What Causes the Popping Noises in a Water Heater?

Water heaters generally operate very quietly and go unnoticed until your hot water runs out or some other problem arises. If the popping noises from your water heater have caught your attention, keep reading to find out what’s wrong and what should be done.

Stop the Popping

Water heaters heat and reheat water around the clock. Dissolved minerals, such as calcium and limestone, cling together in flakes and clumps as water is heated. These flakes and clumps eventually sink and settle at the bottom of your water heater. Popping noises in a water heater are caused when steam bubbles are produced from heating these mineral deposits. So, the key to stopping the popping noise in a water heater is to flush out the deposits. Your plumbing professional will perform these basic steps before checking other components:

• Turning off the circuit breaker (electric system) or gas valve (gas-fired system).
• Letting hot water cool for two hours, or turning on the hot water in a bathtub to drain your tank.
• Attaching a discharge hose to the drain valve, and running the hose to a floor drain or outside.
• Turning the valve off to the cold intake water.
• Flipping up the temperature and pressure relief valve (T&P).
• Opening the drain valve to flush the tank.

Once the tank has drained, your plumber will chemically treat it, flushing it again to dislodge and remove deposits. Before refilling your water heater, your anode rod is removed and inspected. The anode rod is a vital component of your water heater. It protects the lining by attracting and removing minerals and other impurities from the water, which might otherwise corrode and deteriorate, leading to early system failure. You can prevent mineral deposits in the future by performing mini flushes once a month. Just hold a bucket beneath the drain valve and drain about a gallon of water.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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