Scrapping out a full brine tank

[WmRMeyers]

Looks like a positively delightful job. Ever replace an old water heater? It's like the Devil himself took a dump in the bottom of those things. There's a reason why you're supposed to cook with water from the cold water tap.

You're also supposed to flush the bottom of the water heater every spring. When the 50gallon water heater that was in the house when I bought it in 1996 finally died in 2009 or 10, there was no grunge in the bottom. And the cooking with cold water is because the hot water leaches lead out of the old soldered pipes, or so I was told long, long ago, and far, far away. There is at least one advantage to plastic pipe, I guess.

When the cheapy 20gallon heater failed in 2017, I put in the cheapest tankless water heater I could find. It's flaking out now, but didn't get all the maintenance it was supposed to get. I have some medical expenses we put on a credit card to take care of before I can replace it, so we reset the computer a few times a day, and have gotten used to the water temp fluctuating, despite very good flow. I'm not as skinny as I was when that thing went in, either. Makes it tougher to work on it.

I believe I'll be having the new one install by someone else if I can't fix this one...

Something about biting bullets and reaching for wallets.

Bill