HOW TO DOUBLE YOUR TANKS LIFE

by Sid Baysinger

 

So seldom overlooked, yes, you can double your water heater's life expectancy simply by flushing your tank once a year in Sacramento or as often as every six months in other areas. It only takes a few minutes. The optional "water heater pros" flush kit is recommended to thoroughly remove the sediment buildup in your tank.

 

CAN SETTLEMENT BUILD AND HURT MY WATER HEATER?

A small amount of sediment buildup probably won't hurt your tank, But a significant amount definitely can.

 

A deep layer of mineral sediment in the tank can cause these issues:

 

• Slower heat transfer to the water causes the water heater to overheat. Overheating can damage the inner lining and weaken the steel tank, leading to premature failure.

• If you have an electric water heater, sediment can cover the heating elements, causing them to burn out.

• Displace water in the tank; excessive sediment buildup in your tank can cause much less helpful hot water.

• Lowers the water heater's efficiency, increasing the cost of heating the water by taking longer to recover.

• Scalding, trapped under a layer of sediment deposits, can cause the water to become superheated. This superheated water (over 300 deg.) can suddenly erupt (cracking open the solid layer of minerals), releasing superheated water while bathing or showering. This can cause extreme scalding, resulting in serious and permanent injury. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A REASON TO FLUSH YOUR TANK

INJURY: If you're hearing a boiling, popping, gurgling noise, and you've never had your water heater serviced (flushed), this sound is usually caused by the layers of sediment buildup at the bottom of the tank, flushing your water heater at this point may not remove enough mineral buildup to be safe, as this sound your hearing is superheated trapped water under the pancake layers of mineral buildup, this scalding water can and has reached temperatures greater than 300º.

 

HOW THIS HAPPENS: When water is heated at temperatures of 120º and greater, minerals are rapidly separated. These minerals slowly settle to the bottom of the tank in time and form a jelly-like substance. This jelly takes about a year to solidify, and when that occurs, it's too late to flush it out. This is why we recommend flushing your tank every 6 to 12 months when the jelly stage has occurred and is easy to remove. When minerals are allowed to solidify and build up, these layers of minerals have been known to crack open while the water heater is operating, releasing this superheated water into the tank; if someone is taking a shower at the time, the scalding water rapidly travels through the pipes to the shower being used and severely injure the person in the shower. This has happened.

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ANOTHER REASON TO FLUSH YOUR TANK

DRY SKIN: I bet you never considered this fact. Did you know? Your water heater may be a contributing factor if and why you have dry skin; in this article, we talk about minerals and how they form in layers at the bottom of your water heater tank when the minerals are separating from the water as it is being heated, a jelly forms, it's in this jelly stage and concentration of these caustic minerals will leach into your hot water storage in high concentrations. While bathing or showering, this will affect your skin through dryness. Some people even develop skin conditions, especially sensitive skin, which is another reason to flush your tank regularly.

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ONE MORE REASON TO FLUSH YOUR TANK

ACID WATER: What's in our water? Here's what the experts say: according to the USBR, NGWA, NCBI, and SGAH, Sacramento Groundwater Authority says about 80% of our tap water comes from "Surface Water" (local lakes and rivers), and 20% comes from "Ground Water" (such as wells). Our local water, as with all water, contains trace minerals which are naturally present in all water. However, some areas of the world have more or less of these and those minerals; according to the NGWA (National Groundwater Authority), The Sacramento region's water is found to have Manganese, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Sulfate, Chorine, Aluminum, Silica, Iron, Nitrate and many more trace minerals too many to list, as minerals are separated and 

concentrated at the bottom of our water heater tanks, the levels of caustic minerals (acid water) are present in a much greater form; these caustic minerals can eat at a water heater steel tank, causing it to leak and fail; this is the number one reasons why most water heaters are replaced, flushing these caustic minerals out of your tank regularly is better for your skin, health, and your water heater will have a longer life span.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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HERE'S HOW TO PROPERLY FLUSH YOUR TANK

1. Best way is to purchase an optional "Flush Kit", Water Heater Pros can provide and install this kit at the time your existing water heater is being replaced, this flush kit contains a full-port brass drain valve, replacing the factory installed conventional drain valve. Our drain valve has a full-port (3/4") opening versus the factory's conventional small port (3/8" to 1/2"). This "Flush Kit" allows the effortless flushing of your water heater tank to maximize mineral removal.

 

2. Get a garden hose long enough to reach a nearby drain lower than the bottom of the water heater or reach an outside area. Be careful not to drain the hot water in shrubs, grass, or trees, as the water is boiling and can harm these plants.

 

3. Next, attach the other end (Female) of the garden hose to the drain valve located at the bottom of your water heater (all water heaters have one) and extend the hose to discharge the water as mentioned above.

 

4. Now open the drain valve by turning the valve handle counterclockwise (several left turns); some newer water heaters now have a screwdriver slot; using a screwdriver, turn the same counterclockwise direction or until you hear water flowing, let the water flow under pressure for about 1-minute for every year of your water heaters age, example: 3-year old water heater, flush it for 3-minutes for a maximum of 5-minutes each year after that. Do not shut off any water or gas valves or electric breakers. Do not open the T&P safety valve or any faucet in the house or anywhere while flushing the tank, as this task is unnecessary.

 

5. Now that you are done, shut off the drain valve clockwise (turning right), or until it is off, detach the garden hose and put it away for next time.

 

Note:

Don't be confused. You are not draining the water out of the tank; you are flushing the tank. When the tank is flushed under city pressure, water is discharged under high pressure, stirring up the accumulated sediment at the bottom of the tank and discharging this debris through the garden hose and out of the water heater. If you have any questions, please call the pros at Water Heater Pros at (916) 344-4500.