At the most basic level, a tanked water heater is a metal container filled with water. A heat source, often a gas flame, heats the water inside to a set temperature. Then that water flows to the rest of your home. That basic process needs a lot of components to work together to function.
Like any other machine, your water heater will build up gunk and wear out faster if it’s not taken care of. Regular maintenance can help clear out that gunk so your unit lasts much longer. In fact, you can extend the life of your water heater by a decade or more with these two simple projects.
The Water Heater Flush: How Much Sediment is Sitting in Your Water Heater?
When water comes from the city, it’s filled with dirt, sand, and minerals from the water supply. It flows into your water heater and sits there until you turn on the hot water somewhere. While the water waits for you to use it, that sediment sinks to the bottom of your water heater tank in a thick layer.
That layer acts like an insulator and makes your water heater have to work much harder to heat the water. A water heater flush washes out most of that sediment by letting the water rush out a spigot at the bottom of your unit. An annual flush will leave you with more hot water, faster hot water, and much more life out of your water heater.
How to Flush a Water Heater: Basic Flush
Click this link for a step-by-step video we made showing you how to do a basic flush of your water heater.
The Anode Rod: Your Water Heater’s Bodyguard
An anode rod is a sacrificial metal rod inside your water heater. It’s there to protect it from the minerals and other corrosive things in your water. These minerals can damage the metal tank of your water heater over time. Your anode rod attracts those minerals and breaks down instead of the tank.
Your anode rod’s job is to sit in the water and break down over time. That means you’ll need to take it out to check it and replace it when it fails. It can be a bit more challenging to do that than a basic flush, so it can be a good idea to have a plumber take care of it for you. It’s recommended to check your anode rod once a year and to consider replacing it once every 4 years.
Your Water Heater Should Be Heating Water: Is it Heating Sediment Instead?
Click this link for a podcast video we made discussing each of these maintenance options with more detail, plus one other thing you can do for your water heater.
If you want some help flushing your water heater or checking your anode rod, we are here to help! One of our licensed plumbers can take care of the maintenance to keep your water heater running like new. You can give us a call or schedule an appointment online.