Why Should I Flush My Water Heater?
Water heaters are a luxury we Orange County residents sometimes take for granted. We certainly take notice, though, the moment we step into that shower and receive the frigid shock that there’s no hot water. Fortunately, flushing your water heater can help prevent this and actually extend the life of your water heater.
The heating of water in your heater causes calcium carbonate to precipitate out and settle to the bottom of the tank. This sand-like sediment can drift into recirculation lines or jam open check valves and then eventually burn out the pump. Regular flushing of your hot water heater can help prevent this sediment build-up.
How Do I Know It’s Time to Flush?
A Distinct Noise
Noise coming from gas models can often be caused by the sediment build-up in the bottom of the water heater tank. Steam bubbles form under the sediment and the thumping and popping noises are created by the bubbles escaping from under the sediment.
A Distinct Sulfur Smell
Another problem associated with sediment build-up is bacterial growth inside the tank. If you’ve ever experienced the odor of sulfur or “rotten eggs” around a water heater, you know how unpleasant and unbearable it can be. This is actually a symptom of bacterial problems, and flushing the water heater can resolve this.
Sediment build-up reduces the amount of hot water you have, and heating the sediment will waste fuel and increase your utility costs. We recommend flushing your water heater once a year. It will operate more efficiently, and you’ll extend the life of your water heater, saving you money and energy in the long run! If you’d like help, just give us a call!
