Flush your water heater every 3 months to prevent costly premature replacement!! Particles in our water supply can coat or collect the insides of your water heater and cause the elements to be overworked or rendered ineffective. An element that is overworking not only causes the need for it to be replaced sooner, but also causes your utility bill to be higher than necessary. Flushing the water heater every 3 months can greatly reduce this problem and keep your water heater working in prime condition for the life of the unit. This can easily be done by attaching a garden hose to the hose bib at the bottom of your tank, turning the unit off, and then opening the valve until the water is out. Let the tank refill and then empty it one more time. Turn the water heater back on only after it is full again. Caution: if you have a water heater that is several years old and you have never flushed out the tank, do not start now, you may dislodge some sediment and actually cause other problems.
While you are flushing out the water heater go ahead and make sure that the drain pan is clear of any debris and the drain line is clear. You can also check the pressure relief valve and line before you turn off the water heater to make sure that it is functioning properly. Make sure that the water exits the line quickly and cleanly. These steps are important not just to make sure your heater stays functioning properly and effectively, but to save money on potential upgrades to your system. If you do end up needing to replace your water heater it does require a plumbing permit to be pulled. In order to pass the inspections all fittings and parts will have to conform to current codes, even if the codes were not in effect when your house was built. This means replacing your water heater could cost more than just the price of the unit and labor to change it out. Depending on the upgrades requires in your area, it could end up costing a lot more. Do not trust a plumber that is willing to change out your water heater without pulling the permit, unless you have personally confirmed with your water district that the permit is not required.
We don’t usually think about our water heaters until there is water everywhere it is not supposed to be. You can avoid those catastrophes by taking a little time now to keep them running at there best for a longer period of time!
