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I have VERY hard water. I replace the lower element and suck out/flush the bottom of the tank at least twice a year. I have very low HOT water pressure. Cold pressure is fine. I took the hot water line loose and ran a wire inside the hot-water-out tube inside the tank. It appears to be clear. However, when I tried on the cold water inlet tube, the wire only went a short distance. Can the cold inlet tube be clogged/restricted? Is there a filter or coil that I am hitting? Suggestions/recommendations?

Country Wife
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    One of a variety of anti-scale options would be a lot less hassle (and probably less cost) than replacing elements every 6 months. – Ecnerwal Apr 01 '22 at 02:33
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    Are you sure the WH is connected correctly? IE: The cold in def needs to be connected to the cold water supply. There is something called a "dip tube" that directs the cold water to the bottom of the tank. When you probed the connections, did the cold side probe to near the bottom of the tank? – George Anderson Apr 01 '22 at 03:14
  • There might be a heat trap, but usually those are on both sides. See https://www.waterheaterhub.com/water-heater-heat-traps/ for a picture. – Ecnerwal Apr 01 '22 at 03:50
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    Open the safety valve on the heater and let it drain. At first, there will be a burst of high pressure water, because as water heats, pressure increases. If this doesn't happen, your safety valve is busted or clogged. Then after a few seconds, the flow out of the safety valve will be the same as the flow of cold water coming inside the sink from the cold water pipes. If this flow looks wimpy, it could indeed mean the cold water inlet could be clogged by scale. It's a way to check without disassembling anything. – bobflux Apr 01 '22 at 09:47
  • It sounds like a water softener would be a worthwhile investment! If not in absolute cost, at least in the reduction of the hassle and problems. – FreeMan Apr 01 '22 at 16:19
  • Can you remove the dip tube and check it? I would suggest putting a filter on your inlet, it will catch a lot of what is appearing in your tank. – Gil Apr 01 '22 at 17:39

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