How To Drain And Clean Water Heater

Do I Need to Flush My Hot Water Heater? Absolutely!

No mod convenience is more than lavish than a long, hot shower. But while you lot're relaxing under the spray, do you ever consider its source? Do you know that if your water heater hasn't been well maintained, mineral deposits like rust may take built upward inside it? They might only brand that long soak less enjoyable than you were hoping for.

Your h2o heater is i of those appliances that's comparatively simple and piece of cake to have for granted. Later on all, it's out of sight, out of mind, and tin can perform its task for years on end without any maintenance at all. You might only recollect of it when something goes amiss.

Truth is, like most appliances, h2o heaters require regular maintenance to maximize free energy efficiency and extend the unit's lifespan. A neglected h2o heater merely might continue the hot water flowing for a few years only volition slowly but surely trigger college utility bills. Eventually, the unit volition neglect altogether.

The best way to safeguard your investment is to have your water heater serviced once a twelvemonth by a licensed professional person plumber. A good plumber will perform a complete inspection for rust, leaks, and other problems, test the thermostat and valves, supplant the anode rod to end corrosion and, finally, flush the tank.

But this concluding chore– flushing the tank – is one you just may want to carry out yourself as often every bit every couple of months, depending on the mineral content of your local water supply. Learning how to flush a water heater on your own tin can salve you lot a lot of money over time. And it'due south really not that difficult.

Why should I affluent my water tank periodically?

Flushing out the lime and other sediments in the h2o heater tank regularly increases the heater's efficiency and lifecycle In neglected heaters, sediment tin pile up and lapidify, making it hard to remove. This tin can go and then bad at times that the entire water heating unit may need to be replaced. But if y'all affluent your tank regularly, you lot tin can forbid sediment from causing these types of problems.

All h2o has a certain measure out of mineral content. For example, suppose you live in an surface area with plenty of limestone beneath the ground. In that case, the groundwater will pick up calcium and magnesium deposits, giving rise to so-chosen "hard" water.

Difficult water produces sediment in the grade of limescale that eventually builds upwardly at the bottom of the h2o tank. With natural gas, heaters can cause uneven heating in the tank that might even produce leaks over time. With electric heaters, scaling can burn out the lower heating element. And in both types of heaters, sediment buildup can plug up the drain valve.

How practice I recognize sediment buildup? One symptom of excessive sediment buildup is a popping or rumbling sound coming from the heater'south tank. That's the sound of steam bubbles percolating upward through the muck. In addition, the sediment produces hot spots on a gas water heater that tin can impairment the tank and eventually lead to early heater failure.

When will I know my h2o heater needs a flush?

Give thanks goodness the water supply to your water heater is filtered to some degree before it reaches your home. Otherwise, your hot h2o tank would fill up with sediment in practically no time at all. You might non discover any aggregating, as it could accept years.

Somewhen, yet, you'll notice that you're getting less and less hot water from the tank before it runs out. If you're within piece of cake reach of the water tank, yous can peradventure run across the sediment coming out of the bleed valve unless the sediment has already plugged the valve.

A give-and-take of advice: If you haven't flushed your h2o heater in several years, y'all may exist better off getting a licensed plumber to do the chore. You run the risk of activating potential leaks. You see, it's quite possible the sediment that has been there for years has produced cracks in the bottom of the tank. The existing sediment is plugging those cracks for now, but once you drain and flush the tank, it may well get rid of the sediment that is "sealing" the leaks.

By no ways are we recommending that you shouldn't drain your tank, and nosotros're also not suggesting that if you oasis't flushed it in several years, you're going to have a leak in the tank necessarily.

Nonetheless, past contacting a licensed plumber to practise the task, if it does happen to leak, you've got the right person at hand to cope with information technology.

Okay, it'southward time to flush that water heater.

Hither then, is a step-by-step arroyo to flushing your h2o heater.

Stride 1: Plough off the water heater and h2o supply

Beginning, you'll need to switch off the cold-h2o supply valve on your water heater. Atop the h2o heater, you lot'll encounter a water pipe and a shutoff valve going into the heater. Plough this valve to close off the water to the tank. You may demand to turn off the water where the main supply line enters your firm in older homes.

If your water heater is gas, position the thermostat on pilot. If your heater is electrical, shut the power off your home'southward electrical panel. The correct fuse or excursion billow should be labeled as beingness connected to the water heater.

As a precaution, it'southward a good idea to let your water heater sit down a while, so the water in the tank has the chance to absurd downward.

Step 2: Connect a garden hose to the drain valve.

Once your h2o heater has cooled down, place i end of the hose (you can utilise a conventional garden hose) into a floor drain or, if information technology will attain, directly exterior. Attach the other end onto the drain valve at the bottom of the heater.

Step three: Run hot water and open the drain valve.

Open the hot water tap, similar to a sink faucet that is closest to the h2o heater. This helps ease pressure and lets the tank drain faster. Once you open this valve, the water will catamenia out of the tank. Exist patient, as it may take a chip to bleed if the tank is full or in that location is a considerable amount of sediment.

Stride 4: Turn the water supply back on to flush the tank.

With the drain valve still open, turn the cold water back on to assist do away with any residual sediment on the bottom of the tank. Echo this step until the h2o runs clear.

Pace five: Close drain valve, fill tank and turn on water heater.

Now that the tank has been drained close the drain valve again and detach your garden hose. Be sure your common cold-h2o supply valve is on, and the tank will begin to refill. Render to the hot water tap you've been running, await for cold water to start running, and turn information technology off. Plough the gas back on for your gas heater or flip the breaker in your breaker box for electric water heaters. Check the valve for any leaks, and, voila, you lot're washed.

Some tanks must always be full, so check your manufacturer's directions to steer clear of whatsoever damage to the heating elements. If y'all find any issues with your water heater'south performance, give united states a call, and we'll have one of our techs come up out for an inspection.

What if my tank won't drain?

Suppose your tank is draining slowly or not at all; attempt to open the temperature/pressure level relief valve on the hot water tank. This is situated near the superlative of the hot water tank. It'south generally a lever you can lift upwards or down, and there is a pipe that goes from it downwardly to the base of the tank. Opening upwardly this valve might open up a possible vacuum inside the tank that'due south stopping water from draining.

It's too likely that there'south so much sediment inside your tank that it'due south blocking the valve drain. This is where calling a licensed plumber is the best strategy.

Below is a cursory video on how to flush your water heater!

What exactly are the benefits of draining your hot h2o tank?

Racket reduction: Over fourth dimension, when mineral or scale has accumulated in your hot h2o tank, you lot'll most likely hear banging, crackling or popping sounds. For the time beingness, the dissonance may diminish without your doing annihilation to the tank; that's because the calibration layer has hardened, and it's tough for h2o to percolate through information technology effortlessly. Nonetheless, when you do drain and descale the tank, it will no longer produce those noises when working.
Enhanced efficiency: As additional debris lands on the bottom of the tank, information technology turns out to be more difficult for estrus to transfer because these deposits accept perched on the heater'south electrodes. Draining the h2o tank will remove the sediments, and the heating speed will recover.
Reduced energy bill: As just noted, the appliance consumes more free energy to heat water when scales have built upon its electrodes. Past removing the clay and scales, the heater'south efficiency will improve and reduce the energy used during the process. Hence, a reduced energy pecker.
Longer life: By draining your hot water tank on a regular footing, yous're simply removing calibration that causes the appliance to experience stress. Consequently, the metal in the bottom of the tank can get hotter than normal and start to leak or neglect. But, as we've seen, constant draining and flushing will increase the lifespan of the apparatus.

What if I have a tankless h2o heater?

The process we've only explained applies to conventional hot water tanks, but tankless water heaters are also subject to damage from sediment. There is a completely different process for tankless heaters that involves a pump to circulate water through the system. Yous can normally option upwards a tankless water heater flush kit at your neighborhood hardware store.

What if my water heater is merely besides old?

While wine might become meliorate with age, water heaters certainly practice non. At that place volition come a time when you only must replace your h2o heater because it's just too old to work properly.

And then, how long should I await my present water heater to last?

H2o heaters are limited to an boilerplate of viii to ten years. Every ten years is the most recommended fourth dimension to supersede your heater, but you must also recollect that different types of water heaters accept varying life expectancy's. For example, gas heaters normally last six to 8 years.

So, when you talk most old existence gilt, give a hall pass to your water heater.

If a problem should ascend with your water heater, don't hesitate to call the professionals at J&A Southward Park. They can offer the highest standards in repair and, if necessary, replace your existing tank with a new heater. Of course, we tin can besides provide the yearly inspection for your tank.

And while we're here, the management and staff at J&A Southward Park desire to wish each of you the happiest of holidays and nothing but the best for the coming new twelvemonth.