I will be away from home for about 6 months. Can I turn off the electric water heater during this period? I seem to remember reading that this may cause alga/bacteria problems. Thanks.
- posted
14 years ago
Electric water heater
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- posted
14 years ago
If your going to be away that long, you mihht as well drain it.
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- posted
14 years ago
...and turn it off!
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- posted
14 years ago
...and turn it off!
And remember to fill it again before turning it on.
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- posted
14 years ago
Heh!
What stunning advice and an absurd example.
The water in the water bottles has had all its bacteria killed before the bottles were filled. This is not the case with water distribution systems.
The bacteria will NOT die (usually) when you merely turn on the water heater. Legionnaire's disease, for example, can exist at most water heater settings (150°F or below).
As for air, look up the difference between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Anaerobic bateria are those that do not grow in the presence of Oxygen or can grow in the absence of Oxygen. Almost all infections are anerobic (E.coli, staph, streptococcus, etc.).
As an aside, it is prudent to NOT consume water from the water heater - use only for washing. You CAN safely consume water heater water if you boil it first - as in making coffee.
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- posted
14 years ago
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Who drinks hot water?
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- posted
14 years ago
Turn it off why pay to heat it the tank is sealed so nothing should grow, my city water is chlorinated so I dought anything would grow anyway, you could heat the water to a higher temp when you turn it back on to kill anything, turning off the water at the street main woud be a good idea and save in the utility bill and you dont risk a break, at least shut off the main supply and leave the sump pump ready. I would plug all drains so when the traps dry out you dont come back to a house smelling of sewer gas, if a big freeze is expeected winterize pipes by draining.
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- posted
14 years ago
We have thousands of snowbirds here who turn their water heaters off for 8 months of the year and I have not heard of a huge problem from bad water killing them.
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- posted
14 years ago
And as I recall, you only need to maintain a temp of 140F to kill legionaire bacteria. So, as long as you have it set to that, when you turn it back on it will kill any legionaire bacteria.
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- posted
14 years ago
Turn it off.
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- posted
14 years ago
Have you surveyed? How many of those snowbirds will be dead, within the next few years?
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- posted
14 years ago
Bit here on the topic.
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- posted
14 years ago
The problem is that there is no way of totally removing/killing all bacteria. As the chlorine dissipates from the water in your heater over the weeks the odd few bugs in there will multiply, possibly to a dangerous level.
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- posted
14 years ago
I'd keep it simple. Turn off the breaker to the water heater, attach a hose to the drain and run it outside or to a floor drain. Then, open the valve, open the PT valve to let air in and drain the heater. PUT A NOTE ON THE BREAKER BOX TO FILL THE HEATER BEFORE TURNING THE POWER BACK ON.
When you return, make sure the drain valve is closed. Open the water valve to the heater and also open the PT valve to let air escape. This step is important. When water starts to sputter out of the PT valve, let it flip closed and turn the breaker back on.
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- posted
14 years ago
It is like a zombie movie They just keep coming back.
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- posted
14 years ago
In general, no. Bacteria can be found at the tap in chlorinated water. When chlorinated water sits (in the pipe, in the water heater, anywhere), the chlorine dissipates. That's why the fish people let the aquarium replacement water sit exposed to air for a day or so.
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- posted
14 years ago
I do. I flavor it with coffee, tea, tomato soup, instant potatoes, Jello, and other sundries,
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- posted
14 years ago
Things WILL grow, even if the water heater is on. Ask any of the American Legion convention goers who went to the 1976 convention in Philadelphia. A few years ago, about 70 people got sick in the Houston Internal Revenue Service office because the "hot" water wasn't hot enough. But nobody gave a shit.
Both episodes involved chlorinated municipal water.
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- posted
14 years ago
I don't know about a few years ago, but the origional Legion goes in 1976 got sick from the aircondition system not a water heater.
Partial quote from below :
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It took six months to determine that the illness had been caused by a bacterium, Legionella pneumophilia, which we now know usually succumbs to the timely prescription of proper antibiotics. The bacterium, which in this case was apparently spread from the hotel's air-conditioning system, is a cause of pneumonia and other illnesses worldwide
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- posted
14 years ago
You're correct, and I misremembered. Sorry.
But, still, the air conditioning system in which the nasties lived WAS fed with chlorinated tap water, just not heated.
Thinking on it, though, I don't see how the municipal water could GET into the air conditioning system - the hotel certainly wasn't chilled by a huge swamp cooler.