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"How do I care for my water heater"?

Water heaters do not require a lot of maintenance, but there are a few things you can do to make them last longer.

If your water heater is newer, you want to drain and flush it yearly. This is easily accomplished:

1) Turn the water heater off. If you have an electric water heater, turn the breaker off at the electrical panel. If you have a gas water heater, turn the switch to pilot so that heat is off but the pilot remains lit.

2) Shut off the isolation valve on the cold water intake. This is usually located on top of the water heater.

3) Open a hot water faucet in your home to vent the system and allow the tank to drain quicker.

4) Connect a garden hose to the drain valve near the bottom of the water heater tank. Run the hose outside, or to a floor drain, open the valve and begin draining the tank.

5) The tank will drain about one gallon per minute. After about 10 minutes, turn the isolation valve back on for a few minutes to stir up the sediment at the bottom of the tank. Repeat this until the water in the drain hose runs clear.

6) Close the drain valve on the bottom of the tank and disconnect the hose. Once the tank fills up with water, turn the power or gas back on.

Your drain valve may now leak due to sediment trapped in the valve seat. Purchase an inexpensive hose cap and cap the valve.

The other maintenance item is one not suitable for everyone, and that is to change the sacrificial anode that’s in the interior of the tank. This anode traps sediment that would eventually end up on the bottom of the tank. In all honestly this is a pain in the a$$ to change and if you flush your tank yearly it is unnecessary.

If your water heater bubbles and pops when it’s firing, or if you have a sulfur (rotten egg) odor at the faucet it is time to consider a new water heater. This is an indication that sediment has built up to a point where the heating flame is not effectively reaching the water and the odor is part of that sediment. Most water heaters do not rust out; they burn out because of this condition. Your water heater’s life should be about double its warranty period. A 5 year warranty means a 10 year life; an 8 year warranty a 16 year life etc. This is just a rule of thumb, but if you leave a water heater in service too long, you risk a flood and water damage to your home and valuables.

Maintenance is part of the joy of home ownership and it only takes a few minutes out of your busy schedule and could save you big bucks in the long run.

Stay warm and enjoy that hot shower.

The information contained in the article should be considered the opinion of the author and nothing more.