21C Water heater problem

[NicevilleSteve]

The anode disintegrated over the 3 years it sat idle. It left the rod material in the bottom of the water heater. I have used a bottle brush to dislodge/remove the material but there is some remaining. I flushed what I could using the anode port/water hose.

Is there any recommendations in servicing it and is there a filter to catch any remaining material prior to entering the faucets/shower?

Thanks,
Steve

[brroberts]

There are vacuums with small tips, or use water heater bypass and then vac sealed over anode inlet. Just guessing here. Small dowel with rag on the end? I’d probably try some of my small angled vac tips for a shop vac. That’s my first guess.

[NicevilleSteve]

Thanks for your thoughts!

[CharlesinGA]

Get a Camco water heater flush wand and it will fairly easy to flush out the remaining material. https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Rinser-.../dp/B002XL2IBS



Charles

[Viajante]

Its a little more work, but if you really want to flush out the tank ...

Remove the anode and the heating element. Put a garden hose in the heating element hole and turn on the water.

[Iowa Dave]

If you have a place where you can stay hooked up and can pull onto a fairly steep slope longways and then as others have suggested, vigorously add water to the tank through the anode opening and then step back quickly, water will gush out carrying many particles. Three or four times of this and you have the majority of the “big pieces”. Then once the water has all drained, you can vacuum or use your little finger to get some remaining residue right up behind where the anode Screws in. You’ll be just about as clean as possible once’s that’s done. I have an inline filter on my cold water line to catch sediment before the kitchen sink but not on our hot water side and never felt that I needed it when I flushed the hot Water tank a couple times a season.
Iowa Dave

[brroberts]

I have a flush wand too, but sometimes there is still a bit in the tank. That’s why I’d try the vac to finish it.

[NicevilleSteve]

Dave, Thanks for that information, it's hard to find that kind of slope in FL but I'll do some looking.
NicevilleSteve

[NicevilleSteve]

Thanks for the link.
NicevilleSteve