How to Flush out your Water Heater

Flushing out your water heater may not be at the top of your list — especially if you aren’t having any issues with your water heater. However, it’s this kind of preventative maintenance that will help prolong the life of your water heater. We recommend going through this process at least once throughout the year.

Flushing out your water heater cleans out any sediment build-up that may have occurred inside the tank, keeping your tank clean and allowing the water heater to run more efficiently.

Here are the DIY steps to help walk you through the flushing of your water heater:

Step 1: Turn off the electric to the water heater.

Step 2: Turn off the water to the water heater. Give it some time to let the water cool down (maybe 30 to 60 minutes).

Step 3: Attach a hose to the drain valve (you can use your garden hose).

Step 4: Open the drain valve and release the water into a large bucket (you may need to stop and empty the bucket several times). We recommend running the hose outside if possible.

Step 5: Flush out the sediment. If you see sediment coming out, try turning the cold water on and off. This should help work out more of the loose sediment.

Step 6: Remove the hose and put the cap tightly onto the drain valve. Turn the cold water back on to refill the tank.

Step 7: Restore power to your hot water heater.

If you run into any problems outside of the norm during this flushing process (deteriorated parts, leaks, etc.), you need to bring out a plumbing expert right away.

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