Stan in Oly, WA
Well-known Member
For a few months now, I have been hearing a particular sound from the next room sometimes when I am running hot water in the kitchen sink. The sound is like a cabinet door bumping shut quietly, like it might do if it had been left open just enough that a self closing hinge could not quite shut it until a vibration or an air movement provided an additional push. This sound has been happening for a long time without it registering on me where it was coming from because the gas water heater is located next to the kitchen in a utility room that has large cabinet type doors directly over a small dog door so there is frequent air movement in that room.
I have tried unsuccessfully to track down the exact location of the noise, having my wife turn the hot water on and off while I observed the water heater, but the event is intermittent. I haven't been able to discover a specific pattern to the circumstances yet. I'm reasonably, but not totally, certain that the noise is coming from inside the water heater. There is nothing loose on it or near it that would account for the noise. A few nights ago when my wife was cleaning the bathtub, I could hear the noise every time she would turn on the hot water, but it stopped happening before I was able to coordinate a test with her.
Anybody ever heard of this? I've had a lot of experience with electric water heaters, much less with gas ones. I view unexplained changes in the performance of any piece of equipment with great unease.
Stan
I have tried unsuccessfully to track down the exact location of the noise, having my wife turn the hot water on and off while I observed the water heater, but the event is intermittent. I haven't been able to discover a specific pattern to the circumstances yet. I'm reasonably, but not totally, certain that the noise is coming from inside the water heater. There is nothing loose on it or near it that would account for the noise. A few nights ago when my wife was cleaning the bathtub, I could hear the noise every time she would turn on the hot water, but it stopped happening before I was able to coordinate a test with her.
Anybody ever heard of this? I've had a lot of experience with electric water heaters, much less with gas ones. I view unexplained changes in the performance of any piece of equipment with great unease.
Stan