Introduction: Hot water heaters are susceptible to internal corrosion that decreases its efficiency and eventually causes the heater to rot out. Periodically flushing the hot water heater is especially important if you have your own well. Private drilled wells have a larger amount of minerals in the water than public supplied water.

If you have your own water supply from a well you should flush the hot water heater every two years at least. By flushing the minerals that gather at the bottom of the reservoir will prevent erosion and tank rot out and extend the life of the unit. In addition, flushing the minerals will improve the unit’s efficiency. Flushing a hot water heater is an easy DIY homeowner task that can be performed within an hour.

How to flush a hot water heater:

If your water heater is an electric hot water heater, turn off the power to the unit by opening the circuit breaker. If it is an oil hot water heater or a gas hot water heater, shut off the power to the unit so it does not fire up while you are flushing the unit.
Temporarily turn off the water supply to the heater. You will have to turn it back on for water to flow through the heater to flush it.
Attach a suitable length of garden hose to the drain spigot at the base of the hot water heater. Run the other end of the hose outside or into a bucket.
Open the spigot at the base of the hot water heater. Turn on the water supply and the water should begin to run through the heater and out the drain. As the water flows through the heater and out the drain the sediment in the bottom will be flushed out. You will note the water is rather nasty until all the sediment has been flushed out.
Let the water run through the hot water heater for several minutes until it runs clean.
Close the drain spigot and remove the hose.
Turn the heater back on or close the circuit breaker if it’s an electric heater. It will take several minutes for the water to heat as the heater is full of cold water.
Purge the air out of the unit by opening a hot water tap in the kitchen or bathroom. There will a hissing sound as the air escapes and the hot water pipes may be noisy for a few seconds.

That’s all there is to it. Periodically flushing the hot water heater will increase its life and efficiency.

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