Gas Water Heater Maintenance Flush

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Gas water heater maintenance flush.

However the hardness of your water plays a part in this and you may find it better to flush two to three times per year if your home s water is especially poor quality. To flush a water heater start by turning off the heater s power source using the breaker or thermostat. Before you begin a water heater flush. This may take a bit.

How to drain and flush a water heater. Flushing your hot water heater could be necessary as often as every few months depending on the mineral content of your local water supply. Let it run for a few minutes until the water exiting your hose runs clear. Turn back on the cold water into the water heater.

While the water might be running clear and isn t brown you may still have some sediment. As a general rule your tankless water heater should be flushed once per year to maintain efficiency. To flush your hot water tank simply turn on the cold water spigot leading into your hot water tank. Detailed walk through on how to drain and flush a gas or electric water heater.

Then turn on a hot water faucet in one of your sinks or tubs to prevent a vacuum from forming in the lines. A sediment trap or softener can help with hard water to a point. Close the drain valve and allow the tank to refill keeping the hot water faucet open. 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.

Both gas and electric water heaters have a safety device called a temperature and pressure relief valve or t p valve for short. In the event the tank overpressurizes the relief valve opens and releases the pressure. Check the pressure valve. Open the drain valve and allow the tank to completely drain.

Do this for approximately five 5 or ten 10 minutes. Shut off the gas or electricity to the water heater and open a hot water faucet and let it run full blast for about 10 minutes to reduce the water temperature in the tank. When water comes out of the faucet the tank is full. Then shut off the cold water valve at the top of the tank and attach a garden hose to the existing drain valve and route it to a floor drain.

If the valve doesn t operate correctly the tank can overpressurize and explode.