From cooking to cleaning, bathing and more, hot water is an important part of our everyday lives. Imagine taking a long soak in tap cold water. It’s chilling to think about! To avoid the inconvenience of having to repair or replace your water heater, you (or your local plumber) can perform life-extending maintenance. One of the main ways to keep your water heater running safely and efficiently is with a water heater flush.
What is a Water Heater Flush?
A water heater flush is exactly what it sounds like. During a water heater flush, your tank is emptied through a hose into an approved drain source. Then the tank is flushed of any sediment or mineral buildup that may reduce the heating efficiency of your water heater or lead to plumbing damage. Before any of this can happen, the water heater thermostat, gas connection, and cold water supply must be turned off. Once this is completed, a hot water tap near the water heater will be turned on, and the pressure relief valve will be opened before opening the drainage spigot.
It’s important to note that even tankless water heaters should be flushed. Even without a tank to settle in, sediment can accumulate throughout the entire system.
Clean Out Sediment and Minerals
In hard water areas like San Antonio and the Hill Country, it is especially important to flush your water heater of sediment and mineral buildup at least once a year. According to SAWS, the typical hardness in the water provided by SAWS ranges from 15 to 20 gpg (grains per gallon). This puts San Antonio water well into the “Very Hard” degree of water hardness. If you don’t have a whole-home water softening system installed, the Calcium and Magnesium buildup indicative of hard water can slow water flow and even damage pipes.
Not everyone has the time to DIY a water heater flush. Mr. Plumber offers professional water heater flushes – to schedule one or learn about plumbing maintenance for your home, give us a call today!
