Does the model 44 have heaters in it

Usually nothing to worry about. Sometimes sediment in the bottom of the tank will cause small air pocket to form and pop. The cure is to drain and flush the tank.

Here is a pic on how to do it. And a link to the AO website manual

large water heater, turn p the themo stat to a higher setting ( watch for burns with young childern and older folks)

or the best install a tempering valve. this valve mixs hot water with cold water before it goes into the building.

Again if you have young ones or old people they can burn faster than any other group.the best is a larger heater for the DIY person.

Thanks Tom

Your tank is rusted out and needs to be replaced.
Link below is a troubleshoot for leaking water heater.
http://waterheatertimer.org/Leaking-water-heater.html

Protect yourself first:
If your tank is rusted, there is danger of rupture.
My friend welded his leaking tank, but he assumes the risk.
Ruptured tank can cause massive damage and water runs until it is shut off.

Hot water tank is under pressure because hot water expands and pushes against tank wall.
Turn off water to tank.
Turn off power supply:
Electric: turn off circuit breaker.
Gas: rotate knob to pilot so pilot stays lit but burner will not fire. To turn back on, rotate knob to ON.
Open hot side bathtub valve and relieve pressure on tank.

You can limp by with rusted tank by turning water heater on when hot water is needed.
Shower uses 5-9 gallons hot water
Bath uses 12-15 gallon hot water
Ordinary gas heater makes 41 gallons hot water per hour
Ordinary electric heater makes 20 gallons hot water per hour.

I buy water heaters at Lowes, Home Depot, Ace.
Look for scratch and dent models.
Buy drip pan for water heater.
Wrap electric heater totally with insulation except TP valve.
Buy new flexible connectors for water lines.
Offer 15% less than marked price on tank, because the store makes money on additional items.

> Most people can install their own electric heater since you just connect water pipes and electric wire, and it's done. Read link below since there are tips that help you buy and install electric.
> Generally people are nervous about installing gas water heater, so step-by-step instructions are shown on link below. Remember gas line is under less pressure than water line, so if you can install a water pipe, you can install gas line to water heater with crescent wrench, and soapy water to check for leaks.
How to install gas water heater:
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-gas-water-heater.html

Add a comment for more free help.
Also take advantage of fixya phone service.
For a price, fixya expert speaks with you over phone while you work on water heater, or any do-it-yourself project.

A leaking water heater cannot be repaired, assuming it's the tank leaking and not nearby water pipe.
http://waterheatertimer.org/Water-heater-leaking.html

First thing is to protect your property from catastrophic tank failure where tank ruptures and water runs until it is shut off:
Tanks are under pressure when they are hot.
Close cold water shut-off located above tank.
Turn control knob to 'pilot' so pilot is lit but burner will not turn on.
Open hot side on tub for few moments to relieve tank pressure.

Now your property is safe.
You need a new water heater.
In mean time, gas water heater makes 41 gallons hot water per hour.
Shower used 5-9 gallons hot water.
Bath uses 10-15 gallons hot water.
You can turn on water heater for short stretches and limp by until you get a new heater.

Steps for installing gas water heater:
http://waterheatertimer.org/How-to-install-gas-water-heater.html

1) Your water heater needs to be replaced.
It cannot be repaired.
Tanks rust out after anode rod is depleted unless anode is inspected and replaced 1-3 years.
Water softener causes anode to deplete quicker, so inspect every 2 years.
Also stray household current can cause tank to rust out. Put bare copper ground wire between hot and cold pipes on new heater.

2) First thing is protect yourself from tank rupture where water heater bursts open and water runs until it's shut off. Ruptured tanks are big topic in homeowner insurance industry today because they cause major damage inside house.

- Turn off heat source so tank is not under pressure:
Gas: Rotate dial to pilot so pilot light stays lit, but burner does not turn on
Electric: turn off circuit breaker

- Turn off water going into tank using shut off above tank.
- Open hot side to bathtub to relieve pressure from tank.
- Check label on side of tank to get tank specifications for replacement.

3) What to do until replacement.
You can get by for a while on leaking tank by turning it ON only when needed.
Make sure tank is full of water before turning heat source back on.
This will buy time until replacement.
Electric tank heats 21 gallons water per hour.
Gas water heater 41 gallons per hour
Shower uses 6-9 gallons hot water, bath uses 12-15 gallon hot water.

4) Additional reading so next tank lasts longer
http://waterheatertimer.org/Replace-anode-rod.html

http://waterheatertimer.org/9-ways-to-save-with-water-heater.html

http://waterheatertimer.org/Water-at-bottom-of-water-heater.html

Rule of thumb is that you have 100,000 btu's per gallon of propane. This only translates into the length of time you have available in a tank of gas. The problem arises when you consume too much too fast. The gas can't produce enough vapor to continuously run and becomes dormant which is commonly known as "freezing up". You can use a typical (20 lb.)5 gallon propane tank (barbacue size), but it will more than likely freeze up in 2 - 3 hours of continous use. I'd suggest going to the next larger size a 30 lb. or 7.5 gallon size. The best way to work this system is to have two 5 gal. tanks so you can switch one out when it freezes and let it thaw while your using the spare.

Paragon 8145-20 is a 240V defrost timer
It is probably not best choice for water heater timer
Timer initiates defrost cycles each 4 hours.

A water heater timer should have more scheduling options.
-For example estimates show average run-time for water heater is 3 hours per day, depending on incoming water temperature, thermostat setting, and number of gallons used.
-To save money using water heater timer, you have to schedule times carefully so water heater runs less than 3 hours per day.
-Now your average electric water heater heats about 20 gallons per hour.
-Average shower uses 4-9 gallons hot water, so water heater needs to run 15-30 minutes (15 summer, 30 winter)
-Average bath uses 12-15 gallons hot water so water heater runs 45-60 minutes
-But lets say you run water heater for 1 hour and make 20 gallons of hot water. Then you take a shower, expecting hot water to remain in tank.
-Here's the problem ... cold water entered the tank to replace the shower water ... and the new cold water is cooling the rest of the tank.
-So a timer means scheduling hot water to match shower and bath events. For example taking shower and bath in immediate succession.
-Or set the timer for each individual hot water event ... for example set timer for 1/2 hour for shower, and later timer turns on 1 hour for bath, or 1-1/2 hr for 2 baths, etc
-> The flexible programming described above is not a characteristic of defrost timers.
I suggest Intermatic WH-31 240V or Intermatic T-104 240V or GE 15207. These are mechanical repeat-24 hour timers with manual override where each day has same schedule.
Digital programmable timers like Intermatic EH40 offer 7-day, 40 event programming. Weekends and weekdays can be different.
To see several box-type timers:
http://waterheatertimer.org/Boxtype.html

you may need to clean out your hot water heater depending on how old it is and yes 80 gal should be more than big enough adj. thermostat to the next level

the hot water tank may be filled with scale buildup on the inside. drain a few gallons out of tank until the water runs clear. it is best to drain out water heater at least 2 times a year.

HI. propane has 91000 btu's per gallon. 20# bottle has 4. divide btu's of heater by #of gallons for hours of use. I have the same heater and I think the med. setting both burners on is more the 7000 btu's.
Mike