Water Heater Maintenance
How To Flush Your Water Heater
A home’s water heater is an appliance that is commonly forgotten about until it fails. Sometimes the failure means just no hot water and at other times it is more serious such as when the hot water tank corrodes to the point of leaking and possibly causing costly water damage. There are some simple maintenance procedures a homeowner can perform to extend the life of their water heater and in this article “Shop Talk” will cover the proper way to flush a water heater to remove the sediment that collects at the bottom of the hot water tank. Sediment build up in your hot water heater will reduce energy efficiency, clog your water lines and the sediment can also harden, causing your hot water tank to produce loud popping and clanking sounds. Hot water heater manufacturers recommend flushing the tank periodically throughout the year as a regular maintenance procedure especially if you live in an area with hard water which contains more minerals that will build up in your water heater. You can slow down the accumulation of sediment in your hot water tank by setting the water temperature to 120 degrees or less. Hotter water is also more corrosive to your water heater.
8 Steps To Flush Your Hot Water Tank
These are the steps to properly flush your hot water heater and remember, you are dealing withvery hot water so if you are unsure of the procedure it is better to call a professional than to risk injury.
- Turn off your water heater. If you own a gas water heater, set the switch to pilot to prevent the burners from igniting while you are flushing the tank and if yours is an electric unit, turn off the cicuit breaker that controls your water heater to prevent your heating elements from burning out.
- Shut off the cold water inlet to the water heater. There are two water lines that connect to the top of your water heater, one for the cold water comming in and the other for the exiting hot water. The top of the tank is usually marked to identify the cold from the hot. You can also touch the water pipe above the shut off valve to help you locate the cold inlet line.
- Connect a garden hose to the drain valve which is located at the bottom of the tank and make sure the hose will drain to a safe area. Remember the water will be very hot.
- Open the pressure relief valve which is located near the top of the hot water tank by lifting the lever up.
- Open the drain valve at the bottom of the hot water heater letting the water and sediment drain through the hose. Completely draining the water heater will ensure you have drained all the sediment out of the tank possible.
- Close the drain valve and pressure relief valve and disconnect the garden hose.
- Open all the hot water faucets in the house and then open the cold water inlet valve.
- When no more air comes out of the faucets, turn them off and turn your water heater back on.
By flushing out your hot water heater at least every six months you will extend the life the heater and allow it to run more efficiently.
Slawek Polinski, Home Sense