Air in hot water line

I recently had the (electric) hot water heater replaced. Because of code changes, the installer had to redo the power line (a 240 plug was no longer allowed, it had to be straight through) and fix some pipe size issues with the third pipe (not hot, not cold, but some emergency feed).

It's a wide-spread Florida house, so all on one floor and the master bathroom is on the opposite side of the house from the heater which is in the garage. It takes about a minute to actually get hot water.

A few days after the heater was installed, I noticed that there was some air in the hot water line in the shower, just about at the time that the hot water finally arrives. It's really only noticable in the morning, but it's getting worse, not better. I figured that maybe it was air trapped in the system, but it's been about a month and I would guess that the air should be out by now.

I tried the hot water in the bathroom located near the heater and it happens there as well. So I suspect the hot water heater is somehow letting air into the system. I have no idea how that could be since water is sort of pressurized, but I don't know what else it can be.

The plumber says that it can't be from the hot water heater.

Can someone suggest how it could be the hot water heater, or what I can do to find out how air is being introduced? Should I just try bleeding the whole house by leaving all the faucets open for 10 minutes or so?

Reply to
dgk
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On the TV show, This Old House, they showed where a faulty valve in a bath was letting cold water into the hot water line and acting the same way. After putting in a new valve it was fixed. It was the type valve that adjusted both cold and hot water with one knob.

Reply to
dangerous dan

Mine as been acting up. Didn't think of valve. I was going to do a hose test in washtub to look for bubbles.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

Put a pail under the relief valve pipe. Then lift the lever on that valve to release the air. Leave it open for a minute or so, but dont let the pail overflow. Dump the pail in a sink or outdoors and that should solve the problem.

If you have a well, you could have a pump problem, well water is low, or leaking pipes in the well. But then the cold water pipes would have air too.

Reply to
Paintedcow

I recently had the (electric) hot water heater replaced. Because of code changes, the installer had to redo the power line (a 240 plug was no longer allowed, it had to be straight through) and fix some pipe size issues with the third pipe (not hot, not cold, but some emergency feed).

It's a wide-spread Florida house, so all on one floor and the master bathroom is on the opposite side of the house from the heater which is in the garage. It takes about a minute to actually get hot water.

A few days after the heater was installed, I noticed that there was some air in the hot water line in the shower, just about at the time that the hot water finally arrives. It's really only noticable in the morning, but it's getting worse, not better. I figured that maybe it was air trapped in the system, but it's been about a month and I would guess that the air should be out by now.

I tried the hot water in the bathroom located near the heater and it happens there as well. So I suspect the hot water heater is somehow letting air into the system. I have no idea how that could be since water is sort of pressurized, but I don't know what else it can be.

The plumber says that it can't be from the hot water heater.

Can someone suggest how it could be the hot water heater, or what I can do to find out how air is being introduced? Should I just try bleeding the whole house by leaving all the faucets open for 10 minutes or so?

************************************************************ I don?t know what kind stupid ordinance you have. However Electrical heaters will generate air from the steam unless system is under pressure at all time. So don?t ever have power on unless your hot water heater is under water pressure. Perhaps you should turn electricity of than run hot water until hot water lines becomes cold equal to supply line , also make sure that your plumber did not switch lines in and out.
Reply to
Tony944

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