Hot Water Heater Making Loud Sound And Vibrating The Entire Wall

BKFranks

On Friday our old water heater finally gave out so a new one was installed. I was gone all of Saturday and Sunday till about 7pm. When I get home it's not only leaking, it's making this very loud, low frequency sound like what you hear coming from bass speakers on a stereo system. I turned on the kitchen faucet and the water is so hot it would burn anyone who touched it.
I talked to a plumber contractor friend on mine on the phone to see if he could give me some idea. He thought is might be air in the line since they just replaced it, but I told him the sound won't go away so he thinks there is something wrong with it. I told him it was leaking so he told me to just shut the water line feeding the water heater. Well, checked that and shut-off at the water heater just keeps turning and wont turn off so the only way to shut it off would be to shut off the main to the whole house.
Anyone still awake tonight know what to do about it?

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JamesNLA

LOL...Gotta love GC's!!

First of all, why didn'y you replace the gate valve feeding the cold in? You do know it is code to have a ball valve on that cold shutoff, don't you?'

If the hot water comming out is so hot that you can't touch it, chances are it's 150 + degrees. Just a thought, but why not turn the thermostat down? Turn it to just below medium or less.

As for the vibration, go flush the toilets.

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-Adrock

Dan_Watson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmJoyuUJj2Q

BKFranks

1. Gate valve is installed on the cold water feed, but broken. They need to replace it, which I just found out when I tried to shut it off.
2. Temp is already on Low. Any lower and it will be off.
3. I've flushed every toilet in the house more than once and opened every faucet on hot for more than a few minutes. There's no air in any of the lines.

If I was a plumber, I wouldn't need to ask anyone anything about this, but it's not my profession.

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JamesNLA

Ok than. Shut the gas off to the heater, and leave the water on. I predict within a few hours the water leaking will stop. That is IF the water is coming out of the TnP relief valve. Since you already have the thermo turned down, and this thing is boiling water you have a very dangerous situation in a bad thermostat. Once the gas is off it will no longer heat (obviously) therefore the temp will slowly start to fall. Once the temp drops below.....i think it is 200 degrees the TnP will stop relieving water. You should replace the heater...not repair it. Make sure that relief valve is unobstructed and clear of anything. Otherwise see the above you tube video!

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"....And then we all switch places when I ring the bell"
-Adrock

nap

run the hot water at a faucet for a couple of minutes THEN go to the water heater and turn it off. Let the faucet run a bit more then shut it off.

Watch the video linked back in post #3.

Then call the folks that installed the thing and tell them to replace this with a working heater.

I've never personally seen a water heater blow apart but apparently they are quite a bit of excitement when they do. I would not attempt to do anything other than relieve the pressure and then get it shut down.

BKFranks

Water heater replaced this morning. Thanks for all the answers.

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K2

Ok on the video. I'm thinking on a normal house other areas of the plumbing would pop before the tank went through the roof. like the faucets etc. If that is not true than i would want 2 extra pressure valves on my tank.

22rifle

Not likely.

Double-A

They would not depending on the failure. That is why a water heater is never a DIY project.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006