Question : GE electric smart water heater hot water trickle?
Model: PE 40T9CB00. It was bought from Home Depot Canada few year ago under a 9 year warranty. After two years the hot water flow reduced to a trickle.
The culprit was a plastic insert in the hot water outflow adapter. This was apparently used to void the need to sealer during the home installation. Heat destroyed the insert and formed a sieve in the adapter. After taking apart and cleaning the connection normal water flow was restored. Now, two years later the same problem surfaced.
Technical support from Virginia, US recommended drain the tank 2x a year for sediments. (It supposed to be self-cleaning) Change the anode connectors (?).I have the impression they do not know what they are talking about and they do not care.
Anybody has any bad experience with this heater?
Any idea what could be the problem?
virginia home warranty

Best answer:

Answer by HVAC Man
Draing your water heater twice a year is a truthful answer, especially if you have hard water. Basically all the crap that is in your water will sink to the bottom of the water heater, build up and eventually start to take out your heating elements.

For the self cleaning part, I guess I have never heard of such a thing, nor do I know how it would even work.

Problem you may have now is, if the tank is filled with sediments it may be very hard to get it all to come out. It usually builds up inside, and can be tough to get it all out.

Without knowing much about that particular water heater I dont see how the anode connectors could make the water flow to go to a trickle.

Any your probably right. Usually tech support people don’t have the slightest clue on what they are talking about, nor do they care if you have hot water. They usually have a book in front of them, they look for your problem in the book, and give you whatever answer is printed, and they always seem to think that should fix the problem when it does not.

Good Luck.