The water heater in your home or garage is the reason you’re not having an ice cold shower in the morning. Take care of it and it will take care of you. Water heaters should be flushed every one to three years. How often you do it will depend on the kind of water heater you have the water source. Flushing your water heater will help to control the mineral deposits that build up. It will work more efficiently and last longer too.

Steps to Draining & Flushing a Water Heater

1. Turn off the water supply. The cold water supply on top of the water heater will have to be turned off.
2. Turn the water heater off. If you have a gas heater, the thermostat needs to be turned to the “pilot” setting. For an electric heater, the electricity will need to be turned off at the breaker box. The power will need to be turned off completely with electric heaters before you start flushing it. If the heating elements are exposed to water in any way they will burn out quickly -This can happen if the water level in the tank gets below the level of the hot elements. The water heater is wired to a breaker switch in the main electrical panel.
3. Attach a hose to the drain valve. There is drain valve located at the bottom of the water heater. It may have a cover on it. Locate it and attach a hose to it. Place the other end of the hose into a drain or another area where the water can drain. The water will very hot so be careful.
4. Open the hot water tap. Opening a hot water tap close to the water heater will help ease the pressure on the system and allow the water to drain faster.
5. Open the drain valve. The drain valve can now be opened to allow the water to start draining. Remember the water will be hot, so be careful. After all the water has drained, you can turn the cold water supply on top of the tank back on to stir up any sediment that remains. Keep doing this until the water is running clear. If you find that enough sediment has built up around the opening of the drain valve to the point it’s limiting the water flow, call the professionals.
6. Close the drain valve, refill the tank and turn the water heater back on. After you close the drain valve, remove the hose and turn the cold water back. The heater will start to fill up and you can then go to the hot water tap you opened earlier. After the water starts to flow you can turn it off. The gas valve can then be turned back from the “pilot” position or the electricity can be turned back on. Always look for any leaks by checking the valve opening.

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Even when the gas or heating elements have been turned off, the water can be scalding hot for hours. It’s a good idea to wait overnight if you can so the water will be cool before you start draining the water heater. Contact Agape Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing with any plumbing or heating issues in your home.