A water heater needs to be flushed now and then so that it can work efficiently throughout its 10-year lifespan. Water that comes into your home is never pure and always has some kind of contaminant. These contaminants may not be dangerous to your health, but they can endanger your hot water heater. The hot water hardens them, and they accumulate inside the tank over the years. This is why flushing your water heater every six months to a year is important. Some people flush their own tank, but others leave it to a professional plumber.
What Sediment Does to Your Water Heater
If your heater isn’t flushed, sediment starts to accumulate on a sacrificial anode. This is a component that resembles a tuning fork. It’s made out of a metal that’s more reactive than the metal the tank is made of. This allows it to attract the sediment so that it doesn’t settle in the tank itself. After a while, the sediment starts to eat at the anode until it’s reduced to bare wire. When that happens, it’s time to replace the anode.
A replacement anode rod still doesn’t release you from the job of flushing your water heater, though. Signs that your water heater is failing due to sediment include:
- Warm or lukewarm water
- Knocking and banging noises inside tank
- Hot spots felt around tank’s bottom
- Leaks
- Spiking water and energy bills
- Smell of rotten eggs
- Rust-colored water
Flushing Your Water Heater
When the water tank is flushed, much of the troublesome sediment is removed and discarded. The process usually takes a couple of hours, though the actual draining of the tank can take as little as 10 minutes. This depends on the size of the tank. After the tank is drained, it needs to be flushed, refilled, and then turned back on to heat the fresh water. Plumbers sometimes tell customers to turn off the power to the tank the night before they arrive. By the time they come to flush the tank, the water is cool.
When the plumber arrives, they’ll drain and refill the tank until the water that comes out is clear. After that, they’ll test the water heater to make sure it’s delivering clean, hot water to the fixtures in your house.
Ask Us About Water Heater Service
Flushing your water heater is a simple way to keep it producing hot water for all of its working life. If you need water heater repair in Monroe, LA, don’t hesitate to call our plumbers at Gordon AC & Plumbing.
