Extend the life of your gas water heater

IF SEDIMENT, water scale, or bits of anode fall to the bottom of a water heater’s tank, they’ll inhibit the burner’s effectiveness, and the parts of the tank they cover won’t be protected by the anode and will eventually rust through. You can prevent this with a modified dip tube, which directs incoming cold water to the bottom of the tank. Dip tubes usually point straight down, but a tube with a 45-degree bend in the last 15 cm will cause the water to swirl, never letting sediment rest in the same place.

You can buy a pre-bent tube or just bend the tube you already have: Disconnect the power and cold water, drain the heater, and remove the tube. Use a heat gun to warm a section 15 cm from the end of the pipe until it’s flexible enough to add the bend yourself. Once it sets, thread the angled tube through the top and reattach the power and water.

HOT WATER ( OUT) COLD WATER ( I N) MODIFIED DIP TUBE