I did drain the sediment a month or two ago and that seemed to resolve the problem for a short while, but it came right back.
I'm in NY and the water here is very soft. I've never heard any noises from the wh.
My 6.5 year-old gas hot water heater (50 gallon A.O. Smith) has started running out of hot water after 15 minutes or so. A plumber told me it was probably a bad dip tube and it would be better to replace the whole hot water heater, rather than repair it.
Does this sound like an accurate...