Do I need to Flush out or drain my water heater?

Many of my home inspection customers ask about the need to flush out their water heater due to the hard water we have here in the Phoenix area.

Customers sometimes report white particles that clog plumbing fixtures. They may be bits of calcium carbonate scale coming from your water heater. The scaling may be worsened because water heater thermostat is too high. If the particles are calcium carbonate, you probably need to flush your water heater. Many manufacturers recommend periodic flushing of water heaters to remove sediment that can build up. The sediment can cause discoloration of the water and can make the water heater less efficient. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s owners guide for your hot water heater.

So the question is “Should you drain and flush your water heater?”

My answer is maybe. If your water heater is less than a year old and you wish to drain it then fine.
If the unit is two years old or more you may wish to reconsider.
You see sometimes draining a unit that has not been drained for a long time will break up the deposits in the tank and these deposits can cause more problems.

To drain and flush the water heater, do the following:

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