One of the most commonly overlooked home maintenance tasks is flushing your water heater. One of the reasons so many people don’t flush their water heater is they don’t know how to flush a water heater, but flushing your water heater regularly is essential to its functionality and longevity.
If you’re wondering how to flush a water heater, you’re not alone. Luckily, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re giving you a step-by-step guide on how to flush your hot water heater based on the type of water heater you have. We’re also sharing the importance of flushing your water heater regularly. We hope by the end, you’re inspired to tackle this task this weekend. Your wallet will thank you down the road.
What Is a Water Heater?
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Before we get into how to flush a water heater, let’s first talk about what a water heater is. If you’ve moved into your first home, you may not even know what one looks like.
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A water heater is an apparatus that heats, and in the case of domestic use, stores hot water. There are several potential power sources for water heaters.
However, most domestic water heaters are heated with power from electricity or natural gas. On the other hand, many commercial water heaters work through solar power or with propane.
Is There a Need to Flush a Water Heater?
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There is absolutely a need to know how to flush a water heater. If you own your own home, flushing your water heat regularly will extend its useful life, saving you money on replacing it in the future. It will also reduce future maintenance costs.
Prevent a Premature Breakdown
All appliances will break down, eventually. But knowing how to flush a water heater can save you from this expensive piece of equipment failing early. When sediment begins to build up inside your hot water tank, the water is insulated from the burners. Eventually, this will force your water heater to overheat the water. Unfortunately, the water will expand as it heats.
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In most older models of water heater, this rapidly expanding water doesn’t have anywhere to go. As a result, pressure builds up inside the tank. When the pressure becomes too great, the tank can leak or even explode.
The worst part about all of this is your water heater won’t die right away. Towards the end of its useful life, you’ll face regular, expensive repairs due to this completely preventable sediment buildup. If the sediment collects on the heating element of your water heater, it will overheat and need to be replaced.
Prevent Hot Water Shortage
People today live busier lives than ever. Who has time to run the laundry machine, then the dishwasher, then take a shower? There’s a good chance you don’t. But if you don’t learn how to flush a water heater, this is what you’ll be forced to do.
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Let’s say your household has a 30-gallon water heater. If 10 gallons of your tank’s storage is filled up with sediment, then you only have 20 gallons of hot water to use throughout your home.
If you purchased a three-bedroom home, the original home owners probably purchased a water heater with the idea to provide hot water for two adults and two children. If you go too long without flushing the sediment out of your hot water heater, the storage capacity will drop drastically and two people will no longer be able to run hot water at the same time.
Eliminate Noise
Depending on the part of the country you live in, your hot water heater may have a lot of built-up sediment. When enough of this sediment builds up in the tank, you will notice extremely loud knocking or popping noises. It’s a nuisance when you’re trying to sleep and someone is washing their hands with hot water in the middle of the night.
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The real problem with not flushing the sediment out of your hot water heater is the cause of the knocking noises. Any knocking or popping sounds you hear are caused by steam or overheated water trying to rise and jostling the sediment at the bottom of the tank.These sounds are an early warning sign that your water heater’s heating element will overheat and die or the tank may spring a leak or burst.
But you should never think that you don’t need to flush your water heater because it’s not making noise. There may still be a buildup of sediment in your tank posing a silent threat.
How Often Should I Flush My Water Heater?
How often you should flush your water heater depends on the model. However, most manufacturers recommend that you flush your water heater every one to three years.
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If you don’t have an owner’s manual for your water heater, we recommend flushing your water heater annually.
To help you remember when you’re supposed to, we recommend picking a date that’s easy to remember, such as Halloween or New Year’s Eve.
Step-by-Step Information on How to Flush a Water Heater
Luckily, it’s easy to learn how to flush a water heater and even simpler to do. Even if you’re not very handy, it should only take you about 20 minutes. Here’s how to do it in nine easy steps:
1. Turn Off the Knob to Your Hot Water Heater’s Thermostat
The first step in how to flush a water heater is turning the knob on your water heater’s thermostat to the “Off” position. If you have a gas heater, most models will have the thermostat near the bottom of the tank.
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Some people simply set their thermostat to “Pilot”. It’s safer to turn your water heater off completely. The disadvantage is, if you have an older model, you will need to re-light your pilot light.
In the case of an electric hot water heater, you will need to find the breaker box in your home and turn off the switch that provides power to your water heater. Many homes have two breaker boxes, but each switch should be clearly labeled. You shouldn’t have any trouble finding the switch that provides electricity to your hot water heater.
2. Turn Off the Gas
People today live busier lives than ever. Who has time to run the laundry machine, then the dishwasher, then take a shower? There’s a good chance you don’t. But if you don’t learn how to flush a water heater, this is what you’ll be forced to do.
If you go too long without flushing the sediment out of your hot water heater, the storage capacity will drop drastically and two people will no longer be able to run hot water at the same time.
3. Turn Off the Cold Water Supply
The third step in flushing your hot water heater is turning off the cold water supply leading to the heater. Most models have the valve located near the top of the water heater.
4. Turn on the Hot Water in Your House
Turn on the hot water in your bathtub, kitchen sink or bathroom sink. They should remain on throughout the entire flushing process. This helps to prevent a vacuum from forming in the lines when you drain your hot water tank.
5. Open the Pressure Relief Valve
It’s not required to open the pressure relief valve while you’re flushing your hot water heater. However, it helps the water flow easier while it’s draining. At the same time, it allows you to test your water heater’s pressure relief valve. This is another home maintenance task you should perform regularly, so you get to kill two birds with one stone.
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It’s important to have a bucket underneath the drainage pipe before you turn on your pressure relief valve. When you turn it on, water will rush out. Be very careful to not get any water on you. It is likely to be extremely hot.
If no water comes out, your pressure relief valve is faulty and you will need to replace it. Assuming it works, let the water in your heating tank cool once the pressure relief valve is open.
6. Connect a Hose to the Spigot
The next step in flushing your hot water heater is to connect a garden hose to the drainage spigot. Make sure the end of the hose that isn’t attached to spigot leads outside. At the very least, it should lead into a five-gallon bucket.
If your hot water heater is located in the basement, a portable pump may be necessary to pump water out of the basement to the ground floor.
7. Turn on the Spigot and Drain
Once you’re sure that the water from your heater won’t spill on the floor, you’re ready to turn on the spigot. You can stop draining the tank when the water runs clear, and no longer contains any sediment.
If you’ve never flushed your hot water heater, there may be a great deal of sediment built up. In this case, you’ll need to drain your tank completely. There should be no brown water coming out of your hose.
8. Flush the Tank
To flush your hot water tank, all you have to do is turn on the cold water spigot that leads into your heating tank. If you flush your hot water heater regularly, it should only be a few minutes until the water runs clear.
Inspect the water carefully to make sure that there is no sediment coming out even after the water has run clear. Continue to flush your tank until there is little to no sediment coming out of your hose.
9. Wrap Up
Congratulations! You’ve just successfully flushed your hot water heater for the first time. So, how do you put things back to the way they were? This final step is just as easy as flushing your water heater in the first place. Here’s what you have to do:
- Turn off the drainage spigot
- Disconnect the hose
- If you opened it, close the pressure relief valve
- Turn off the water in your tub or sink from step 4
- Turn on the cold water spigot to your water heater
- When the tank is full, vent excess air by opening the pressure relief valve
- Turn on the hot water of a faucet in your house
- Turn on the gas to your water heater if you turned it off
- Re-light the pilot light
- Turn on the thermostat
- Flip the breaker switch to power your water heater if you have an electric heater
- Wait approximately 20 minutes for the water to heat up
- Turn on a hot water faucet in your house to ensure your water heater is still working correctly
- Put a reminder on your calendar to flush your water heater again next year
The Bottom Line
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Every home owner should know how to flush a water heater. Even if you rent your home, you should still know how to complete this crucial household task.
Your water heater should be flushed every one to three years. If you’ve turned on your bathroom faucet and the water comes out brown, your water heater is past due for a cleaning.
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When it comes to how to flush a water heater, there are only nine simple steps you have to remember. First, turn off the knob to your hot water heater. Then, turn off the gas or electricity that powers your water heater. Third, turn off the cold water supply to your heater and turn on a hot water faucet in your home. Leave this running until you’re done.
While not required, we recommend opening the pressure relief valve on your tank to ensure it’s working. Connect a hose to your spigot and make sure no water will get on your floor. You may need a portable water pump for this step, depending on where your hot water heater is located.
Turn on the spigot and drain and flush the tank until the water runs clear and there is no sediment coming out of the hose. Finally, undo everything you just did and pat yourself on the back for flushing your own hot water heater.
