When Should I Flush My Water Heater?

Water heaters do a lot of work for the average family, yet they are not necessarily respected in the ways they ought to be. Here at Affordable Rooter we understand that there are many reasons why one may need to get some work done to improve the working condition of their water heater. In fact, we want to step up to prevent the potential problems that could come up with your water heater before they become bigger issues in your life. 

How Often Should You Get Your Water Heater Flushed? 

Many problems can arise if you don’t take proper care of your water heater. Water heaters build up inside with sediment if they are not flushed when they are supposed to be, which can be extremely dangerous to the water heater’s health over time. 

If you are interested in keeping your water heater as safe as possible, the best thing to do is make sure you get it flushed at least once per year. Ideally, you will have this operation done even more frequently than that, but you should at least try to ensure your water heater is flushed regularly. 

What Happens to a Heater That Isn’t Flushed? 

You can find yourself in a serious predicament if you don’t flush your water heater. When this is the case, you may end up with a buildup of various elements within your water heater, making the process of getting your heater cleaned up much harder on yourself. There are some people who find themselves having to pay much higher bills to get their water heater taken care of if they allow it to go too long between flushes. 

Do You Need to Flush a Tankless Water Heater? 

You still need to flush a tankless water heater even though it doesn’t use nearly as much water as a traditional water heater. It is still your responsibility to make sure the water heater gets flushed regardless. 

Steps To Flush a Water Heater

To flush your water heater by yourself, just follow these steps: 

1. Turn off the gas
2. Allow the water heater to cool for 1-2 hours
3. Shut off the water supply to the water heater
4. Turn on the hot water in a nearby faucet
5. Attach a hose to the drain valve
6. Drain the water heater tank
7. Flush the tank 
8. Close the drain valve
9. Fill the water heater by reopening the water valve
10. Power up your water heater

Follow those steps exactly as they are spelled out here, and you will have properly flushed your water heater for the year. You only need to worry about it once a year, so you should be pretty safe to move on after that.   

Categorised in: Water Heaters

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