Hot Water Heater Maintenance

Hot water heater repair Charlotte

Step by Step Instructions on How to Flush and Drain Your Water Heater

Most everyone has a water heater in their home. You may not be aware that a water heater needs to be maintained to keep running properly in order to prolong the life of the water heater. At ER Plumbing, we repair and replace water heaters, but as a home owner, you should maintain your water heater annually to make sure you can get the most use out of your water heater.

Steps to How to Flush and Drain Your Water Heater

Before you begin maintenance on your water heater, you need to make sure you have the right tools.

You will need:

  1. A garden hose
  2. Flathead screwdriver
  3. Pipe wrench
  4. Socket wrench with 1 1/16 inch head
  5. Bucket

This is the order of maintenance steps to perform on your water heater:

  • Test the TPR (temperature-pressure-release) valve on your water heater

◦      Briefly open the valve on the side of the tank with a bucket underneath. Let some  water out and if it continues running, it needs replaced.

  • Check the anode rod

◦      Drain some water out of the drain cock.

◦      Use your 1 1/16” socket to loosen the rod's hex bolt on top of the water heater

◦      Replace the rod if it is less than 1/2” thick or is coated with too much calcium build up.

  • Drain your tank and wash away the sediment

◦      Drain all water

◦      Stir the sediment by briefly opening the cold water supply valve to let some water in. Drain again and repeat this until the water is clean coming out of the hose.

◦      Close the drain cock and refill the tank. Then you can turn the power on again.

  • Adjust the temperature of your water heater

◦      Dial is located in the temperature dial casement

◦      Set the dial with a flat screwdriver to 120 degrees

  • Insulate the pipes with self-adhesive 3/8” foam insulation for pipes. Insulate both cold and hot water pipes.
  • Insulate the water heater

◦      Use an approved insulation for water heaters and cut appropriate holes to allow for the TPR valve and other pipes.

If you follow these steps, you can prolong the life of your water heater.

If you feel that you cannot properly maintain your water heater, please contact us at ER Plumbing to service your water heater unit before you have problem. We provide Charlotte hot water heater services along with other emergency and preventative plumbing services.

Need Charlotte Plumbing Services?

Are you interested in more information about Charlotte tankless water tanks?

Looking to call a plumber in Charlotte?

Need assistance or advice regarding Charlotte NC plumbing?

E.R. Services is open 24/7, 365 days a year. You don’t need to take time off work or wait until the morning because we never charge extra for nights or weekends. Just give us a call at 704-269-1066 or use our online contact form.

Learn more about Charlotte tank water heater here.

Charlotte Plumbing Services at Your Service

Serving the Charlotte metro area, including Charlotte suburbs. Looking for Charlotte plumbing services? Matthews plumbing services? We’ll get the job done now and the job done right. 30+ years experience, fully staffed and committed to customer satisfaction.

Mathews tankless water heater, How to Maintain Your Water Heater

Article Summary

Quick question & answer: How do I perform maintenance on my water heater?

You can perform maintenance on your water heater by following these steps. Test the TPR valve on your water heater. Check the anode rod. Drain your tank and wash away the sediment. Adjust the temperature of your water heater. Insulate cold and hot water pipes with self-adhesive ⅜”foam insulation. Insulate the water heater.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TAP TO CALL