From showering in the morning to running the dishwasher after dinner, homeowners rely on a steady supply of hot water every single day. However, most of us rarely give our water heaters much thought—until something goes wrong. In this article, we’ll review why this approach needs to change, and what makes both a water heater flush and water heater maintenance so vital to your home’s water heater.
It is recommended that you flush your water heater at least once per year. Doing so will help to prevent the potential problems that sediment can bring over time.
Periodically flushing out the lime and other sediments in the water heater tank improves the heater’s efficiency and lifespan. In neglected water heaters, sediment can accumulate and calcify, making it difficult to remove. … But if you flush your tank regularly, you can prevent sediment from causing not only problems but also protect yourself from dealing with high repair costs. And let’s face it: Water heaters always break when you need them the most: On a freezing cold winter morning when you hop in the shower and are already late for work.
What Happens if I don’t Flush My Water Heater?
As tap water is brought into your water heater tank, it also brings along the natural mineral content of hard water. These minerals fall to the bottom of the tank and begin to accumulate there. That’s a problem, since most tank water heaters feature their heating element at the bottom. The more sediment and mineralization between the heating element and the water, the less efficient and effective your water heater will be.
Leaving sediment build up in your water heater can not only cause it to work harder, but also lead to some serious problems. For example, if the sediment gets to be too much, you can start to see it come out of your faucets.
Over the long term, sediment can cause even more serious issues. Things such as pipe bursting, loss of water pressure, or even the break-down of the tank itself. These problems tend to occur after the course of two to five years.
One of the main arguments to flush your heater is efficiency. As scaling collects at the bottom of the tank, your water heater will become less effective at heating the water in the tank.
Corrosion is another aspect. If your water heater goes long enough without a proper flush, you could also have corrosion attacking the tank itself, weakening its structural integrity.
Last but not least, think about safety. Your water heater has a crucial pressure-relief valve that prevents pressure from building up in the tank. Scaling can block this valve.
Contact us to get your water heater flushed before winter hits!
Give us a call at 508-775-6670
or email cmurphy@plumberscapecod.com
