Gas Water Heater Maintenance Flush

Most homeowners should flush their water heaters every six months or so but if you have extremely hard water you may want to do it more often.

Gas water heater maintenance flush. However the hardness of your water plays a part in this and you may find it better to flush two to three times per year if your home s water is especially poor quality. Check the pressure valve. Next rotate the water shut off valve on your heater clockwise to turn off the cold water supply. Connect a hose to the drain valve on the heater and run to a drain.

I show how i flush my water heater fro. Open the drain valve and allow the tank to completely drain. Flushing your hot water heater could be necessary as often as every few months depending on the mineral content of your local water supply. A sediment trap or softener can help with hard water to a point.

Then turn on a hot water faucet in one of your sinks or tubs to prevent a vacuum from forming in the lines. In the event the tank overpressurizes the relief valve opens and releases the pressure. To flush a water heater start by turning off the heater s power source using the breaker or thermostat. Allow the water to run through the water heater and out of the drain valve.

This may take a bit. Both gas and electric water heaters have a safety device called a temperature and pressure relief valve or t p valve for short. Let it run for a few minutes until the water exiting your hose runs clear. When water comes out of the faucet the tank is full.

While the water might be running clear and isn t brown you may still have some sediment. Shut off the gas or electricity to the water heater and open a hot water faucet and let it run full blast for about 10 minutes to reduce the water temperature in the tank. As a general rule your tankless water heater should be flushed once per year to maintain efficiency. To flush your hot water tank simply turn on the cold water spigot leading into your hot water tank.

How to drain and flush a water heater. Do this for approximately five 5 or ten 10 minutes. Before you begin a water heater flush. If the valve doesn t operate correctly the tank can overpressurize and explode.

Detailed walk through on how to drain and flush a gas or electric water heater.