Over the long term, sediment can cause even more serious issues. Things such as pipe bursting, loss of water pressure, or even the break-down of the tank itself. These problems tend to occur after the course of two to five years.
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.
To flush your hot water tank, simply turn on the cold water spigot leading into your hot water tank. Let it run for a few minutes until the water exiting your hose runs clear. This may take a bit. While the water might be running clear and isn't brown, you may still have some sediment.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gas, electric and tankless water heaters need to be flushed every 6-12 months. This prevents the buildup of sediment, rust and corrosion.
Most people call in a plumber to flush the water heater, but you can do it yourself if you are up to the task.
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.
It only takes about 15 to 30 minutes to completely drain a water heater. A typical 40- to 60-gallon residential tank found in most homes will take no more than 15 minutes. However, larger tanks (80 gallons or more) found in homes with larger families can take longer, usually from 30 to 60 minutes; sometimes more.
Diminished or Inconsistent Hot Water Supply
Excessive sediment can also cause your water temperature to fluctuate wildly and become too hot at times. Sediment buildup can even affect your utility bills by forcing your water heater to work harder and consume more energy.
These issues occur because a sediment buildup impacts the appliance's ability to maintain a consistent water temperature and erodes its energy efficiency. As the build up becomes more severe, sediment can displace water in the tank, clog up the drain valve, block the water lines or even cause a premature tank failure.
Every homeowner knows how important it is to clean and maintain your systems and appliances. However, many homeowners don't know that flushing a water heater every year can remove a build-up of sediment from the bottom of the tank.
The hot water heater in your house is very similar to a low pressure boiler. So while you probably don't need to blow your water heater down 3 times a day (as it may not be running at 100% output 24/7), you should setup a preventative maintenance schedule on it every 6-12 months.
According to IBHS, 69% of water heater failures are a result of a slow leak or sudden burst, causing significant water damage. Not only are these claims frequent, but IBHS also estimates that they cost an average of $4,444 per claim.
Turn Off the Water Heater's Power Supply
If your heater is only about one year old, you can go ahead and flush it. Before you do so, switch off the gas or electrical power that supplies energy to your tank. This is for safety purposes, as it can help prevent accidental gas leaks or shock injuries.
Performing annual maintenance on a tank-style water heater by flushing it will extend its lifespan. This can help you keep your water heater running in tip-top shape for years to come — and prevent an expensive disaster that involves a late-night or weekend call to a local plumber.
If you are going to do maintenance on your water heater such as flushing your water heater, you should turn off your pilot heater to prevent heating an empty tank or if you are leaving for vacation or leaving the house vacant for a long time, it may be beneficial to turn of the pilot light to save energy cost and to ...