When is the Last Time You Checked Your Water Heater?

Last week our water heater wasn't putting out as much hot water as it used to. Have you ever had that problem? 

We contacted our plumber to come out and look at it, and he suggested we drain and flush the tank. Sure enough, this regular maintenance trick solved the problem and we learned our lesson. 

Here's what he shared with us.

Drain and Flush Water Heater Tank

It's recom­mended you drain and flush your tank at least once a year. This helps remove debris and sedi­ment from the tank.

Most water heaters have a plastic drain valve located at the bottom of the tank.

Connect a garden hose to the drain valve. Be Careful, as these valves typi­cally are not of the best quality and can easily break.

Once you have the hose attached to the drain valve Turn off the elec­tricity to the water heater (at the circuit breaker) or turn the gas off to your water heater.

Next, turn off the cold water supply to the water heater. Usually located at the top of the water heater.

Open the drain valve slowly to check for leaks where the hose connects to the valve. If all is well open the valve and let the water drain. Open the pres­sure relief valve on the side of the tank to make it drain faster.

Once the tank is empty, open the cold water supply on the top of the tank to flush any remaining sedi­ment out. Let the water run for about 1 minute, then turn off the cold water supply.

Close the pres­sure relief valve. Then Close the drain valve and discon­nect the hose. Have a towel ready for any mishaps.

Turn the cold water supply back on. Open a faucet in the kitchen or bath­room to relieve the air being flushed from the tank and let it fill.

Once the tank is filled turn off the open faucet and turn on the elec­tricity to your water heater.

For gas water heaters be sure to follow the direc­tions in your manual for turning the gas back on to your water heater.

That's it. You now have a cleaner more effi­cient water heater, and you did it yourself.

By following these two easy do-it-yourself water heater main­te­nance tips you can save energy, money and add more life to your water heater.