Why We Recommend Regular Water Heater Flushes

A water heater is a powerful appliance that you and your family rely on almost every day in your home. Any device that does this much work requires occasional maintenance to keep it in good working order. We recommend that you schedule Water Heater Service in Rockville, MD Once a year for your water heater.

One of the tasks of water heater maintenance is to flush the tank. This isn’t necessarily done every year during maintenance, but a water heater requires it at least every few years. You can find instructions online for doing a tank wash yourself, but we don’t recommend it—the process is quite complicated and requires many special parts. Our technicians can get the job done quickly and accurately.

What is the purpose of cleaning a water heater?

The simple answer: remove the accumulated sediment from inside the tank.

The cold water that enters your home and goes to the water heater to heat it contains some level of minerals. As the water heats up, some of these minerals settle along the bottom of the tank as sediment. During the tank rinse, all the water in the tank is drained removing these sediments, and then the tank is refilled.

Why should these deposits be removed from time to time?

There are several reasons why you don’t want to let sediment build up in your water heater

Reduces the energy efficiency of the water heater: When a layer of sediment settles along the bottom of the tank, it creates an insulating layer between the water in the tank and the heat exchanger below that sends heat into the tank.

This insulation will make it more difficult for the water heater to heat the water to its normal temperature, and the water heater will consume more energy to do its job. Cleaning the tank will help you reduce your water heating costs.

Reduces the equipment life of the water heater: Making the water heater work harder will increase its wear, which will accelerate the aging of the water. Sediment can also damage parts of the water heater and cause it to break down early. One deposit with a specific effect is creating hot spots that may end up distorting the tank or causing it to crack and leak.

Hard water issue

If your home has hard water, the sediment problem in your water heater will only get worse. Hard water has a high mineral content, which leads to a quick build-up of sediment in the tank.

We highly recommend that you have a water softener installed in your home to minimize adverse effects on the water heater and to diligently schedule water heater service so that the tank can receive regular flushes.

How do you know you need a tank flush

Besides scheduling annual maintenance, you may need to contact our team to get your water heater flushed early if you notice signs such as a popping sound from the tank (water seeping through the sediment layer) or a drop in the temperature of your home’s hot water (sediment preventing effective heating). You may even notice sediment getting into the hot water that comes from the tap – that’s a big warning sign!

Count On B&B Air Conditioning & Heating Service: We always There when you need us.

tags: RockvilleAnd the Maintenance of water heatersAnd the Repair of water heaters