How To Flush Your Water Heater

4/29/2022 (Permalink)

How To Clean A Water Heater

You might not think much about your home's water heater unless it interferes with your plans to take a hot bath or perform daily tasks requiring hot water at your home in Collingwood, NC. An annual water heater flush involving these steps can ensure that this indispensable appliance works when you need it most.

Turn off the Power

It is essential to turn off the gas or electricity that powers the appliance before doing anything else. For a gas heater, you should first adjust the thermostat knob, usually located at the bottom of the tank, to the off position. For electric heaters, you will need to flip the power switch at your home's circuit breaker box.

Connect a Garden Hose

Attach one end of a straightened garden hose to the spigot at the tank's bottom and open the tank's hot water release valve. The hose's other end should point directly into the basement floor drain, close to your water heater. You can also use a pump to direct the water's flow outside.

Turn on a Hot Water Faucet

Once the hose is secure, you can turn on the hot water faucet of any upper-level sink to force water out of the heater's tank. It may take anywhere between 20 minutes and one hour before all the hot water drains.

Begin the Water Heater Flush

You can now open the heater's cold water valve and turn on a cold water faucet elsewhere to flush sediment particles out of the tank until you see clear water flowing.

Refill the Tank

Shut off the tank's cold water valve will allow it to refill with water. You will know that the tank is full when water flows from the hot water faucet that is still on, and you can now turn it off.

Reactivate the Power

You can now reactive the gas or electricity to heat the water in the tank.

If your water heater causes a flood despite proper maintenance, a local disaster restoration service can cleanup your home in Collingwood, NC.