How Often Should You Flush Your Water Heater?

​Along with installing it correctly, a regular water heater maintenance is necessary to keep the water heater running efficiently. Flushing your water heater is the first and best way of maintaining it. Here are some common questions about flushing water heaters that arise in the minds of most homeowners.
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Why Should You Flush Water Heater?
Draining and flushing heater tank on a regular basis prevent debris, sediments, and minerals from depositing on the walls and at the bottom of the water heater tank. These sediment buildups affect the quality of water and make it harmful to consume. You may obtain colored, smelly water from it because of the sediments. The water heater may heat up too much or take too long to reheat the water because of these mineral deposits. Flushing eliminates these problems and helps increase the efficiency and lifespan of the water heater. If you don’t drain and flush your water heater for years, your water heater will spring a leak. 

How Should Your Flush Water Heater?

• Turn off the cold water supply to the water heater.
• If you have a gas water heater, turn the temperature setting to ‘Pilot’. If you have an electric water heater, turn the electric supply off.
• Let water inside the tank cool down. This may take a couple of hours.
• Connect a garden hose to the drain valve located at the bottom of the water heater tank.
• Keep a big bucket handy to collect the drained water or extend the hose to a place where you can discharge water.
• Open the temperature-pressure relief (TPR) valve and open a hot water faucet (in the sink or tub) to release the vacuum from forming in the plumbing pipes connected to the water heater.
• Open the drain valve and let the water from the water heater tank drain. Drain the tank completely.
• Turn the cold water supply to the heater and flush the tank. Flush till you obtain clear water from the tank.
• Close the drain valve, detach the hose, and let the tank fill with cold water.
• Turn on your gas or electric water heater as you generally do.

How Often Should You Flush Water Heater?
The need for flushing your water heater depends on the water quality, your region, size of the water heater tank, and the number of members in your house. If you have 1-3 people in your family, flush your water heater every 12-15 months. If you have 5 or more family members, consider flushing the tank every 6-8 months. Also, the harder the water in your area, the more likely you’ll need a more frequent tank flush. 

If you haven't drained and flushed your tank it for years, flushing it now may cause problems you could never imagine of. Though flushing the water heater tank is an easy task, it can become dangerous to do it on your own after long intervals. Call our water heater experts at Hot Water Tanks Edmonton to do the work for you with their expertise.