As a homeowner, you take many steps to keep your family as safe and secure as possible. Draining your water heater can help ensure that everything is working properly (and safely). So, it really is necessary to flush a water heater regularly — especially if you want to avoid a larger issue down the line.
The longer your water heater goes without a drain-and-flush, the more sediment and minerals will accumulate at the bottom of the tank. Eventually, this causes scaling. Ever noticed that hard, mineral buildup on your sink faucets and shower heads? That's scale: accumulated mineralization.
Water heaters have lifespans of 8 to 12 years, but they can fail sooner or become less efficient without proper maintenance. Water heater manufacturers suggest flushing your water heater every year to get rid of sediment build up inside of it.
While draining your water heater once a year is the minimum recommended maintenance, flushing it twice a year is ideal. If you live in an area with high mineral content, more frequent flushing may be necessary to prevent mineral buildup in the tank.
Expect a pro to charge you between $75 and $200 to come to your home to flush your water heater, depending on where you live. While this cost deters many homeowners from performing this annual maintenance, it can extend the water heater's lifespan by years, making it worth the additional cost.
Flushing the tank until it's empty will remove the loose sediment and help the heater work better. The boiler will heat to a higher temperature, heating the water faster, and the parts will likely last longer. It's recommended to flush a water heater about once a year to get the best results.
Water Heater Maintenance Tips
Flush your water heater every six months or so. If you have harder water, or water that contains more minerals, you may want to flush it more often. If you leave town, change your water heater to its vacation setting. The pilot light will stay on, but the water will not be heated.
Open the hot water tank drain valve. Let the water run out the garden hose. This can take 20 to 60 minutes, depending on how big the tank is.
Ideally, you should hire a professional plumber to come service your water heater at least once a year.
Over time, the number of sediment increases, leading to problems with the water heater. Sediment can begin the process of corrosion and can clog the valves inside the water heater tank, leading to leaks and other issues. Both of these problems decrease efficiency and can result in costly repairs.
A water heater flush is exactly what it sounds like. During a water heater flush, your tank is emptied through a hose into an approved drain source. Then the tank is flushed of any sediment or mineral buildup that may reduce the heating efficiency of your water heater or lead to plumbing damage.
Flush the tank regularly
This can shorten the lifespan of the unit and lead to expensive repairs. To avoid this, it's important to flush the tank regularly. Most manufacturers recommend flushing the tank once a year. But if your home has hard water, you probably need to flush it more often.
Depending on which water heater drain pump you use you can empty a 50 gallon water heater tank within 2-1/2 to 10 minutes instead of waiting for the water heater to drain by gravity.
Tankless water heaters typically have a lifespan of 20 years or more. Traditional water heaters with standing water tanks can last around 10 to 15 years before you notice signs of age.
Believe it or not, homeowners should drain sediment from their natural gas water heaters once each year. Forgetting this simple task could result in sediment build-up, which reduces the heating efficiency of your water heater and could increase your natural gas bill.
No matter how well a water heater is built, too much sediment can cause serious damage. Thick deposits force your system to run hotter than usual, putting increased stress on the tank and other components. This causes the tank to expand, eventually leading to leaks and potentially increasing corrosion.
Of course, not flushing does save some water. So, even if you have a highly water-efficient toilet that uses just 1.28 gallons per flush, that could still mean you'd save potentially 1400 gallons of water a year if you only flushed every other time you peed (3 fewer flushes a day, for 365 days). What is this?
50-gallon water heaters have a longer lifespan. In general, 40-gallon heaters last eight years, while 50-gallon heaters can last 12 years. This is because 50-gallon heaters have thicker tanks. As a result, they are less likely to develop leaks.
Open a hot water faucet somewhere in the house. Open the water heater drain valve (beware of hot water!). Flush 3 to 4 gallons, then close the valve (if draining, continue until empty).
While today's water heaters are better designed than older models, they still require regular maintenance in order to prolong their lives. With regular inspection, draining, and flushing, you can expect a gas water heater to last anywhere from 8-12 years and an electric water heater to last anywhere from 10-15 years.