Welcome to our Preventative Maintenance Page for those who would like to extend the lifespan of their plumbing systems and to provide you with information to keep you safe.
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One of the most expensive investments in your plumbing system is your water heater. The large majority of homes have a tank style water heater(which will be referred to as w/h), and there is an annual maintenance that you can perform that will not only extend the life of the w/h, but make it more efficient as well.
One step homeowners can take is a visual inspection of the heater and another is to flush out your heater annually. I am going to take a moment to familiarize you with your w/h. Tank-style w/h's have a drain valve at the bottom of the tank similar to an older style outside faucet. They also should have another valve, The Shut-Off Valve, as shown in the diagram on the right. Another valve that you should become familiar with is your Temperature and Pressure Valve. It is a valve in your tank that will be either on top or offset from the center to the right and will be approximately six inches from the top of your w/h. It is very important to check the T&P valve once a year to insure that calcium has not built up on the opening into the tank. It is also very important to have the drain attached to the T&P valve. The purpose of the T&P valve is to insure that you have a relief from high pressure (over
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150psi) or if your thermostat on the heater becomes defective and continuously heats the water(relieves at 210 degrees).
The reason this is so important, is if you build up pressure either through thermal expansion or through your water trying to boil and there is no relief for it, it will become like an over-inflated balloon and could possibly "pop". The reason the drain on the T&P is so important is if circumstances occur and your T&P relieves the pressure, it is going to spray (more than likely very hot) water. If there is no drain attached, it is possible for anyone around it to get scalded with hot water.
Here is how we flush out a w/h...
Please take care, I evaluate the w/h and valves before I tamper with them; leaks or damaged valves may occur from faulty, damaged, low quality, or old water heaters and/or valves. I always recommend that a professional does the work to minimize the risks of damage or personal injury.
1. Turn breaker (if electric) off, if it is not marked usually a 30 amp breaker. If it is gas or LP (Liquid Propane) turn gas burner to pilot ( pilot will allow you to simply turn gas back on without relighting pilot light) located on top of a small box close to the bottom of the w/h.
2. Turn water to w/h off with the shut-off valve, turn valve clockwise to turn off and go to your bathtub faucet and turn the hot side on. If you have an anti-scald valve you will have to use either a lavatory or kitchen faucet. The hot side being left on will allow air into the w/h so it will drain easier.
3. Use a garden hose and connect to the drain valve (check washer in hose end to prevent leak)and run hose to a place where water will not cause any damage or use to water plants. Keep in mind we are using gravity to drain heater so make sure the hose is heading downhill. And open drain valve.
4. There sometimes may be sediment(small jelly-type beads)that clogs the drain opening and can be resolved by slowly turning the shutoff valve on to pressurize and 'blow' the sediment out and then turning back off. After the tank is completely drained, you should flush the tank by turning the shutoff valve on and letting it rinse the tank for about one minute and turning back off and again let the w/h drain completely and repeat the 'flush' process about three times or until no sediment comes from the heater.
5. After flushed, turn the drain valve off and the shutoff valve on and let the w/h fill up. When water comes from the faucet that you left on, turn the faucet off and turn your pilot back to on or your breaker back on and congratulations you have completed the flushing of your w/h. Wasn't too hard was it?
Now for a brief visual inspection...
Looking at your heater--first things first, if you have a gas or LP w/h, check for gaps or openings in the vent where carbon monoxide can escape. Careful not to touch the vent; it may be hot. Next if your heater is gas or LP and it is not in a living area (i.e. a garage, storage room or basement where flammable liquids may be kept), your w/h should be on an eighteen-inch-high stand made of a non-combustible material. If you have another place to keep paint, thinners, gas cans or other flammable materials other than the same proximity of the w/h, it would be safest--even if the w/h is on a stand. It is also a good idea to keep combustible materials away from the w/h to keep air flowing to the heater and to make things safe!!!
Also look for any signs of rust or corrosion which is a sure sign something is starting to or going wrong.
Something else to have checked on the water heater that you are rarely told about is your Anode or anticorrosion Rod. It is a rod either in the top or in the outlet side of your w/h. These rods are made of either aluminum or magnesium and are the defense of your w/h against internal corrosion. The deterioration of these rods is the largest portion of the sediment that collects in the bottom of your w/h. When your Anode is checked, most people think and are often led to believe that it is bad. The way to tell if the Anode is bad is if it is missing any part of the rod, exposing the thin metal rod at the center, if there is any splitting, or if there is simply no rod left. There are also some things that affect the rod in the making that give the rod a gravel-like appearance or a black, slimy look. If any of these describe your rod it is time to replace it. Most manufacturers recommend the rod to be checked every two years, and if you have a water softener, I recommend every year (soft water eats the magnesium quicker). You do not have to replace your Anode rod when it does go bad, but if you do you are extending the life of your heater despite the age or condition.
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