Flushing 101: Water Heater Maintenance

6/22/2018 (Permalink)

Remember to perform routine flushes of your water heater to prevent the inside of the tank from corroding due to a buildup of mineral deposits.

Your home’s water heater is sometimes in an area that you normally do not frequent. Since you don’t see or operate it daily like other appliances, you may forget that it still needs to be flushed regularly for top performance. Here are five steps to perform a simple DIY water heater flush.

1. Turn It Off

If you have an electric heater, shut it off using your breaker box. For gas models, rotate the gas valve until the pilot light goes out.

2. Attach a Hose

Find the drain outlet valve, located at the bottom of the water heater, and connect a garden hose to it. Take the open end of the hose to a designated drainage site that won’t be affected by debris and hot water.

3. Drain It

Go back to the drain outlet valve and open it. After allowing the water to flow for a few minutes, go to the faucet closest to the heater and turn on the hot water. Doing this ensures the water will drain swiftly. Shut off the water supply after waiting a few more minutes. The water flow will slow down before completely stopping.

4. Restore the Water Supply

After the appliance has drained completely, turn the water supply back on and close all valves. Once the open faucet’s flow changes from sporadic to consistent and smooth, the tank is now running properly and is full.

5. Restore Power and Turn On the Heating Element

You can restore the unit’s power and turn the heating element back on after ensuring the tank is completely full. Then turn the running faucet off and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.

Remember to perform routine flushes of your water heater to prevent the inside of the tank from corroding due to a buildup of mineral deposits. If you wait until it’s too late, the unit may begin leaking. If this happens, be sure to call a water damage cleanup crew in Raleigh, NC. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROeastraleighzebulon.com/.