. When you call them, they want you to pay the deductible (around $50?), but then they let the tech/plumber loose to find additional, sometimes unnecessary work to make this service call worth something and to cover the repair itself, in your case - a new gas valve.
Your plumber wanted to flush your tank because the gas valve is located at the bottom of the tank. To replace it, you need to drain the tank, especially if the WH is indoor to avoid flooding the house.
And here's the thing: a 6 y.o WH can take an hour or more to drain, if the drain bibb is clogged. Guess who will pay for this wait time?

This is not for DIY. Too risky for DIY - water and gas lines shouldn't be taken lightly.

 

[Sylvan]

I never offer and type of "maintenance contract" because I have seen to many companies rip people off

I often wondered how any legitimate company can offer a heating contract for under $200 other then an oil supply company that uses their service contract as a loss leader

I am charging well over $200 PER HR for a service call so it is impossible for me to even consider service contracts