New Water Heater Yellow Water [2 Easy Fix]

A new water heater is unlikely to have a corroded tank or worn anode rod which can cause water to be yellow. So, the most likely reason why yellow water is coming out of your new water heater is the excess sediments in the storage tank. It could also be that your galvanized pipes have gotten rusty.

Keep on reading to know all about the new water heater yellow water troubleshooting and fix it ASAP.

New Water Heater Yellow Water [2 Reasons]

Reason 1: Sediments accumulated at the tank’s bottom can cause yellow water. After about a year of use, you’re likely to have some iron sediments at the bottom.

Reason 2: When your water pipes have gone rusty, yellow water will come out of your faucets and showers. So, this is another possible reason why you have yellow water. 

Note: It needs to mention both these reasons are also the culprits behind your hot water being yellow. So, the guide below will be an effective solution while you are struggling with the yellow hot water issue.

How To Fix Yellow Water on New Water Heater

Depending on the cause, flushing your water heater or replacing galvanized pipes with copper or plastic pipes should stop yellow water from coming out of your heater. 

Try flushing your filter first and see if that fixes the issue. You can do that on your own by following our instructions below. 

Unfortunately, when flushing doesn’t work, most likely the pipes are the issue. For replacing the pipes, contact a licensed plumber and they’ll take care of the rest.

Why Flush Your Water Heater?

Flushing your water heater is really important to do about once a year because sediment can build up inside your water heater. The sediments eventually turn into big deposits, a solid concrete mass at the bottom of your tank. 

This reduces the efficiency of your tank and shortens the life of the tank eating right through the middle of the tank. Before you know it, your tank could start leaking and it’s an emergency middle of the night replacing a water heater situation. 

How To Flush Your Water Heater?

Flushing your water heater is a pretty simple process. So, let’s take a look at how to do it. 

• Turn off our heat source. This applies to both gas and electric heater. 
• For an electric heater, find the breaker where your water heater is plugged in and flip the breaker or simply unplug the water heater from the wall for gas. 
• For a gas water heater, the simplest thing to do is changing the temperature setting, down to either pilot or vacation mode. Forgetting to do this can ruin your tank because that burner will turn on. Then it will heat the empty tank which can melt the metal and cause your tank to fail. 
• Locate your cold water supply valve and turn it to the off position. Usually, it is at the top of the tank. This simple ball valve only needs to be rotated to turn it off. It’s just a simple ball valve that you rotate. 
• There is a drain spigot at the bottom of your water heater. Connect a garden hose to it. You want to put it on nice and snug but don’t overtighten it as you can damage the threads.
• You need to allow some air to get into the system. To do that, open up a faucet, anywhere in the house on the hot water side only. This will allow air to travel in from the faucet. 
• Open the drainage valve. It may only take a quarter turn. 
• When you open these valves if you don’t hear any water flowing or air being sucked into the system, then you might have a Backflow Preventer valve installed somewhere in your plumbing. As a result, opening a faucet is not enough to be able to let air into the system so that this can drain properly. 
• Instead of a faucet open, we’re going to use our pressure relief valve to allow the air to get into the tank. Hot water will start coming out and you should check to see if it is cloudy.
• After the tank is completely drained. Open the water inlet valve for a few seconds before closing it again. Let the water drain. Do this till the water coming out looks clean to you.
• You could go the extra mile and shut the drainage valve and pressure valve. Then fill the tank back up before draining it as you did the first time.
• This should ensure it’s completely cleaned out. 
• After that fill the tank back up for regular use. And it’s all to solve your water heater problems with yellow water.

FAQ

Can I get tetanus from rusty water?

Ans: You won’t get tetanus from drinking rusty water. 

How long does a tankless water heater last?

Ans: That depends on how well you are maintaining your water heater. It could last up to 10-15 years if used well.

Can I use CLR to flush my tankless water heater?

Ans: you can mix CLR and vinegar to flush a tankless water heater. One cap per gallon of white vinegar is good to go with.

Does an instant hot water device need a dedicated circuit?

Ans: Yes, typically a tankless water heater requires a dedicated circuit.

How much does it cost to service a tankless water heater?

Ans: It could cost anywhere between $150-800 to service a tankless water heater.

Conclusion

Hopefully, our guide on troubleshooting the new heater yellow water issue has helped you. It is much better for your wallet that you prevent these situations by maintaining your heater well than fixing it later.

Leave us a comment below in case you have any other queries. We’ll love to help you out.