Ever turned on the hot water and wondered, “How does this work?” Well, not without occasional water heater maintenance!
Why flush your water heater?
Now, let’s talk water heater showers – as in, a shower FOR your water heater! Picture this: Every time water flows through your water heater, it carries teeny tiny sediment particles with it. Over time, these particles settle at the bottom and calcify – think stalagmites but less cool. An annual water heater flush helps keep these particles at bay, ensuring a longer, healthier life for your heater.
How do Biard & Crockett plumbers do this?
Gas or electric, doesn’t matter – they both need a good flush. The switch-off process is slightly different for each, though. If it’s an electric heater, we flip off the circuit breaker. With a gas heater, we turn off the gas valve and the thermostat. Next, we turn off the cold water supply at the top of your water heater. Generally, it’s the one with the blue valve (the red one’s for hot water). Then, we switch on the hot water at the nearest faucet to drain any excess water.
Time to take out the garden hose! We connect it to the drainage spigot at the bottom of your water heater. The other end goes outside or to a basement drain – basically, anywhere you don’t mind getting a bit wet. When the water runs clear, it’s time to switch the cold water back on and wait until it’s clear again.
Then, we turn off the drain spigot, disconnect the hose, and check the faucet where we turned on the hot water. Cold water flowing? Great! Now we can safely switch the electricity or gas back on, and after about 20 minutes, hot water should be flowing from your faucets again.
If you have a gas water heater, relighting the pilot light may be necessary. Different models have different methods.
Why go to the expert plumbers in Orange County?
And we do recommend going to the professionals for this because messing with your water heater can feel like you’re defusing a bomb in an action movie. Mishandling these systems can lead to electrical shock, gas leaks, or a pressure build-up that could cause the water heater to explode. But with our expert plumbers on the job, your water heater will be running efficiently and safely in no time.
Call us anytime at (714) 602-1299, or schedule an appointment on our website.