Flushing your water heater is one of those household chores that is often forgotten. Just look at how much sludge one of our plumbers discovered in the tank of a water heater he recently replaced at a local residence!
Follow these 8 easy steps (courtesy of Bradford White) to flush your water heater, which will help improve its efficiency and extend its working life.
On a gas water heater, turn the gas valve to the off position. On an electric water heater, turn the electric power off.
Shut the cold water off to the water heater.
Open a hot water faucet in a sink or tub.
Connect a hose to the drain valve on the heater and run to a drain or outside.
Open the drain valve and allow the tank to completely drain.
Turn back on the cold water into the water heater.
Allow the water to run through the water heater and out of the drain valve. Do this for approximately 5-10 minutes.
Close the drain valve and allow the tank to refill, keeping the hot water faucet open. When water comes out of the faucet, the tank is full.
Related: Heat Pump Water Heaters Outperform While Costing Less
We suggest flushing your water heater about once a year, but if you're not comfortable doing the job yourself, just give us a call at (541) 928-8942 and we'd be happy to take care of it for you. More water heating system maintenance tips can be found at the website of Bradford White, the water heater of choice at Stutzman Services.
