Hot Water Heater Maintenance Flush

Then turn on a hot water faucet in one of your sinks or tubs to prevent a vacuum from forming in the lines.

Hot water heater maintenance flush.

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. To flush a water heater start by turning off the heater s power source using the breaker or thermostat. This may take a bit. Let it run for a few minutes until the water exiting your hose runs clear.

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. Flushing your hot water heater could be necessary as often as every few months depending on the mineral content of your local water supply. 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.

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. A sediment trap or softener can help with hard water to a point. Next rotate the water shut off valve on your heater clockwise to turn off the cold water supply. Attach the shop vacuum hose and fire up the vacuum.