blueludedude
New Member
Hello,
My home has a State Select electric water heater, 9+ years old now, still working (for the moment), but there's been a very slow leak for a few months now from where the PRF valve connects to the unit. The leak has left a rusty stain down the side of the unit, but the water that pools on the ground looks pretty clear. There is also a very tiny bit of condensation and a light grey vertical streak that appears right above where the leak is.
Also, it's a typical residential unit with two heating elements, and the top element has some visible corrosion on the outside that was not there when I flushed the tank last fall. Both heating elements show proper voltage when I hook up a multimeter, and we are not noticing a lack of hot water, so I assume both elements are functioning normally.
Can anyone offer any advice on how to proceed in troubleshooting these issues? Thanks in advance for the help. Given its age and the symptoms, I'm afraid it may be rusting out and need replacement, but I'd like to try any simple fixes on my own first before breaking down and calling a plumber.
Quick maintenance history:
Photos can be found here, and if you have any questions, just ask. Thanks again!
- Kevin
My home has a State Select electric water heater, 9+ years old now, still working (for the moment), but there's been a very slow leak for a few months now from where the PRF valve connects to the unit. The leak has left a rusty stain down the side of the unit, but the water that pools on the ground looks pretty clear. There is also a very tiny bit of condensation and a light grey vertical streak that appears right above where the leak is.
Also, it's a typical residential unit with two heating elements, and the top element has some visible corrosion on the outside that was not there when I flushed the tank last fall. Both heating elements show proper voltage when I hook up a multimeter, and we are not noticing a lack of hot water, so I assume both elements are functioning normally.
Can anyone offer any advice on how to proceed in troubleshooting these issues? Thanks in advance for the help. Given its age and the symptoms, I'm afraid it may be rusting out and need replacement, but I'd like to try any simple fixes on my own first before breaking down and calling a plumber.
Quick maintenance history:
- Unit is 9+ years old
- First time homeowner, so first water heater, and I was unfortunately ignorant about maintenance for a long time
- I think the top heating element was replaced by a plumber 5-6 years ago
- I replaced the bottom heating element 2-3 years ago and finally learned about draining the unit, checking elements, replacing them
- For the past few years I have flushed the unit completely every fall. Our water is pretty good out here (county water, south of Raleigh, NC), and I never saw much sediment come out of it, just a few small white pebbles and grit. However, the flow rate from the drain valve + hose has always seemed pretty slow (vs. hose connected to faucet outside the house).
- I have never done any inspection/maintenance of the anode(s).
Photos can be found here, and if you have any questions, just ask. Thanks again!
- Kevin