How To Drain And Flush An Electric Hot Water Heater

Extend the life of your water heater with these basic but.

How to drain and flush an electric hot water heater.

On a gas water heater the sediment creates hot spots that can damage the tank and cause premature failure. Open the hot water tap on the bathtub or wash basin and wait for a full stream of water. Turn off the cold water supply and allow the heater to cool this may take a couple of hours. With electric heaters scaling can burn out the lower heating element.

When do i want to flush my hot water heater. So learning how to drain a water heater and flushing offers a payback in lower energy bills and extended heater life. If you turn the power on without filling the heating element can be damaged. Allow the water to run through the water heater and out of the drain valve.

This can take up to two hours for some larger water heater tanks. The water in your heater and many of the pipes connected to your water heater will be very hot. Turn back on the cold water into the water heater. Open the hot water tap in the bathroom to bleed air.

On an electric water heater sediment buildup can cause the lower heating element to fail. Quickly learn how to drain and flush a hot water heater to remove sediments and prevent corrosion. Before you tackle any service to the water heater turn off all of the electricity to the unit including the breaker. If you don t.

How to flush a water heater. 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. Do this for approximately five 5 or ten 10 minutes. Locate the water heater s drain valve typically found near the bottom of the tank.

Let the water cool. Find the drain valve on the side of your water heater and attach a hose. Dave moody a plumbing pro with service experts suggests you may need to drain your water heater more frequently if your water source is a well or if your municipal. Depending on your water source and the mineral content both gas and electric water heaters should be flushed of sediment every one to two years to ensure optimal performance.

Attach a drain or garden hose to the drain valve on the side of the tank. Open a hot water faucet. Drain and flush it at least once a year fall is a good time and you can extend the length of your water heater s useful life to avoid the cost of replacement. Connect a hose to the drain valve on the heater and run to a drain.

Do not turn on the power yet. Open the drain valve and allow the tank to completely drain. Close the water heater drain.