Flushing your water heater is crucial and should be a part of your heater's routine maintenance plan. While you can flush out your heater on your own, leaving it to a professional plumber who can do it well and safely is always the best option.

Why is it so important? Here are some top reasons why you should flush your water heater.

1. Prevent Tank Blockages

Hard water contains deposits of magnesium, calcium, and other minerals. If you live in an area with hard water, you are more likely to find yourself dealing with tank blockages due to sediment build-up.

After filtering through your water heater, these mineral sediments will settle at the bottom of your tank. Over time, as more of this sediment settles, you will experience tank blockages.

2. Improve System Efficiency

The efficiency of your water heater will significantly decrease as more sediment continues to build up at the bottom of the tank. In other words, your heater will have to work much harder to give you the hot water you require. 

Your energy bills will be very high. This is more expensive than what it would cost you to schedule professional water heater flushing. Additionally, you may find your system failing to deliver hot water throughout your house. 

3. Prevent Rusting 

The build-up of sediment in your tank will not only slow down the rate of heat transfer to the water, but this also means that the heat will build up under the layer of sediment. When this happens, your water tank will start to overheat. Overheating will cause damage to your tank's wall lining, which prevents rusting. 

Rusting will adversely affect the longevity of your water heater tank. Extensive rusting may cause your tank to rapture, forcing you to get a replacement sooner. Similarly, the rust will affect water quality, making it unsuitable for some uses.

4. Uphold Warranty

Check your warranty, and you may notice a policy that requires you to perform routine maintenance for your water heater. Among the recommended maintenance tasks is regular flushing.

After flushing, your plumber will provide you with documentation, including a report and invoice. You can use these documents to demonstrate your effort toward taking care of your water heater when you require a replacement under your warranty.

Flushing your water heater regularly will help maintain its functionality and efficiency and extend its lifespan. As pointed out, it will also serve you well to maintain your water heater as per the manufacturer's recommendation so as not to void the warranty. Look into water heater repair services near you.