How to Flush a Water Heater? | Flushing Will Probably Not Fix Your Problem 

My dad wasn't a plumber, but had a couple of friends in different trades. One was a plumber who told him not to bother flushing it. My dad is 88; a Marine, and still not too proud to listen to advice. I appreciate this guy's dad too.

The mechanics car is always the last to get fixed. Just because he didn't do it does not mean it is not a good idea. Common sense- get the dirt out...unless you enjoy showering and brushing your teeth with that type of cruddy, smelling water. I flushed mine a few times and the water did not look very good. It can also get into your new washing machine, dishwasher, etc.

I think it depends on your region.

Are you a plumber because you make more sense than him

@@roberta9950 Thanks, I am a builder and try and get deep into the nuances of each trade.

I would like to add that sediment swirls inside a water heater abrading the plastic fill tube, Especially on the fancy heaters with the curved fill tube. As the heater replenishes the water used, it introduces the cold water at the bottom so as to keep the hot water at the top for use. when the fill tube gets perforated, the cold water dilutes the hot water making warm or worse, cold water. I've seen fill tubes that looked like swiss cheese with literally thousands of holes in them. Eventually the fill tube will just disintegrate and the cold water will fill on the top and go right out the hot side giving a no hot water impression. Obviously this is all worse on a well system that may get fine sand in the tank but any sediment in the tank will work the same.

Richard is spot on. I have been in the building business for 45 yrs and I'm a critical bastard.. like to do things right. Being a builder, with many personal friends who are/were plumbers, this is the consensus in the industry. Situations can very, depending on your water, from a little to a lot of build up. I feel sediment build up will effect a gas heater more, as the heat transfer surface is starting to be covered/affected right from the start. In an electric, it takes quite a few inches to reach the bottom element. Put in the better drain valve when it's new, and clean every year, if needed. You'll be able to get a feel how often yours needs it after a couple times draining. He is also correct on the sacrificial anode.

@@TW14137 Thanks. So many plumbers just dont really care about or understand water heaters. Builders that provide a complete product are more likely to have a deeper understanding of a homes components.

Was thinking I need to clean mine because it sounds the same, popping after turning on for a few minutes. I live in Las Vegas and the water is very hard, a lot of calcium. I'd say it really depends on the water.

Def necessary in Florida I had a 5 gallon bucket of milk come out. Then everything heated quicker

We have hard well water. The first time our lower heat element burned out I removed it and was amazed how much calcium was piled up on the bottom. I made a spatula out of a piece of copper pipe that fit into the hole for the heating element and carefully scooped out most of the crud. Flushing would not get it out. Now I do this every couple of years and the heating elements don't burn out because they don't get buried in sediment and overheat. The unit is still working and it's 30 years old!

Would you recommend flushing a gas water heater and changing the valve on the bottom to facilitate cleanin?

What would be the typical cost of flushing ?

C L, I’m 18 years older then you and I still have a lot to learn. Thanks for your comments.

@@TheGrumpyPlumber never to Ole to learn!

Cl, sorry bout your loss!

Water heater / hot water tank. You heat hot water similar to taking heat out of cold air. - It's a relative argument, so it's not exactly wrong as the educated philosophers may maintain ☺.

@@louf7178 It's a COLD water heater......

@@leeclark6102 You missed the point, and I know there's no point in arguing with you. It's a circular argument since hot loses temperature. Also, it can be understood as a state and function title - hot water (state) heater (function). And, yes, "hot" water does need to be heated.

thats because most plumbers keep shit real . not like these safe space colored hair new plumbers we got these days , or the flip side of that is a guy who thinks he is hot shit cause he can make a turd go down hill and do it faster than others .. in the end , its just shit rolling down hill at 1/8 inch per foot , dont chew your finger nails and payday is every friday .. oh by the way fuck plumbers ! i was one off and on for over 15 years . commercial and residential new build and service side .. fuck plumbers !!

What about orange or brown water? I have it coming out of my bathtub for a few seconds. In called my water tank company they said to flush it

@@GRRRRRRRRRRME Assuming your water supply is good, I would guess this is more a problem with your supply lines than the hot water tank.

I wonder if the tanks in the old days are made with thicker steel? No one seems to mention this aspect. I never flush my tank just because I didn't know there was a the tank life expectancy...new home owner. I purchased my new home in 2002 and the water tank leak exactly the year it was stated on the tank and then the tank I replaced leaked exaclty 1 year before it was support to expire. I was going to replace it based on the life expectancy year stated on the tank so now I don't trust that number anymore. It seems like the manufacturer know exactly then the tank will leak if you don't flush it regularly. I live in Southern California so I wonder if flushing the tank would help.

@@thecsucihai You are probably correct in your thinking that old hot water tanks may have used thicker steel. I really don’t know for sure. I do know some new tanks are better than others. I always recommend spending a little more on a better quality tank, since installation labor is a big part of the equation. I personally have a gas hot water tank that was installed in 1990 and it has never been flushed. It still works great. My high end water pressure is set at 60psi and I have a water softener.

@@Steve-kl3mo I have a Rheem Performance Platinum 12 years life. I will update the status of my tank in 2032 :) I suggest people with tank that are still going strong after 20-30 years let us know what brand and model they have.

Thank God for water softeners even

Replaced rod after 21 yrs. Totally clean inside using well water. No bad smell. Still running great after 25 yrs. Mess with it less for problem free heaters.

If u do decide to drain your water heater Turn off the water supply , reduce the pressure by opening a hot faucet … then open the valve at the bottom of the water heater. Flush… then turn water back off before closing valve on hot water tank….Those are not very good valves and opening and closing them under pressure is asking for a leak !!!

I have a 16yo electric in SE Alabama and a 30yo gas water heater in Western PA. Never flushed either. Was going to this week until I saw this video.

@@coolcanuck2570 It was a John wood

Clicked on the link to check out the merch and it's not there. Just sayin'... ❤☮🌎

Same here.

Old timers have the best information available, these new college kids have book smarts yet lack in experiential knowledge! Thanks for video. Your Dad rocks 😊🎉

Our mains run at around 95 PSI as they go up a hill.

Herd, im a tech at apartments and i flush every tank i put new elements in. Also, elements are like brake pads, change both at the same time!

Agree 100%. I get a bucket of sediments every two years! If I don’t clean the sediments the bottom heating element gets toast!

I drained mine and I got nothing but water that came out what a waste!

Where in Florida do you reside? Do you disclose prices for your work? Mine is well water. I'm in Wesley Chapel. My husband tried & couldn't figure it out.

@@hazeleyezluv you can RU-vid it. It’s not a difficult procedure. All you really need is a garden hose to drain the tank.

Yes, I used a plumber to clean out a clog and he charged me an insane amount. You CANNOT trust plumbers - they only want to gouge customers.

Sorry to hear about your dad.

Mine did the sane thing a couple of days ago. I spent about three minutes opening and closing it and it stopped leaking. Easy peezy.

Most water heaters in Australia come with magnesium anodes, which is a little less hazardous for your health compared to water coming from a tank where aluminium anodes are in use.

EXACTLY!

You can still get magnesium rods in USA

Remember he’s a plumber. If he’s not coming to your house, he’s not getting paid.

I came hear to say the same thing. Dudes dad is not a plumber or a professional 😂😂😂

Same here in south Florida. Calcium and sediment have been in most heaters I've replaced

Same in Phoenix.

How did you manage to vacuum it out? I think I have the same problem. Tested the lower element and it’s gone. My heater is only three years old.

@@KnightsofChristendom Basically drain of course. Remove bottom element or what's left. Get a shop vac and you'll have mend a smaller hose that will fit through the bottom element opening. Had to rig a sturdy gauge steel wire to use as a pick. I had at least most of the element covered in sediment and pretty much shot. Replace element . Just tedious. But you'll reap fast results as you are not heating the buildup your tank fills correctly. Normally, I can tell the tank has buildup by the hot water may not last as it normally does. Extends your heater's life.

Shelly Burrow, glad you are doing your own maintenance on your home. If you have any questions in the future, please ask and I’ll see if I can help.

@@TheGrumpyPlumber Hey grumpy, isn't her name Shelly TRIBETT? Not Burrow?

You would get ripped off if you hired this clown ! He is a fool he doesn’t know a damn thing ! Yes it does help to flush your water heater if you live in an area with a lot of lime ! It’s easier if you have electric water heater you can vacuum out the lime buildup in the bottom ! We have tanks that have gone 30 years doing this ! Mine right now is over ten years old and it’s cleaned each year

@@fuzzyelm1 agree 100%. After 9 years (2009 install), we had sediment that was 3 inches OVER the lower element. I flushed it in 2018, and plan to do another flush this fall after 5 years, as well as replace the anode. Two choices here...either do the regular flush and maintenance (however often it needs depending on the water) or write a check for $750-$1000 for a new water heater install. For me, I'll be happy keeping that money in my pocket.

You have been fooled again

Replace with a full flow ball valve...

Christopher Westfall, you're right about anode design. Old Grumpy Plumber shouldn't be passing on bum info.

Yes he really didn't why the Anonde rod is there, also didn't talk about well water as opposed to city water.

Correct. I'm a plumber of 18 years. I like Grumpy Plumbers attitude but I can't agree with his beliefs on this topic.

Even our little tiny camper (6 gallon tank) water heater has an anode rod. Makes sense that larger tanks also have one. To not replace it makes no sense....it’s there for a reason!

How can I get rid of “hammering?” I’ve already tried opening all spigots and then turn it on again. Didn’t work. Help!

Welbie Frazier, nice to hear from a fellow plumber. Isn’t retirement great?!! People have a lot of questions for me and I thoroughly enjoy answering them. Keeps me sharp.

Thank Arlen, I appreciate your BS meter.

A you from mi?

@@victoriacousins4501 no, bc Canada.

yeah, but your lively hood depends on shit breaking :-P ie: people being lazy about doing maintenance.

No disrespect but you’re wrong here and so is he. I repair water heaters, boilers etc all day long and there are issues that come from not draining and flushing your water heater.

@@larryzeka5011 What kind of issues? I have a residential, natural gas water heater that’s about 2 years old and I’ve been considering whether to flush it or not. It operates perfectly right now. Flushing is real easy since it’s in the basement near a drain.

I would say "He doesn't suffer fools easily."

As Scotty says, you can not fix stupid....

Well said! I'm 67. My tolerance for BS is getting lower and lower. But, my ability to spot BS is getting stronger and stronger.

Get off the lawn ya damn kids!! (BTW, I’m 58 and my tolerance for BS is exactly nil.) (I also don’t yell at the neighborhood kids playing on my lawn... 😬 )

dumbass stupid no count idiots drive me batshit crazy....ignorance is NOT bliss

Oh my God - I was thinking how much I missed my dad, too! Back in 1997 he fitted my electric boiler and rigged everything up (he was a lecturer). He was sixty two at the time. He cared about me. He loved to detail the principles of how the things he was providing, for me, worked. I didn't pay him enough attention (on those occasions, specifically). Yes, I really miss him. Here's to Dads!!

@@batintheattic7293 We never do it's human nature I think. I didn't visit my mum much after her stroke and she passed in November of sepsis 77 year's old. She didn't like talking on the phone after the stroke either, was frustrating I might of got 10 minutes with her then she'd want to hang up. Hey my 3.5 year old AO Smith 30 gallon is making a clunking noise like once an hr, I thought it was a ghost in the bathroom, it's a Moble home, should I be concerned?

Flush your water heater monthly this guy may be old but he is dead wrong on every point he made

@@slackbomb My last water heater was 17 year's old and I never flushed it, this new one is 3.5 year's old and I turned on the water to flush a little and the water was clear not brown so I only took out about a gallon and put the drywall cover back on

​@@slackbomb monthly!? You need a whole house filter.

@@larryzeka5011 lol

I agree with the theory 'if it's not broken, don't touch it' sometimes but with something's a little maintenance that costs nothing really goes a long way. Plumbers who tell you not to maintain your equipment, seem to gain the most. Would you believe a mechanic if he told you not to bother doing oil changes on your car?

@@dave8599 there is no warranty issue to worry after it expires and the anode rod wouldn’t even need to be changed out within the first 4 or 5 years or more.anyway! I believe his explanation of the purpose of the rod is incorrect. The rods purpose is for the minerals in the water to attack the rod instead of the tank walls. If it’s changed out every 4 or 5 years or so it supposedly can double the life of the water heater. How often they need to be changed depends on the source of and type of water. There is another video tutorial on you tube that shows the removal of the sediment from the bottom of the tank using a wet vac with slender clear hose attachment to fit through the heating element port (on an electric water heater). you’ll know when it needs to be cleaned out because it sounds like rocks tumbling around and it’s annoying to hear. It’s a very helpful video to watch and learn. Also, water softeners can erode a anode rod faster because of the salt used. My dad attempted to change his anode (Arizona water with a water softening system) and found there was only a stub 1” long of the 3’ long rod left and the water heater was only 6 years old!

@@larryzeka5011 Tell us why

You should apply that theory the next time you think about changing the oil in your car. Let us know how that works out for you.

Chris, you are so right!! Thanks for verifying my view.

15yrs and going strong.. no maintenance on mine since install

You and me! Years back we moved a few blocks from our first house to our new home and within a week, we purchased a water softener. The difference between the aquifers between those two towns was an eye-opener. Couldn't believe the scale that formed seemingly overnight. I think it might have saved our water heater a lot of trouble too.

Dude if you think percolating sounds are ok wait till you hear the boom after the relief valve fails to operate properly. This advice here is dangerous and unsound.

What happened in between the "over 20" year old original heater and the "approximately 20" year old current water heater in your 50 year old house? Did you go without hot water for 8-10 years?

it doesn't hurt, it may help, but I certainly wouldn't "lose sleep" if I didn't do it.

Interesting conversation and I listen to all comments, however, I disagree, Where we are the water is hard and overtime the heat causes the lime to exit the water from soluble to calcium that build up on the heated surfaces and if your heater is a condensing type the smaller channels do eventually plug the exchanger - using a cleaning agent does dissolve this crap and it will need flushing out otherwise it will not be just a Sissle it may be a bang you hear next.

This guy doesnt know anything a recommend not listening to handymen like him

Why do you heat hot water?

@@maxwellcrazycat9204 Don't be a pedant.

@Nikki Seven I'm a an hvac tech and a plumber and you find that the old timers always learned from the guy before them. I mean we all do this way but now we are heavily educated. The old timers don't have the understanding the new guys do. They didn't get the 3ducation they don't do the online courses and refreshers. They don't have a online community of techs that they share experience with.....so just because a guy has 40+ years experience it doesn't always mean anything. This guy's take is that you install a water heater and replace it 12-15years later. Period. Why bother. But to a person who doesn't have the resources making a water heater last another 5 -10years or longer could a lifesaver for them. So many times a water heater goes out and the cost nearly breaks a struggling family. No nonsense is good...depending on the situation. Who's situation.

I drain mine completely when I shut my water off for 6 months when I go to warm weather in TX is this ok to do??

Get a sand hog element. It’s a heavy duty element.

He's not the dude 🤦‍♂️ there's only one dude 😂

Spot on! That was a good one Dave! LOL.

😆

He won't stand for aggression, man.... ;)

or that Paul Rudd is good son!

It is called a water heater, not a hot water heater. Why would anyone want something to heat hot water? Add a water softener and a water filter the sediment will no longer be an issue.

@@scomeau66 soft water does nothing for the water heater except speeds up process of destroying it saltwater is not good for the water heater and when the soft water pops you get these beads through out the whole house and in every fixture. water softeners no good now get a water treatment system is a lot better

​@@frankhoward3120 First of all you clearly have no idea what is inside a water softener. If you have ever opened one you would know that there is no possibility of beads or more appropriately resin, breaking out and circulating through the pipes. Someone would have had to purposely damage the secondary screen after somehow screwing up the resin bed strainer. After that, the beads which resemble glass would have to somehow float through over two feet of water. Marbles don't float upwards through water neither would the resin beads inside a water softener. You are making an unrealistic claim to impose an unrealistic fear. Do you have any clue what water treatment is? I guess not. Fundamentally water treatment is filtration. And the more filtered the more pure your water is. The first step is physical filtration with a mesh or fabric then series of ever reducing sized aggregate called a media filter. Then a water softener to remove minerals that would otherwise quickly clog up your next step, a carbon filter. The water softener primarily removes Calcium and Magnesium however it is fundamentally a filter, a water treatment filter. Then an Activated Carbon (AC) filter which removes so very much. Like Organic chemicals, Pesticides, chloroform, VOC’s Solvents, Industrial cleaners and most importantly Chlorine. Without a water softener, your Carbon filter will capture the Calcium and Magnesium. it will also foul up pretty quickly. The removal of chorine with the AC is important to protect the Reverse Osmosis membrane. A quality RO membrane that resembles spaghetti, not one of the Thin Film Composite versions. Now you will have very clean water. To go further would be to de-ionize the water with an EDI system and purge it with Ozone. At that point it would be USP water suitable for pharmaceutical manufacturing. An Ozone destruct unit would be installed before any use point. With fewer than 100 cfu, an a TOC of less than 500 and conductivity of 1.3 TS. (For reference drinking water has a specification of only less than 500 CFU.) This cleaned water is good for Pharma but still dirty as it would have bacterial endotoxins. There is no criteria for the number of endotoxins allowed in drinking water. To remove endotoxins you need to take your pharma water (USP Water) and distill it. Then you get Water For Injection or WFI’y water. Which is what is in your vaccine injection. This is very clean water but still dirty for one last industry which would be microprocessors. They require ultra-pure water 18.2 meg. ohm. Water so clean that it goes bad when exposed to air. It absorbs CO2 which destroys/contaminates the water and lowers its resistivity. If you were to drink ultra-pure water it would suck minerals (electrolytes) out of your organs. That is what water treatment is. Some, all, or parts, water treatment removes contaminates. Back to the water softener, you know the thing that removes contaminants like calcium and magnesium. Your sad argument (yes truly sad) doesn’t hold water. While what you are saying makes perfect sense in that soft water is bad for a water heater. It is like saying the Fifth nuclear bomb will hurt. The hard water is worse for your water heater and your household fixtures. It is a frivolous argument because the minerals that a water softener removes are far more damaging than the softened water. I get ten-plus years out of every tank-style water heater. Well over 100 water heaters with no maintenance whatsoever. Some with water softeners some without. If a water softener was as bad as you think, the resolution would be to simply spend $40 to replace the anode rod every so often. While I find all water heater services to have diminishing returns. If you are worried about a water softener's adverse effects on your water heater, then $40 is certainly a very small price to pay to counter those effects that come with the benefits of softened water which are lower scale buildup inside your water heater and the reduced scale build up on your household fixtures. Softened water is better for your skin and your hair and for washing your clothes. Yes, my friend without a water softener there are numerous drawbacks in addition to the increase of scale in your entire water system. Which requires far more effort to remove than it would to replace the $40 anode. (By the way, for some odd reason, all of my anodes have lasted the full life of the water heater. So, even the basic claim that soft water is bad for water heaters appears to have been considered by the manufacturers and the anode rods are properly sized to counteract the small negative effects of softened water, negating your claim of damage, ultimately making your comments to be that of unrealistic fear.) Not to mention the water softener incidentally removes sediment which would otherwise compromise your water heater (creating an insulating mass on the bottom of your tank as well as your entire plumbing system.) In either case, the cost of servicing a water heater far exceeds any benefits as they are specified to last 10 years. They meet that specification easily without any service. And when it fails after its expected lifespan are you really going to be surprised that it didn’t last longer than the manufacturer specified it would? By pure physical action, the water softener removes particulates that would otherwise settle in your water heater. Sediment which can never be fully flushed without significant effort. Obviously, it degrades the efficiency and lifespan of a water heater. Fundamentally anyone installing a water softener should be bright enough to install a water filter before it to remove the entrained sediment. With that being said, the water you consume should be full of minerals. When installing a water softener a knowledgeable person will run a separate line of hard water to the kitchen sink.

​@@frankhoward3120 Whoa, you really got schooled hard.

@@frankhoward3120 Water softeners do not produce salt water. The brine is used to clean the resin bed which is then flushed out, removing the brine.

🤦

I have two. One is 19 years old other is 11. Never been flushed....as recommended by my father in law. The retired plumber

@@mikej238 So your retired father who was a plumber recommended that you do NOT flush?

My house is 17 years old with original water heater, never been flushed.

9 months later and still going strong. 19 years old.

@@mikej238 it depends on what kind of eater you have , we have lots of lime so we have to flush and take out the sediments ! And anyone that tells you not to is a n idiot ! And the water pressure coming to a home is never 150 pli and it’s not going to cause a water heater to go bad ! Water heater is set to a 150 psi pop off valve ! I bet tgis old man would tell you that you can’t replace the cathode rod in a water heater too !

THE SAME HERE , 1985 AO SMITH !

@@LouieXI0I You guys know you're calling the gremlins to your water heater, right? Look guys, we missed two! Let's break 'em!!! woo hoo. Now you have water everywhere.

@@robertthomas5906 ABSOLUTELY, I'M RESEARCHING WHAT BRAND TO BUY, TO DO AN R&R NEXT WEEK.

Water heaters life span nowadays 5-7 years. Unless you replace the anode rod, then you’ll get your money’s worth.

@@LouieXI0I A.O.Smith.

Just a question, does your water heater make a lot of noise when it heats up water? I guess this is why I’ve been researching about flushing because I saw that the loud sounds a water heater makes is often caused by sediment.

My water heater (GE) going strong 18 years. Never flushed never will

My thoughts exactly.

55psi? My 75 PSI, commercial copper lines and drilled Speakman Shower heads allow for 3 minute showers.🤔

I don't know I took care of apartments which had 105 electric water heaters changed a lot of bottom elements and used a shop vac with 3/4 PEX water line to suck out all the lime built up to the point it covered the element causing them to burn out

I habe have an low peak electric water heater any idea why it would not be working?

💯. You are doing it the right way

Thank you thank you... Well done Mark