Flush hot water heater

[S.Androff]

I was told by the plumber who installed my hot water heater to flush it yearly. Is flushing the water heater just a matter of hooking up a hose to the hose bib and draining a few gallons? Do I need to shut off the electric? Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Mark FeldhausParticipant]

If you live in an area that has hard water, you stand the chance of closing the valve on a piece of calcium. Then you would have a leaking valve and need a plumbing repair. If you dont have hard water, maybe draining would serve no purpose. Here in San Antonio (hard water), I used to recommend that people never drain the heater, just replace it every eight to twelve years when the calcium builds up. I just realized, I dont know enough to answer your question, sorry.

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