How-to Flush a Water Heater

In the November Home Maintenance post a few weeks ago, one of the things we recommended you do this month is flush your hot water tank and remove any sediment build-up. If you’ve never done this before, it seems like a daunting task. However, This Old House’s Richard Trethewey shows you exactly how to do this task in their helpful how-to video. The task should take about 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much sediment is in the tank, and it’s an easy task to complete. Click on the image below to view the video:

The steps are basic, with only a few pieces of equipment required:

• Turn off the electricity and water to the tank, allowing it to cool completely.
• Drain the water into a bucket using a garden hose and a pump.
• Inspect the water in the bucket to see how much sediment is in the water.
• If the water is filled with sediment, refill the heater and drain it again, repeating until the water runs clear.
• Disconnect the hose and pump from the water tank.
• Turn on the electricity and water to the tank again.
• Done!

Information found at http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20047191,00.html