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Originally Posted by omega50
Still confused about tank failures. Often hear that tanks are glass lined. If true then how does glass corrode? Does it fracture and leak. Or is enamel and chip like my canner? 
If sediments increase failure rates is it because temps get artifically high trapped under the scale and above the burner? |
The enamel will crack and sometimes not adhere well initially due to welding slag or such. As they're subject to varying pressure and the occasional on/off with the water supply that can also affect the enamel, sometimes you can hear a pinging noise when restoring water pressure. The enamel lining is much like enamel campware and all that entails; some sticks well, sometimes you get one with a flaw.
You can tell there is a scale accumulation if you hear a rumbling sound when its firing, that's the water in the sediment coming to a boil but then rapidly cooling when it hits the other water above. This phenomenon is why the scale generally stays 'flaky' or sand like, it can't stay stuck because it eventually gets loosened by that super-brief boiling before mixing with the water above.