Water Heater Maintenance

There are some annual water heater maintenance items on your typical home water heater.  There are also some safety considerations with water heaters and TPR (Temperature Pressure Relief or T&P) valves. It is recommended that homeowners drain and flush their units at least once a year (more in hard water areas) to reduce deposits/noise and extend life.

Homeowner’s note: Read all the warnings and instructions on the tank before attempting any water heater maintenance. If you are uncomfortable with any of the following please contact a qualified and licensed plumber.

1. Turn off the power source either at the gas valve or circuit breaker.

2. Connect a water hose to the drain valve located near the bottom of the tank and run the other end to an area that will not be damaged by hot water. Preferably to the exterior.

3. If your water heater is installed correctly, a valve should be located near the COLD water entry point.  Turn this valve off to prevent additional water entering the tank.

4. Turn on a few of the hot water faucets in the home.

5. Open the tank drain valve connected to the water hose to drain out the hot water. Make sure the other hose end is in a safe area on the exterior.

6. As the hot water is nearing the end of draining out of the tank turn back on the COLD water valve at the water heater.  This should flush out the rest of the sediment in the bottom of the tank. This is an especially important step in hard water areas.

7. Allow the water to flow until it runs clear at the end of the hose.  After the water runs clear turn off the drain valve at the tank.

8. Turn off all the hot water faucets around your home.

9. ALLOW THE TANK TO REFILL. This is an important step to prevent possible damage to the tank.

10.  Turn on the power source either at the gas valve or circuit breaker that you shut off earlier.

11. Allow the water temperature to rise to standard operating temperature.

12. Test the pressure relief valve (TPR) according to the manufacturer's instructions.  The TPR valve is a safety device that releases water from the heater (ideally to the outside of the dwelling) if the temperature of the water, or the pressure in the tank, reaches certain preset levels. This is so that water that may have exceeded the boiling point (because of a runaway burner or electric element control) does not cause a steam explosion should the tank burst. TPR valves should be tripped regularly, and replaced every 3 years per manufacturers instruction by a qualified and licensed plumber.

Jeffrey Owen

Texas Professional Certified Home Inspector 

IonHomeInspection.com - Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Pearland, Galveston 

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