How to flush a water heater.
How often to flush an electric water heater.
Your water heater will operate more efficiently and this will usually extend the life of the heater.
This helps to control the buildup of mineral deposits.
So to keep your water heater in good working order it is generally recommended you flush the tank and perform all around maintenance about once a year.
Usually the more hot water a household uses the greater the maintenance flushing frequency.
How to flush an electric tankless water heater flushing out an electric tankless water heater is a bit different from gas units and some disassembly may be required.
So learning how to drain a water heater and flushing offers a payback in lower energy bills and extended heater life.
With electric heaters scaling can burn out the lower heating element.
The frequency with which to flush a water heater depends on the size of the tank and the amount of hot water used.
With an electric you ll be turning off the electricity.
On an electric water heater sediment buildup can cause the lower heating element to fail.
In electric water heaters the lower element can get buried in sediment which can cause it to work far too hard and consequently burn out.
The interval between flushing depends on the hardness of your water.
Over time sediment builds up inside the tank which can cause performance issues.
Use this guide to flush your water heater.
Turn off the cold water supply and allow the heater to cool this may take a couple of hours.
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.
Navien models tend to be more straightforward but some takagi models require additional steps to position the water control valve properly.
The biggest difference between gas and electric is that with gas you ll be turning off the gas to your appliance.
Before you tackle any service to the water heater turn off all of the electricity to the unit including the breaker.
It is a good idea to refer to the manufacturer s instructions.
Hot water heaters come in two varieties.
I ve got the gas variety so these instructions will be geared towards flushing a gas hot water heater.
Water heaters should be flushed every one to three years depending on the model and water source.
On a gas water heater the sediment creates hot spots that can damage the tank and cause premature failure.
And in both sediment buildup can clog the drain valve.
When do i want to flush my hot water heater.