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Rusty Water in a Rheem water heater( Model NO. TE60 serial 0989 J06355) that is 20 years old.?

I have never done any maintenance on this heater and within the past year the water comes out very rusty.I flushed out the entire tank and it was ok for a couple of week but i am starting to see rusty water at the tap again. the tank seems to be in tacked with no visible leaks on the exterior. Does anyone have any ideas as to what is casing this?All my plumbing is copper

Public Comments

1. if you have an electric water heater the rust is probaly from the tank of your water heater. inside the tank is a sacrifical anode, im not sure if gas water heaters have it as well but they probably do. its job is to be consumed so that the tank doesnt corrode but after several years it is completly disentigrated and then your tank can start to corrode. the safe thing to do would be invest in having a new one installed before you end up with a huge puddle on your floor.
2. if the house is old, the rust can be in your pipes...
3. Rheem sure makes a good water heater, don't they? However, if that beast is 20 years old, get rid of it before it gets rid of you. More than likely, the porcelain in the tank has totally deteriorated and now the metal tank is rusting. I can assume you've never seen a water heater with a ruptured tank or you wouldn't still have that in your house. You would be amazed at how much water can leak from one of those overnight. Think thousands of gallons. Call the plumber. fs
4. How are you flushing the tank out? That is the entire trick. I am doing a write up on my site about the exact problems and proper flushing procedure. It should be posted by the end of the weekend. www.backyardman.com