A new water heater should have a recovery time in the 1-2 hour range. If it's taking 12 hours to heat 40-50 gallons of water, there is something wrong.
While these sounds can be scary and seem like serious issues, the cause is usually quite benign. Most often, a loud sound coming from your pipes is caused by trapped air. By turning off your main water supply and running all faucets for 10-15 minutes, you force any trapped air through your water pipes.
you can bleed the air by opening the faucet furthest from the water heater in a ranch style home and let the HW run for about 5 minutes. If you have a two story home open the faucet on second floor and let it run for 5 minutes this should take care of it.
Leave the faucets and taps open and turn on the main water supply. Allow the water to flow through the faucets for 10-15 minutes, listening for a steady hum with no odd noises. Once you see a steady stream and don't hear any strange sounds coming from the pipes, turn the faucets off.
In worse cases, the air pressure can cause water to shoot from the faucets. This trapped air can even cause loud thumping sounds when the water is turned on. To remove the air as well as get rid of any noises, you should know how to bleed plumbing pipes.
When turning the water back on to your house, you must be careful not to let air and water rush back into the pipes too quickly. You should turn the water back on slowly. Open one or two faucets before turning the water back on, then incrementally restore water until you see it freely flowing out of the open fixture.
That hydrogen builds up inside your water heater and is released when you use the hot water, causing some air in the hot water lines.
A properly and professionally installed gas hot water heater will provide hot water most quickly. An average 40-gallon heater will only take about 30 to 40 minutes to provide heat water, while you can expect hot water from a larger tank (80-gallons) in approximately 60 to 70 minutes.
Open each hot water faucet slowly to allow the air to vent from the Water Heater and piping. A steady flow of water from the hot water faucet(s) indicates a full Water Heater.
Overall, a typical hot water tank should take no more than 30 minutes to refill completely from empty.
Corroded Anode Rod
As you drain the water heater, rust particles can mix with the water, leading to brown discoloration. Replacing the anode rod periodically can help prevent this issue and extend the life of your water heater.
For example, the average recovery time for an 80-gallon tank with an incoming water temperature of 62 degrees is: 60-70 minutes (for a gas tank water heater). 120 minutes (for an electric tank water heater).
Overall, it's best that you take heed and drip your faucets when temperatures dip below freezing. A simple trickle of hot and/or cold water—both from faucets inside and outside the home—can prevent you from having to deal with a much larger issue (and bill!) in the long run.
The main line immediately leads to water ready for cold water use. There's an additional step for hot water. It's where the water supply leads to the water heater, leading to water taps, showers, and other hot-water appliances in the house.
You'll notice the cold water is running smoothly but the hot water is flowing sporadically. The water sputters out even when you've opened it all the way. The air lock in pipes problem mainly occurs in hot water bath tabs. You'll notice the cold water is running smoothly but the hot water is flowing sporadically.
Chances are, it's air traveling around and out of your plumbing. Look at Water Quality – If your hot water is cloudy and sputtering, it's likely another sign that air bubbles have entered your plumbing. Inspect for Leaks – It's also possible that a slow leak is affecting the water pressure.
The initial discharge of water may carry sediment, dust, or air pockets that collected in the lines during the installation process. Allow the water to run until it flows clear and free of any air bubbles. This process should take around 5 to 10 minutes.
Begin the flushing procedure by opening the hot water taps in your bathroom(s). Open ALL hot water sink fixtures, hot water bathtub or shower fixtures. Next, open all other hot water fixtures, such as in kitchens, wet bars, etc. Run all of these hot water fixtures for 15 minutes, then shut the water off.