When it comes to appliance purchases, there is no doubt that everything related to water is expensive. If you found a component that will not reach a thousand dollars to purchase, then consider yourself lucky. That’s why one of the most popular adages when it comes to taking care of the house appliances is to develop diligent maintenance routines. One of the things worth mentioning is the water heating system.
According to Home Depot, the price of a hot water heater installation is between $1,000 to $3,000. There will probably a time when you need to replace your water heater if do you should check out this article on tankless electric water heater reviews, but you don’t want to replace it early without maximizing its useful life. One of the most important maintenance routines for water heaters is draining the tank to clean it from sediments. It’s an important part of maintenance that is often overlooked by a lot of people.
Flushing your hot water heater tank is relatively easy and can be done in half a day. If you want to make your water system more efficient and save more money, it’s important to flush your tank at the recommended time. Additionally, you can install a water softener to reduce the hardness of your water, which actually causes these sediments to form in your tank.
What Is Hard Water?
Even though it is called “Hard Water”, it doesn’t mean that hard water will dent your tank. Hard water is a water source that has a high mineral content, mainly calcium and magnesium ions. A lot of households use a water softener to transform calcium and magnesium ions into something else by using salt.
Water gets a high amount of calcium and magnesium ions when there are a lot of mineral deposits in the area. The water gets these minerals during the water cycle, where the rain falls into the ground and makes its way on underground water deposits or at the surface. This is not harmful to humans, but it is harmful to plumbing systems because it causes scalings or sediments that disrupts the efficiency of the system.
How Can Hard Water Affect Your Heater Tank?
This Water can cause scale buildup which clogs the pipes and eventually cause a problem to the water heater if left unnoticed. Although filters can help in reducing scale build-up, these filters will eventually run out of efficiency, which can cause problems if left alone for a long time. If the sediments are not cleaned, it can reduce the efficiency of your water heater tank.
When sediments reached the hot water heater system, these objects will settle down at the bottom of the tank. You wouldn’t notice it at first, but as time goes by, these sediments will form at the bottom. Soon, you will get less hot water because of the accumulated sediments. Additionally, you will also have to pay additional money because your system needs more power to make the water flow.
How Often Do You Need To Flush Your Tank?
Sediments don’t really build up overnight or over the weekend. It would take years before these sediments will actually fill your water tank. However, it’s a good practice to maintain your tank clean and sediment-free to avoid additional costs. It’s recommended flushing your water heater tank once a year to get the deposits of your system. It’s also a preventive measure that makes your water heater maintenance function more efficiently and has a longer lifespan.
If you lost track of time and cannot remember the last time you flushed your hot water heater, there are tell-tale signs for you to do the flushing. If you noticed that the amount of hot water your heater produces is lesser than it used to be, that’s a sign that you need to flush your heater. Another sign is when there are sediments coming out of the drain valve. Avoid inefficiency and corroded components by draining your water heater annually. It’s easy and there’s really no reason to omit this activity each year.
Easy Way To Drain Your Water Heater Tank
1. Preparations
The first step in draining your water heater tank is to make sure that the main supply line is turned off or disconnected. This step is to make sure that no new water will be flowing inside the tank. Make sure that the water heater itself is turned off, which can be done by shutting down the electric circuit to the heater or bringing the gas line to the “pilot” mode. Connect your hose to your drain valve.
2. Drain Valve And Pressure Relief Valve
Next, release the Drain Valve to start the draining process. This can be done by loosening the valve that can usually be found where you attached your hose. If you have a valve opener, use it to open the valve for your system. Take note that to drain the water, you need to open the pressure relief valve which is usually found on the top of the water tank.
3. Let It Drain
Once the pressure relief valve has been opened, the water will start to drain. The water will be very hot, so be cautious and avoid contact with the water. Get a container or a bucket that you can use to catch the draining water. If you see any discoloration in the draining water, it might be a sign to look for another water heater.
4. Final Steps
After all the water was a drain, close the pressure relief valve to stop the air intake. Connect or open your main supply line to wash out all the other deposits remaining in the water tank. Finally, turn on the power to your water heater and test your water faucets.
Conclusion
Flushing your water heater is a very easy maintenance step that every homeowner must know to prevent the damages from water. If you’re having a hard time or are inexperienced when it comes to plumbing, better call a professional to help you. I hope you learned something useful from this article.
