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If you’re looking for water heater repair or installation, you can always trust our skilled Griffith plumbers at Meyer’s Companies. However, if you’re trying to maintain your water heater on your own, you may have been told to either flush or drain the unit. For many homeowners, these instructions can be confusing; what’s the difference between flushing and draining out your water heater anyway?
How to Flush Your Water Heater
In order to flush out your water heater, you will need to attach a hose to the system’s drain valve. After turning the drain valve on, you can safely dump out water from the tank, without shutting off the water supply completely. The entire flushing process can be done quickly, and is a good way to cleanse the tank and refresh your supply of hot water, as well as to check that the shut off valve is working correctly.
How to Drain Your Water Heater
Draining your water heater is a very different procedure that flushing it. To do this, you will need to completely shut off the water supply. While this may take awhile, it will give you a chance to examine the condition of the tank’s water, i.e. does it look discolored at all, is their sediment in the water, etc. As your water drains, make sure to check it for rust. If you notice more and more rust in your water supply as it gets to the final gallon, there is a good chance your heater is wearing down, and may be vulnerable to leaks. If this is the case, you will want to call a professional plumber right away.
What Does My Water Heater Need?
In general, you should flush a heater when your water begins to feel less fresh. Ideally, the average homeowner will do this a few times a year. On the other hand, you may want to drain your water heater completely if you have started to notice rust-colored water coming from your shower or drains, or if you have noticed that your water is flowing slower than usual lately, indicating a potential leak.
For more plumbing tips and tricks, keep reading our blog. And remember, for all your main plumbing needs, you can trust our experts at Meyer’s.
Call our Griffith plumbing and water heater pros today at (219) 240-0610, or click here to send us a message online.
