Flushing Your Water Heater – Do It Yourself Tips
Your water heater may be one of the appliances in your home you take for granted – until it stops working and you wind up in a chilly shower. Much like changing your car’s oil, your water heater needs to be properly flushed and drained yearly as part of its regular maintenance for top performance. Draining helps ensure the long life and efficiency of your water heater by flushing out minerals and debris that accumulate on the bottom of your tank. It’s also important to inspect rods, ventilation and other important parts.
Once you’ve located your water heater and read over your owner’s manual, these following steps will help you flush and drain it. Don’t forget, if you’re uncomfortable performing this type of maintenance on your water heater, call Green’s Plumbing today to schedule a professional cleaning.
Look at the top of the water heater. You’ll see a water pipe and a water shutoff valve going into the heater. Turn this valve to shut off the water to the tank.
If your heater is electric, shut the power off from the circuit breaker box. The correct fuse should be labeled as belonging to the water heater. I’s important to know that if you fail to shut off the power to your electric heater, you risk burning out the element. If it’s a gas-powered water heater, shut off the gas by turning the valve on the gas supply line that runs to the tank.
The water in your water heater is extremely hot. To help prevent injury, it’s a good idea to let your water heater sit overnight to allow the water within the tank some time to cool before you drain it.
Once the water heater has cooled down, place one end of the hose into a floor drain or, if it will reach, directly outside. Attach the other end onto the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater.
To alleviate pressure, open on a hot water tap, like a sink faucet, nearest to the water heater.
Once you open this valve, the water will begin to flow out of the tank. Be patient; draining the water heater can take up to 30 minutes depending on how full and dirty the water heater is.
With the drain valve still open, turn the water back on to eliminate any sediment on the bottom of the tank. Once the water runs clear, turn the water valve off.
Remove the hose from the drain valve. Turn the water back on and start refilling the tank. Once the tank is full, turn the power to the water heater back on.
If you want more hot water, lower energy bills and a water heater that lasts longer, you’ll want to flush your water heater.
