Ohiobuckeye
 

Good suggestions, but you could try & drains about 5 gals. out of it to see if you have sediment on the bottom of the tank. Doesn't hurt to try.

I have never drained a water heater. Most people don't. I would be concerned that the valve will start to leak because of sediment clogging it up. Also, I don't think that opening the drain valve is an efficient way to remove sediment unless you do it every month or so. If you have years of sediment built up, I believe it will mostly be caked onto the bottom of the tank, and will stay in the tank when you open the drain valve.

It cooler now . At times when cold water enters hot water sometimes you'll get a banging sound

When we moved in, popping and thumping sounds seemed to be coming from the attic. We thought it was squirrels because we have a lot of squirrels and it sounded like little feet running and chasing. We called an exterminator and he saw no signs. The sound only occurred at night because that's when we ran the showers and dishwasher - so it seemed logical the squirrels were coming in for the warm dry attic. I finally put a game camera in the attic but got no results - not even a mouse. Then I was in the garage one day when the clothes were being washed. The washing machine was louder than the noise in the house, but in the garage near the water heater I could hear the bubbling. Mystery solved!

Up north I would drain some water out of my water heater twice a year to remove some sediment. One time I did it I couldn't close the valve all the way and water kept coming out no matter that I closed the valve as far as I could.

I had to rush to the hardware store and I was able to get a cap that I screwed on the end of the valve to stop the water.

I'll never drain a water heater again.

No idea what it costs as I did it myself. The anode was $20. Yes your tank will last longer, the idea is the anode corrodes and not the tank, so the tank that would last 18 years otherwise lasts 30 years with proper maintenance. You should do this every 3 to 5 years.

I will add "my tank lasted XX years" posts are useless. Those tank are not here, they were some where else with different water. I further argue that products made 20 years ago used better materials with longer warranties than what is in your current home

Gas valve starting- normal
 

When it’s not heating, the gas is switched off. When it needs to heat the water, it switches a small amount of gas through and creates a spark to ignite it. If it lights, the boiler detects this and opens the main gas valve, another clunk. If, for some reason, the gas supply is absent, the boiler senses the absence of flame, and shuts itself down. All good stuff.

agree.. happened to us this summer up north....had to replace the anode, covered with sediment....then had to flush water heater a couple of times. finally noise disappeared.

No that’s in your operating instructions manual. I lived in a city before that you had to hook a hose on nozzle valve at the bottom & I would get lots of lime build up out of it. So if you want your hot water heater to last drain some out or you’ll be replacing your water heat more than you want!

Here is a quote from the Rheem water heater manual:

"It is suggested that a few quarts of water be drained from the water heater’s tank every month to clean the tank of these deposits."

I don't follow this instruction, and I seriously doubt that very many people do. I wonder if any of the home watch or management companies offer this service?

Dream on my friend! I have seen a home watch company, who is widely recommend on this site, not enter my vacant home for three months running. First month no pictures, second month exterior photos, third nothing. I have a wireless alarm and I get a notification if they open a door any door, including the garage door. If they can't even bother to do a walk through they certainly would not touch the water heater.

Yes I got billed every month.

What part of the villages do you live in?

First , I started this topic and I thank all for your advice. I have a 13 year old water heater that had never been drained and was providing noises upon startup. I decided to drain and replace the drain valve with a 3/4" NPT Ball Valve. Did my homework to check out parts and sizes needed and made sure I had all tools and consumables.
Shut off gas , water inlet valve, opened hot water sink faucets, connected hose to drain valve , opened valve and got nothing. That was not in my plan. Long story shortened, needed to turn faucet off and open water inlet valve. That pressure got things started but slowly. Shortly after reopened faucet and Pressure relief valve and closed water inlet. That got the draining going. Still had to poke around the open drain valve to keep it flowing.

After draining , took off old gate valve and installed ball valve. Noticed a lot of white mushy sand on bottom. Did several short flushes (about 8 ) to get as much out as possible out before refilling. Closed valves, refilled, restarted. No noise and water heated within an hour.

Other than a several gallons of murky water, all of the remaining sediment looked like a white oatmeal. When rubbed, outer coating appeared sudsy and the interior very fine sand. Best to have it gone, and with the new ball valve , future drains will be a snap and coming more often. Don't like the looks of this stuff.

Mine appears to be somewhat different as it has a permanently lit pilot. When the thermostat detects that heat is needed, the gas valve is opened until heat level is reached. Gas is then shut off,, but pilot remains on.

Did you say you opened the temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve at the top of the water heater? Hopefully, you got a lot or water coming out of the discharge pipe. That is a safety device, which may also be clogged and non-functional. If you plan to keep a 13 year old water heater for an extended life span, you should test and replace the relief valve if it doesn't work properly. Lift the metal lever to test it. If it malfunctions, the water heater could experience excessive temperature or pressure and could explode. Just a suggestion, because most people are replacing the water heater after 13 years. Also, 13 years ago, expansion tanks were not required, but they are now. An expansion tank would help to maintain a constant water pressure in your house, which will protect your plumbing fixtures from experiencing excessive water pressure and possible damage.