What a Tank Water Heater Service Includes
- Sediment flush: We drain water through the bottom valve until it runs clear. Sediment on the tank floor is what makes the popping and rumbling sound, and on gas units it insulates the water from the burner, so the burner runs longer for the same hot water.
- Temperature and pressure relief (T&P) valve test: We lift the lever and confirm it opens and reseats. A T&P valve that is stuck shut is the one safety device on the tank that matters most.
- Anode rod check: The anode rod corrodes so the tank lining does not. When it is mostly bare wire, the tank starts corroding instead. Where the rod is accessible we pull it and show you.
- Gas units: Burner flame, pilot or igniter, flue draft, and vent connections.
- Electric units: Element and thermostat checks when hot water is short or slow to recover.
- Everything around it: Seismic strapping, expansion tank pressure, shutoff valve, drain pan, and the discharge line from the relief valve.
What a Tankless Service Includes
Tankless units heat water as it passes through a small heat exchanger. Scale from minerals in the water builds up inside that exchanger and cuts efficiency, then trips error codes. A tankless service is mostly about getting that scale out:
- Isolate the unit with its service valves and circulate descaling solution through the heat exchanger with a pump
- Clean the cold water inlet filter screen
- Check stored error codes, flame or element operation, venting, and the condensate drain on condensing models
- Flush, restore flow, and confirm temperature at a fixture
If your tankless was installed without isolation valves, we can add them so future descaling is quick. Without them the unit is hard to service at all.
How Often
Your manufacturer's manual is the rule, and most call for regular flushing or descaling. Once a year is common for both tank and tankless. Harder water means more frequent tankless descaling. If you do not know when it was last done, it is due.
When Maintenance Is Not Worth It
- Water leaking from the tank body or the bottom seam (not the fittings)
- Rust-colored hot water that does not clear after a flush
- A tank already past its typical service life with sediment so packed the drain valve will not flow
Older tanks that have never been flushed can also start leaking at the drain valve once it is opened. We tell you that risk before we touch it, so you can decide.
What's Included and What's Not
Maintenance covers the flush or descale, valve and anode checks, and a written list of what we found. Parts like a new anode rod, T&P valve, drain valve, inlet screen, or expansion tank are quoted separately before we install them. Water softeners and filtration are their own scope, covered on our water quality page.
What It Costs
Flat-rate by unit type, quoted before we start. No trip charge in our service area. If maintenance turns up a repair, you get the price for that before any extra work.