DOES MY WATER HEATER TANK REALLY NEED TO BE FLUSHED REGULARLY

Let’s cut to the chase – yes, water heater tanks should be regularly flushed. This helps keep them running efficiently and prevents them from breaking down prematurely.

It’s also recommended by most water heater manufacturers.

But why? How does flushing the water heater help? Glad you asked.

Flushing a water heater gets rid of sediment buildup

The water in Atlanta and the suburb's surrounding Atlanta is relatively hard. That just means there’s a fair amount of minerals dissolved in the water.

When that water makes its way into your water heater tank, the minerals settle to the bottom since they are heavier than water. This can actually create a few problems. A buildup of sediment in a water heater tank can:

Reduce the water heater’s efficiency

Your water heater heats the water from the bottom of the tank. The layer of sediment that builds up can make it more difficult for the heat to transfer to your water, reducing your water heater’s energy efficiency and costing you money.

Lead to other water heater & home damage

If not regularly flushed, your water heater can corrode more quickly. The sediment can also block or clog the pressure and relief valve (which helps keep your water heater from exploding).

Reduce the tank’s hot water capacity

Believe it or not, enough sediment can be deposited over time to reduce your water heater tank’s capacity, leaving you with cold showers.

Water heater maintenance

Even though you can find a bunch of DIY water heater articles and videos online, we don’t recommend doing it yourself. For one, the water is scalding hot (120 degrees and higher) and can cause severe burns if handled incorrectly.

In addition, you can cause damage and injury to yourself, your home, and your water heater if you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s why we offer a water heater flush as part of our annual water heater maintenance program.

And, as part of the tune-up, we’ll also make sure the rest of your water heater is working well.

Talk to a Metro Atlanta Plumber

Ragsdale Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electrical has been serving the metro Atlanta area for over 25 years. Contact us online for more information on how we can help you.