How To Drain and Flush a Gas Water Heater

Today's high temperature was: 73 degrees

Today's humidity was: 34%

Sunny-breezy--perfect!

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Okay kids, are you with me?  10:33 a.m. Friday, July 26, 2013.  A written record--just in case I die from a gas explosion!

Step #1--take a Naproxen, because this is going to hurt your back, hips and knees.

 Gather tools you think you might need and your instruction sheet

Oh yes--and your drink of  choice--mine is Diet Pepsi

You might need the adjustable wrench to tighten hose on coupling.

You will need a big flashlight to see what the heck you are doing.

You will need instruction sheet so you can keep track of what the heck you are doing.

Step # 2:  address the closet where the "evil animal" is hiding.  "What lies behind door number One? " is how I addressed it.

Step #3:  empty closet

Step #4: closet empty--clothes piled on bed

What evil lies behind the white panel or door number two?

Hello Mr. Lochinvar--you don't look too scary.

Installed 7/14/06--someone with OCD must have put that 

date on there.

Ya Think?

But wait---isn't that vent pipe suppose to be attached to the top of the heater?

To vent the gas fumes out through the roof?

YIKES!!!

Go to phone, call office, they will call their water heater/furnace/A/C guy.  He calls back--"I am up by Owosso, but I will try and get there this afternoon.  Just go ahead and drain the heater, but don't turn the gas back on until it is fixed."

Okay.  So--questions in my mind.  "How long has the vent been detached?"  "Why aren't I dead from the fumes?" "Carbon monoxide isn't good for you--right?"  GEEZ!!!

Step #5:  ignore problem and get back to work.  Acceptance--remember, if I can't put my own two hands around it and fix it--acceptance!!  (I did try and get it back aligned, didn't work!)

Step #6:  turn gas from ON to PILOT

Do not be afraid--it isn't going to explode--it is only an innocent looking knob (I hope)

Step #7:  connect hose to water heater drain plug

that brass thingie

 Make sure hose is lower then water heater level and draining on grass

Tie back door to adjacent closet door to keep cats inside

You can use knitting yarn, if that is all you have.

(That is all I had.)

Step #9:  turn off water inlet supply.

There is a lever behind that front pipe attached to 

the inlet hose

The lever will not move--go get WD-40 and a screwdriver

Spray with WD-40 and let set--while you go sit in your chair

and rest your back.

Fifteen minutes later, go back into evil cubby hole to see if water shut-off lever will move.  Nope!  Repeat spray with WD-40 and play game on Face Book .

11:30--lost on Candy Crush!  Go back into evil cubby hole and check again--YES!!  Hard to move, but it does--kind of. No water can come into the tank now.

Step #10:  turn on hot water tap in bathroom sink to prevent air bubble back-ups!

Step #11:  open drain plug with standard sized, screwdriver.  Quit shaking!  Hold flashlight with right, shaky hand and use left hand to screw open plug!  No leaks, YAY.

Step: 13:  undo yarn tied on back door to look out and see if water is running all right and if there is any calcium or lime coming out.  NO calcium or lime coming out.  Realize this was probably an un-needed project, but should be done every few years, so will continue!!  Re-do yarn tie-off.

While waiting for tank to drain, why not take down shower sprayer and inlet tube and soak in Lime-A-Way to clean it out too?

 Unscrew shower head and put in bathroom sink.

  

Unscrew pipe thingie.

Fill up sink with a bit of water and pour in Lime-A-Way

Be careful, it burns your hands.

How do I know this?  OUCH!!

Pour Lime-A-Way down tube and brace on mirror so it 

won't leak out.

Let set for a couple of hours.

Look out door to see if water is still coming from hose.  It is! Sit down in chair to rest back and calves.

Step #14:  when water quits coming out of hose, go back into cubby hole and turn on water inlet valve-  Let new water fill tank for a few minutes--this is to roil up the sediment.  Shut off water inlet valve and let water drain out of hose.

Step #15:  repeat step #14.

Step # 16.  12:45 p.m.  tighten up drain plug.  disconnect hose and keeping the end above your head, so no water will drain out on your carpeting/floor, take to back door and throw out on the lawn.  turn water inlet lever back to ON position and listen as the water rushes in to fill the tank--bathroom faucet starts running and spitting a bit of air out of it, splashing all over your newly shined vanity counter.  when air quits spitting water all over the place, turn off faucet and wipe up spatters with towel.

Step #17:  1:00, sit down, eat a salad, watch your soap!

2:15--men in truck arrive.  YAY!!  They inspect water heater vent.  They inspect roof.  Apparently when new roof was installed, vent got twisted--I TOLD THEM IT WAS FINE UNTIL MY NEW ROOF WAS PUT ON!!!

2:45--vent is straightened--at roof and in evil cubby hole and attached to the water heater.  Man says, "You are lucky.  With that panel closing off the heater, any gas fumes when up the hole in the roof anyway."  (Thank you God from whom ALL blessings flow!)

"What do I owe you?"

"Not a thing, Ma'am.  God bless you."

"He already has!"

I hand him one of my large sun catchers.

"My wife is going to love this!!! Have a great weekend, Ma'am."

"Thank you, guys.  I appreciate it so much."

Go back in evil cubby hole.  Check to see if vent has been properly fixed. Women living alone cannot take ANYONE'S word that things are done correctly.  You gotta see for yourself!!

It appears to have been properly fixed.

--now comes the true test of your faith, your wits and your hope-Stop shaking, bend over, reach down and.....turn gas inlet valve back to ON.  Wait for it.....hear flame come on and roar into life.  Didn't even jump in fright!!!

Step #18:  put panel back on evil cubby hole and tape instruction sheet on front.

Vacuum closet floor and replace clothes.

Put away tools!

You are still alive.  You aren't singed.  

YOU DID IT!!!!!

and it only took half a day, LOL.

"If I have to, I can do anything.  

I am strong!  I am invincible!

I AM WOMAN.

HEAR ME ROAR!!!

Fantastically Fun Day

The high temperature today was: 75 degrees

The humidity today was:  30%

GORGEOUS!!!

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A walk about my place this morning---gardens are going by, annuals still doing good, Rose of Sharon, purple and pink, and Maggie watching Momma.

Then--I saw the most amazing thing at my bird feeder.  Something I have never seen in my 74 years.

Sorry it is a bit distorted--I had to use my zoom, which isn't very powerful.

It is a White Sparrow.  

Not an Albino because it's eyes are black and it's 

beak is yellow.

This just floored me--I am still amazed.

If any of you have ever seen one, please tell me

what you know about them.  Thanks.

Then I chased a bunch of birds out of my Hummingbird tree, headed back into the house and saw her come raging out of her nest and dive bomb a Blue Jay!  YAY for Momma.  Then I decided to move her feeder closer to her nest--tried to get it high on the branch.

Then Susan came and off we went to Bethie's.  Now--I didn't ask Bethie's permission to put these photos in this blog.  I hope it is all right.  This is a private blog, so no one knows her or where she lives to invade her privacy.  If it isn't all right Beth, please tell me and I will delete them.

Beth has a beautiful home, down a gravel road, up a private gravel road, up a steep drive.  I have loved her home forever!!!  It is on the east side of what used to be a ski club and in earlier years, we'd sit in her living room and watch the skiers.  Now, the ski club no longer exists and someone REALLY rich bought the property and put their house on top of the hill.  BUT--Beth's is a lot nicer!!

Beth put this terrace in all by herself--yes, she was in her forties, but

still a big job!!  It is covered with Myrtle and other ground covers and four hundred million Lilies of the Valley.

Down the drive we walked to meet "Audrey"--a life size doll made by a friend.

I am standing on a small hill--that is why I look so tall--honest!!

(Both Beth and Susan are like 5'2" shrimps.)

One of the walkways into the garden off the drive.

Of course, her lilies are going by also--it's that time of year.

Beth has 36 different varieties of Hosta and a lot of shade loving plants.

It was so funny, we came across a plant, blooms gone, so just looking at the leaves and Beth said, "This is a.........oh I will remember in a few minutes. and then Susan said, "Oh I know, it's ah---starts with an "L", right?"  None of  us could remember.  Finally about 10 minutes later, I yelled, "Astilbe!"  "Yes--tha'st it!  Doesn't start with an "L" does it!" Susan said.  Beth and I are 74 and Susan is only 61 and yet, not a one of could remember that dang name!!  She also has many Lenten Rose plants--lots of plant starters she can give Susan for her new garden.

I love fungi--thought this was a frog at first!!!

...another plant that I loved the leaf on--can't remember what it

was called.  Beth told us--I have forgotten already!!

Back up in the tree tops on their gazebo front porch.

Bethie is holding a Chihuahua they are fostering.

Lovable little dog that has kennel cough.

Not enough pictures taken to show Beth's gorgeous garden and yard.  So many plants I can't remember--lots of woodland plants and shade loving plants and on the other side of her drive, is a stone wall just covered in Lavender, Thyme, Yucca Lilies, ground cover.  Her place is so quiet and peaceful and lush and beautiful!!!  We had a wonderful visit!!

When we got back, I had Susan pick the sun catcher she wanted--she only took one and the one she took was one like my favorite one--kind of bumpy--she likes bumpy too.

The one between the multi-colored one and the pinkish one.

I had the most fantastic day I have had since my birthday!!!!  

Thank you so much Beth and I know we will see you again soon when Susan is ready to transplant some of your generosity in her new garden.

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So tonight, I had one of my salad's--not one I will buy again.  A Cobb Salad--it had crumbled bleu cheese, that I scraped off into the garbage pail and some slices of slimy Avocado--YUCK--that went the same place the cheese went.  The rest of it was okay--not great--but okay.  Then I had a blue berry muffin that neighbor Tami brought over--made from berries off some bushes she has planted behind her shed--it was yummy.

Then--I looked out my computer room windows and OHMYGOSH--there was Dar getting out of a 2010 silver Mazda!!!  Her Dad was with her. Sure enough--just like I told her 2 months ago, Daddy was going to buy her a car and--he did!!!  Pearl and I have wondered why he didn't because he is a millionaire and has moved here from Arizona, to live with Dar's youngest brother.  So I ran over and jumped around and squealed with her a bit and got to meet her Dad--who is 92, and her brother and SIL. I thanked her Dad and told him he had done the whole neighborhood a favor--which Dar laughed about and then I said, "Now--you owe me a ride in this new car!!!"  

So after they all left, she pulled up to the end of my drive, I jumped in her car and she drove up and down the streets here in the park.  She hasn't driven for two years and hasn't driven on the expressway for 14 years, so.....she was practicing tonight.  It was actually fun watching her as she put on her blinker light, which caused her window wipers to come on--then pulled the other lever, which caused her washer fluid to come out.  We laughed so hard.  Now--she can go and get her own damn Bigby Coffee, cigarettes, groceries--whatever!!!  No--I shouldn't have said that.  I really am happy for her. 

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So--kids--tomorrow is THE DAY!!!  I will take pictures along the way and "talk" to you as I go about the steps to drain and flush the water heater.  I know if I pretend I am talking to you--like perhaps giving a demonstration, I will be okay.  YIKES!!!

If I live through it, I will post the pix and the commentary.  

Aimlessly Wandering Around

Today's high temperature was: 68 degrees

Today's humidity was:  43%

Sunny and a nice NW breeze
Blissful

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I gotta tell ya, when I woke up this morning--it was cold in here!  56 degrees outside, with a northerly breeze coming in and 68 degrees inside.  I had to put on my jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt.

I appears that I am not going to drain and flush the water heater until Friday, LOL.  I was the hose in place on the back porch--went out and measured it this morning and cut it to length.  I don't need the hose and I certainly do not need a 75' hose.

A few weeks ago, my sister expressed a desire to visit Beth.  Bethie gave her a beautiful, old dough box for a house warming gift and Susan has it in her home and loves it.  Of course, Susan has known Beth all her life, as Beth was at our house from time to time.  In fact, I have a cute movie of Beth swinging, like a monkey, from the top of Susan's swing set.

So I e-mailed Beth to see when she had a free day.  She is busier then either of Susan and I.  We finally got a day--2 days set.  Today was the day--if something urgent came up, we'd go tomorrow.  Susan was to come here and we would go on up together, to Beth's.  I expected Susan around 1:30.

I took a shower and changed into clean clothes and set down at 1:00 to watch my Soap and wait for Susie Q.

At 1:45 I called her cell phone to see if she was near.  It went right to voice mail.  I called Beth, who was out walking the dog, and told her husband to please tell her we were going to be late.

At 2:00, I called Susan again--getting a bit worried.  I knew, if she were driving, she wouldn't answer her phone.  It went to voice mail.

At 2:30--I was getting into a tiny bit of a panic, so I called Chuck, Susan's husband.  This is the conversation:

Chuck:  "Hallo"

Me:  "Where are you and watcha doing?"

"I'm sitting at the dining room table, playing cards with Jim and Jerri.  Why?"

"Is Susan there?"

"Yeah.  She heard her phone ring and she is running around trying to find it."
        Just then I heard a deep voice in the back ground, Jim: "Tell Judy she's disturbing our card game!"
Chuck:  "Just a minute....."

Susan: "Hello--what's up?"

"We were suppose to be at Beth's at 2:00."

"Tomorrow.  Right?"

"No.  Today--Wednesday.  Remember you said we'd shoot for Wednesday.  You said you put it on your calendar."

"OH MY GOSH--I put it on my calendar all right.  I put it down for Thursday!"

    Hm-mm--senior moment and she is only sixty-one!

"Okay then.  Can we still go...tomorrow?"

"Sure.  Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Okay--See ya tomorrow."

Then I called Beth back and told her what had happened.  She said, "That's fine.  The house won't be any cleaner or dirtier tomorrow then it is today."

GOOD GRIEF!!!  These kinds of things drive me crazy--but--ACCEPTANCE OF THINGS WE CANNOT CHANGE!!!

So, I got my jeans and old shirt back on.  Sat down and programmed names and numbers into my new cheap phone.  Then went outside to check my veggies and took a walk.  Walked down to the corner, stopped and chatted with a neighbor.  Started walking back, stopped and talked to another neighbor about her beautiful garden---stopped and talked to Pearl who was sitting at her outside table--Tami came over, talked for a bit, then she walked home with me--to look at the hummingbird's nest and finally got back inside.  Took an hour to do all that--real nice.

I just felt aimless the rest of the day.  I had a plan.  The plan fell through.  Now what to do, what to do?

My sorry little veggie garden.  Next year--Zinnias! 

I am going to let sister take some of the sun catchers, if she wants them.

I am going to keep my favorite one--the first one--the bumpy one.

Twisting and turning in evening sun

Buddy has taken to napping between the TV stand and the table

So today, I took one of my Ever Comfy cushions that did not

hold up well for me and put it back there for him.

He napped all afternoon on it--of course, knowing cats,

next week he will never go there and find another place to sneak a nap.

Hopefully lil' sis remembers tomorrow morning that we have a date.  Should be a good day AND--another excuse not to have to worry about the water heater maintenance!!!. LOL

Messing Around

Today's high temperature was:  78 degrees

Today's humidity was:  77%

Periods of rain, sun, rain, sun--breezy
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I had to postpone the water heater project today as it kept raining off and on.  I didn't want to get into having to haul in the hose and then run out and see if the water was flowing, then back in the house, while is was storming--so I am shooting for Thursday, which is suppose to be fairly cool and sunny.

I didn't get to sleep last night until almost 3:00 a.m.  Oh--I got to sleep right away, but then a dream woke me in an hour, so.........When my alarm went off, I must have hit some other buttons before I found the off button because when I woke up at 9:15, my clock said 2:15.  Kind of scared me--I thought I had slept until afternoon!!!

Then my brain woke up and I went into the kitchen and found I was all right, LOL.  GEEZ!!  Most mornings, when I first wake up, it's like I have amnesia.  I don't remember what day it is.  I don't remember even going to bed the night before.  Very weird feeling.  It only takes a minute to get aware--but for those 60 seconds, I am very confused.

Watched as a storm came through around noon--hard, hard rain--very little thunder.  I loved it--hoping it will take the humidity with it as it heads east.  The humidity was still 77%, so we better have more storms!

Got to see the presentation of the Royal Baby Boy--precious.  I thought it was nice that Kate didn't wear a tent dress--she wore a normal maternity dress, belted and it showed her pudgy tummy--just like a "normal" new Mommy.  She is so down to earth.  I pray God's blessing on that little boy forever!


Then, off to the Rich People's store for my weekly food.

Macaroni and Tuna salad, Crab salad, watermelon.

Shrimp (it was on sale), Chef's and Roman Caesar salad.

Antipasto and Cobb salad.

At least nine suppers for $36.00

Huh?  

Cake?  

Where?  

Oh---yes, a yellow loaf cake with white icing.  I have an inch of cake every night.  

Got home and another rain storm came through.

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I have to tell you guys about a weird dream I had last night.  Most dreams are weird, aren't they?

I knew I was sleeping and I heard a very loud noise.  I opened my eyes and all I saw was bright sun--it hurt my eyes.  I heard singing and I sat up and.....I was in a casket.  I turned to look and there was my Mother--dressed in her blue suit and white and blue blouse she was buried in--she looked about thirty years old, which I thought was strange because I know she didn't get that suit until she was forty-eight for their 25th anniversary.  Then I leaned forward a bit and there was Daddy, my grandma and grandpa, and my great grandparents and two other people I didn't recognize, but I knew were my great, great grandparents.

We all stood up on the ground--didn't climb up, just stood and we were on the grass.  We were all smiling and happy and hugging each other.  I quickly turned to see Fred, but he wasn't there.  His grave hadn't opened either.  I felt really sad and then all sorts of loud noises and loud singing started and I could feel something trying to pull me upward--I was scared and....I woke up, sweating.

I was kind of shaking and my heart was beating kind of fast---I got up and went to the bathroom and then to the refrigerator to get some ice water.  I sat down and noticed it was raining really hard and thundering a bit--no doubt why I heard the noise?

When I went back to bed, I laid there and tried to figure the dream out.  Did I think it was Jesus coming?  Why wouldn't Fred be there--he was much more spiritual then my Daddy.  Maybe I was concerned because Fred was cremated and I couldn't figure out how God was going to "put him back together"?  

Weird and strange for sure.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, a really loud BEEP sounded.  I just about levitated off the bed!!!  It sounded like the smoke alarm, but it only beeped once.   I got up and walked out into the kitchen again, but I didn't hear it anymore.  So--back to bed.  No wonder I didn't get to sleep until 3:00!!!

I heard it this morning and figured out it was the carbon monoxide monitor.  So I ripped it open and changed the batteries.  When I put the last battery in, the dang thing BEEPED again and startled me so I threw the thing.  I hope it still works, LOL.

Dar came home from hospital and came right over to all the gory details of what she went through during her 3 day stay.  Apparently she had a bowel blockage, OR it might be pancreatitis, OR it might be something wrong with her liver, OR maybe it was diverticulitis.....who knows.

She remembers all of it, but...she doesn't remember calling me at 6:00 on Sunday night.  She didn't believe me when I told her, so I got my phone and went through the recent calls and...there was her cell phone number and the date and time.  She really looked concerned.

"Why don't I remember that?"

"They probably had you on some strong pain killers."

"Oh.  No.  I am allergic to everything.  They can't give me anything or my heart goes into rapid beats."

"Well--they had you on Ativan and that may have clouded your memory."

"Oh.  No.  I can't take anything like that.  Why do you think they gave it to me?"

"Because, when your sister-in-law stopped in to tell me you were in hospital, I asked her how you were doing emotionally and she said, "Better, once they have her twenty milligrams of Ativan."

"Well, I never took any pills."

"No--they put it in your IV line."

"I know that I started feeling calmer after about an hour.  I thought it was God calming me down."

"It might have been--with a little help from the Ativan," ha ha.
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The cold front came through!!  So cool and breezy out--61 degrees, I opened up the windows--breeze coming from the North-West and it was so chilly feeling, I changed into my jeans and a pair of sockies!!  Love it!!

I decided to mess around a bit more tonight--seeings as how it was cool--didn't need to worry about heating up the kitchen with the oven.

When I was done, I got a paper bag out of the closet, put the remaining beads and both pans in the bag, the copper wire, along with the directions I posted yesterday on how to make them.  I am giving them to my sister tomorrow, and she can make these when her grand girls come to visit for the weekend.  I AM DONE!!!