Did You Know That Your Water Heater Traps Sediment Inside Its Tank? Here's Why It Needs To Be Flushed Regularly
As a result of how water heaters are designed, they act as a trap for sediment that enters in from the cold water pipe. Excessive sediment buildup can cause severe problems for your water heater — heating elements can burn out and the sediment can corrode the steel lining of your tank, causing leaks to form. In order to protect your water heater from damage, you'll need to have your water heater drained periodically in order to flush out the sediment. To help you understand more about this issue, here's some information about why a water heater collects sediment and the problems it can cause.
Why Does Sediment Collect in a Water Heater's Tank?
If you take a look at your water heater, you'll notice that there are two pipes on the top that are connected to your home's plumbing. Cold water enters your water heater's tank through one of these pipes and hot water exits the tank through the other. Sediment enters your water heater tank through the cold water inlet pipe and settles on the bottom since it's heavier than water.
Since the hot water pipe is on the top of the water heater and the sediment is on the bottom, it doesn't flow up through the hot water pipe and into your home's plumbing — there's no way for sediment to escape through the hot water outlet pipe, so the sediment remains trapped in your water heater's tank. Sediment continues to build up in your water heater's tank until you manually flush the tank using the drain valve on the bottom of the water heater.
What Problems Are Caused by Excess Sediment in the Water Heater Tank?
The primary problem caused by sediment buildup is corrosion — the minerals in the sediment can cause the steel walls of your water heater tank to rust, causing pitting that will eventually result in a leak. Since all of these minerals lie mainly on the bottom of your water heater's tank, the bottom of your water heater tends to rust out and begin leaking first.
Excess sediment in your tank can also burn out the bottom heating element in your water heater. Once the sediment level reaches the bottom heating element, it surrounds it and acts as an insulator. With all of the heat generated by the heating element trapped inside, it eventually overheats and burns out. With only one heating element left to heat the water in the tank with, your water heater takes longer to heat the incoming cold water to a comfortably hot temperature.
Sediment can also reduce the capacity of your water heater's tank, causing the hot water in your home to run out quicker. When you combine this with a burnt-out heating element, you'll experience abysmal performance from your water heater — your home will quickly run out of hot water, and the water heater will struggle to reheat the cold water that enters the tank.
How Often Should You Flush Your Water Heater?
How often you need to flush your hot water heater depends on your water quality as well as your usage. If your home uses well water or if you live in a region with very hard water, sediment will build up more quickly in your water heater. As a general recommendation, homes with soft water should have their water heater drained once a year, and homes with hard water or well water should drain their water heater twice a year.
If you're not flushing your water heater regularly, find a local water heater service and schedule an appointment. You'll avoid the damage that excess sediment can cause to your water heater. You shouldn't try to drain your water heater on your own, as modern water heaters are well-insulated and retain their heat for a long period of time even after being turned off — there's a risk that you may burn yourself attempting to drain your water heater. Instead, call a water heater service professional to perform this maintenance task and to have your water heater inspected for any damage that may have been caused by the excess sediment.