Just spent $210 having my tankless water heater flushed out

[cantdrv55]

Does anyone do their own tank flushing? Plumber says I can buy a kit for it but that the pump the comes in the kit is usually of low quality and only good for one or two flushes. With the sediment in our town's water, he thinks the pump might crap out after just one flush. Just wondering what your experience has been with tankless water heater flushing.

[BobbyQ]

I've installed them on commercial jobs before, but never had any experience with flushing. I researched them for a friend who wanted to put one in her house but they didn't have very good reviews so I talked her out of it.
I would try to make your own flush kit. Did you watch him flush yours?
You could also install a filter system. Home depot/Lowes has filters pretty cheap. Changing a $10 filter every few months may be cheaper and easier.
My last house had crappy water, I built a 4 filter system.

Matt

[porsche4life]

We have a tankless, and have never had the need to flush it, but our water is decent, and we soften. I'd think a cheap circulating pump and what ever they uses to flush, would be all you need.

[Zeke]

What is there to do? Descale it?

[pete3799]

Never have flushed mine.
The one i have that i use for my radiant heat in the garage (closed system) was filled with my 1/2 inch drill and one of those cheap drill pumps.
I would think one of those would be fine for flushing it as well.

[dennis in se pa]

"With the sediment in our town's water," This is a big issue with me. Monopolistic water companies providing marginal quality water and raping us with the prices. My public water supply is HORRIBLE. I drink bottled water. It costs me $45 a month for 2 people. Is that normal? It used to be 445 a quarter until a French Company named Pennsylvania Water took over. B*stards tripled the rates all at once and the PUC allowed it. Bunch of crooks!

[johnsjmc]

when I lived on a farm and had a well. I had an inexpensive sediment filter .If the issue is scale from the water then you can get an analysis from culogan free and they can advise what is needed to fix it. Remember you can buy a water sofener and or a filter system for a lot less than culligon but their advise is usually fee.
I would also think you could flush a lot of sediment (if it is loose inside) out the drain by just opening all the taps at once.
That said I have a tankless gas water heater(Rheem) which stopped working last year after I returned from a 3 month vacation. Even though it was under warranty I was without hot water for a week while the plumber replaced 3 different parts before he got permission to replace the entire unit. I am away again and if I return to a malfunctioning unit again I am replacing it with a simple electric tank. I haven,t seen much difference on my gas bill anyway with tankless.

[Brian 162]

All you need is a small pump and flush a vinegar water mixture through the unit for 30 min. All tankless units should have it done once a year.Rannai insists you do the flush or you void the warranty on the heat exchanger.

[bugeye07]

I believe you got taken its not to common to flush a water what type tankless coil there is nothing to flush?

[Evans, Marv]

We have two Rinnai tankless water heaters. The plumbing company never said anything about having to flush them. We have well water and a filter & softening system, & I doubt (maybe I should say "hope we won't") we will have a problem with scale. Luckily if I have a probem, the company owner is one of my neighbors and I can just call him. Sofar we're very happy with their performance, but I'm definintely going to research flushing them after seeing this thread.

[look 171]

They need to be flush yearly. Buy a pond pump, tubing, a couple of fittings and you have yourself a little system the will do the job. Flush with CLR for 30 min. It is very easy to do. Make sure you trick the unit to open its internal valves (it usually means turning the unit on for x amount of minutes). Call your tankless company on how to do this with their different models. Install a scale filter (Water inc. makes a very good one that should last a year) or install Aqua-Rex.

[RWebb]

dilute the CLR or not?

[jyl]

$210/yr to flush a tankless - hmm, makes the energy cost savings a little less compelling? I mean, for the DIFM types?

(DIFM = Do It For Me)

[vash]

what?!!

my tankless has a sensor. it throws a "FL" code at the controls in my bathroom as a warning. never seen the warning.

my plumber told me it is DIY when he installed it. i have two bypass valves..i hook up some garden hose sections to a swimming pool pump ($70) submerged in a five gallon bucket of vinegar. flip the bypass valves to isolate the heater from the system and flush away. seem simple enough.

we should go in halfsies on a pump, c.

[imcarthur]

Thanks for the reminder. I intend to self-flush as above. My installer said that there was no reason I couldn't do it myself.

First year's costs after conversion from electrical hot water to a Rinnai:

Gas Bill up $159 Electricity down $321

Of course, these figures are quasi meaningless because we use the energy for cooking & heating & barbecue etc.

Ian

[cantdrv55]

Originally Posted by vash

what?!!

my tankless has a sensor. it throws a "FL" code at the controls in my bathroom as a warning. never seen the warning.

my plumber told me it is DIY when he installed it. i have two bypass valves..i hook up some garden hose sections to a swimming pool pump ($70) submerged in a five gallon bucket of vinegar. flip the bypass valves to isolate the heater from the system and flush away. seem simple enough.

we should go in halfsies on a pump, c.

Sounds good to me. Do you know where to get one?

[look 171]

Originally Posted by vash

what?!!

my tankless has a sensor. it throws a "FL" code at the controls in my bathroom as a warning. never seen the warning.

my plumber told me it is DIY when he installed it. i have two bypass valves..i hook up some garden hose sections to a swimming pool pump ($70) submerged in a five gallon bucket of vinegar. flip the bypass valves to isolate the heater from the system and flush away. seem simple enough.

we should go in halfsies on a pump, c.

That's the way to do it. Make sure you trick the internal valve open. Call mfg on that.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by RWebb

dilute the CLR or not?

Yes. 25% CLR. I usually put in a little more just for fun.

[vash]

Originally Posted by look 171

That's the way to do it. Make sure you trick the internal valve open. Call mfg on that.

hmm..gonna dig out my (gasp) instructions. i remember seeing the pump schematic.

chris. rinnai or tegaki.

i have a rinnai..we can get the pump at any swimming supply joint..i bet HD even has one.

[vash]

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