Posted by Stephanie in All water that enters a water heater contains natural minerals of some kind. Heating the water causes the minerals to separate and fall to the bottom of the tank. Over time, sediment buildup in electric water heaters can cover the lower heating element. This causes a significant drop in the amount of hot water the water heater can produce.
Since this build-up is usually made of calcium carbonate, one tell-tale sign that it’s time to drain the tank is a sulfur (or rotten-egg) odor around your water heater.
Alternately, if your water heater is a few years old or you just bought a new home, you should drain it now to see just how much sediment you have accumulated. The amount of gunk that you observe in the drained water will help you to determine your future flushing schedule.
Steps to drain
- Turn off your electric water heater by flipping the appropriate circuit breaker
- Close the cold water supply line valve located on top of the water heater
- 3.Open the pressure relief valve on top of the water heater (pull up on handle until it locks into place)……..can turn on a hot water faucet instead.
- 4.Attach garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater
- After running the hose outside, open the drain valve or faucet at the bottom f the water heater
- Drain tank – may take 30 minutes or more
- 7.Open the intake valve for a minute to flush out any remaining sediment
- Refill the tank (reverse actions above)
Other noteworthy facts:
- Sediment develops rapidly in temperatures of 140° F or higher - Set your water heater so that water at the faucet is 120° F. At this temperature, sediment build-up slows, but the water is still hot enough to kill harmful, disease-causing bacteria (for example, the bacteria that causes legionnaires’ disease flourishes in temperatures up to 115° F).
- High pressure is another cause of rapid sediment build-up - if your water pressure inside the house is over 50 psi, then have a pressure reducer installed by a plumber for your water heater.
When you remove sediment buildup, you will keep your water heater functioning more efficiently and increase its useful life. This can save you money on repairs as well as reduce your monthly energy bill.
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