How to Flush Your Water Heater
Annual maintenance that actually extends the life of a tank water heater — sediment buildup is the #1 reason tanks fail early.
Before you start: this is general information, not a diagnosis of your specific situation. Shut off water where instructed, take your time, and stop if anything looks different than described here. If you're not comfortable at any point, stop and call us — that's what we're here for.
- 1Turn off the power (electric: breaker off; gas: set the gas valve to "pilot") and let the water cool if it's been running recently — this is hot water, take it seriously.
- 2Turn off the cold water supply valve at the top of the tank.
- 3Connect a garden hose to the drain valve near the bottom of the tank and run the other end outside or to a floor drain.
- 4Open a hot water faucet somewhere in the house to let air into the system, then open the tank's drain valve and let it empty completely.
- 5Once drained, briefly open the cold supply valve in short bursts to stir up and flush out remaining sediment, then close the drain valve, disconnect the hose, and refill the tank fully before restoring power — running an electric element dry can burn it out.
If the drain valve won't open, is dripping constantly, or your water heater is older than about 10 years and you've never flushed it, sediment buildup could be significant enough that flushing it stirs up a bigger leak in an already-weak tank. If that's the situation, it might be safer to just call us before you start.
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