Electric water heater making whistling noise like tea kettle (hot water heater, plumber, standard)

[Tiger500]

My electric water heater is less than 6 mos old. The last couple days the hot water heater makes a whistling noise like a hot tea kettle. It only makes the noise when we use hot water. Any clue what the issue is.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Since your “water heater” is only 6 months old, I’d just use it. I’d turn off the “hot water heater”- then the whistle will go away. Never understood the reason to heat hot water…

[mojo101]

if it is less than 6 months old,it should be under warranty,have you called the manufacturer or go online to its site.

[harry chickpea]

Most likely? Valve. Try closing all the valves near it and then re-opening them all the way.

If that doesn't work, take a metal rod or something similar to use as a stethoscope to determine exactly where the vibration is loudest.

[don6170]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Most likely? Valve. Try closing all the valves near it and then re-opening them all the way.

Had an old plumber one time tell me, for water lines to open the valves all the way, then turn them back 1/4 turn. He said it helped them from sticking in the fully open position when you later tried to close. May have just been an old wives tale ?

[K'ledgeBldr]

Originally Posted by don6170

Had an old plumber one time tell me, for water lines to open the valves all the way, then turn them back 1/4 turn. He said it helped them from sticking in the fully open position when you later tried to close. May have just been an old wives tale ?

No; not an “old wife’s tale”. But, it applies to a certain type of valve- the old standard “gate valve”. By turning back the valve a hair, you’re taking the stress off the threads of the stem.

However, most plumbers are distancing themselves from those old hate valves and are using 1/4-turn ball valves today.