Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

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Ykcor
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Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Ykcor »

I read recently in a DIY book that every three or four months you need to drain about three gallons of water from the bottom of the tank to remove sediment deposits. I did this once and the valve would not turn off and I had to call a plumber.
alwayshedge
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by alwayshedge »

I've always heard mixed on this because you run the risk of exactly what happened to you and then you need to either spend money to fix it or replace it. I've had plumbers tell me it's best to leave it alone especially if it hasn't been drained in a very long time.
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lthenderson
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by lthenderson »

After seeing a cut away of a water heater full of sediment with a narrow cone of space created by the frequent "draining", I quickly realized that without stirring up the sediments in bottom before draining, draining is nearly useless. You also increase the risks of drain valve failure which you already experienced. I have never drained my water heater since and have experienced no premature failures. In our area, they typically last for 15 to 20 years regardless of whether you drain them or not.
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Tubes
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Tubes »

I never drain. Usually I got 15 years. My last one only lasted 8. I'm considering draining, but will do it frequently.
London
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by London »

I had never flushed mine until two weeks ago. The units were 7 years old and I didn’t think it was necessary. The amount of sediment that came out was mind blowing.

Keep in mind, you will need to do more than simply “drain”. You have to allow cold water in to stir up the sediment.

For two heaters, it took me a couple hours. As it was the first time, I went slow.
Zeno
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Zeno »

Following with interest
Last edited by Zeno on Sun Aug 21, 2022 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Californiastate
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Californiastate »

It depends on your water supply. Find out who has changed their water heater in your area. Ask them how well it drained. A gas water heater will pop when firing with a heavy load of sediment. They are also hard to drain as the sediment occludes the drain valve. I've had to remove drain valves because they were so clogged. I've also had drain valves not close because of sediment in the seat. Have a washered hose cap available.
neilpilot
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by neilpilot »

Sediment buildup will vary significantly, depending primarily on your water quality. Hard water typically means more sediment.

If you find the drain valve continues to drip, an alternative to calling a plumber is to buy a cheap faucet cap. I'd recommend the expensive brass cap I linked to below. But if your a typical Boglehead you might spring for the $1 plastic version.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm ... 4294822030
runner3081
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by runner3081 »

I drain completely, yearly.

We live in AZ, hard water with high mineral content.
RJC
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by RJC »

I read about this as well and after 8 years decided to drain the tank. Absolutely nothing but clear water came out.

Then I read that it may not be necessary...
McDougal
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by McDougal »

The Grumpy Plumber says don’t do it. I never have and never had a problem.
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KneeReplacementTutor
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by KneeReplacementTutor »

lthenderson wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:22 am I have never drained my water heater since and have experienced no premature failures. In our area, they typically last for 15 to 20 years regardless of whether you drain them or not.
^This is my experience as well.
lthenderson wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:22 am You also increase the risks of drain valve failure which you already experienced.
^This has been one of the reasons I haven't touched our water heaters. I hate when preventive maintenance results in a problem that previously didn't exist.
Luke Duke
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Luke Duke »

Ykcor wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:59 am I read recently in a DIY book that every three or four months you need to drain about three gallons of water from the bottom of the tank to remove sediment deposits. I did this once and the valve would not turn off and I had to call a plumber.
I recommend swapping the factory valve with one like this if you plan to drain your water heater on any kind of regular basis:
http://www.amazon.com/House-Mods-HMP011 ... 07XZG7SQN/
mhalley
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by mhalley »

Another water heater maintenance to consider is replacing the anode rod every 3 to 5 years. This can double the life of the tank.
https://www.goldmedalservice.com/about- ... eplace-it/
PeninsulaPerson
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by PeninsulaPerson »

KneeReplacementTutor wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 9:45 am
lthenderson wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:22 am I have never drained my water heater since and have experienced no premature failures. In our area, they typically last for 15 to 20 years regardless of whether you drain them or not.
^This is my experience as well.
lthenderson wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:22 am You also increase the risks of drain valve failure which you already experienced.
^This has been one of the reasons I haven't touched our water heaters. I hate when preventive maintenance results in a problem that previously didn't exist.

If it ain't broke ..... :D

(Maybe with a local issue like hard-water excepted.)
tim1999
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by tim1999 »

I never drain it, but I get the anode rod inspected and replaced as needed every few years, usually when I have a plumber in the house for some other reason already.
Pdxnative
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Pdxnative »

Depends on water supply in your area. In my area no one does it.
daehelgob48
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by daehelgob48 »

neilpilot wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:02 am Sediment buildup will vary significantly, depending primarily on your water quality. Hard water typically means more sediment.

If you find the drain valve continues to drip, an alternative to calling a plumber is to buy a cheap faucet cap. I'd recommend the expensive brass cap I linked to below. But if your a typical Boglehead you might spring for the $1 plastic version.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm ... 4294822030
Mine has a slight drip from the water heater pvc vent outside the house. This started last week after opening the valve for the first time in many years. I am reluctant to cap the line. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the release valve and the safety it provides against overflow inside the house or explosion because of pressure build up?
deikel
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by deikel »

check the pressure relieve valve and manually trigger it to make sure its not stuck

yes, drain some volume out of the tank to prevent sediment build up. Install a good/high quality valve, ideally upon first installation, most come with crap valves installed

Check/replace the electrode rod (anode rod) once a year. Some of the sediment is not sediment but actually the electrode slowly corroding off into the water (as it should)
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Minty
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Minty »

I do it just about every month because that's what the manual says to do. Also had the anode rod replaced at the recommended interval.
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Civilengr
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Civilengr »

I have the cone valve changed out for a full port ball valve at installation of new tank. You will never clogged the ball valve when draining the tank. Those with water softeners should do this and change out the anodes on a shorter interval than the warranty period of the tank.
Zeno
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Zeno »

Following with internet
Last edited by Zeno on Sun Aug 21, 2022 6:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Californiastate
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Californiastate »

Zeno wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 3:56 pm
daehelgob48 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 3:28 pm
neilpilot wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:02 am Sediment buildup will vary significantly, depending primarily on your water quality. Hard water typically means more sediment.

If you find the drain valve continues to drip, an alternative to calling a plumber is to buy a cheap faucet cap. I'd recommend the expensive brass cap I linked to below. But if your a typical Boglehead you might spring for the $1 plastic version.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm ... 4294822030
Mine has a slight drip from the water heater pvc vent outside the house. This started last week after opening the valve for the first time in many years. I am reluctant to cap the line. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the release valve and the safety it provides against overflow inside the house or explosion because of pressure build up?
I stand ready to be corrected as I'm clearly not a water heater pro (to wit, until this thread I didn't know that water heaters had anodes that needed to be replaced) but I think neilpilot was suggesting capping the drain valve, not anything related to the safety valve and piping downstream of it.
They are replaceable but I've never replaced mine. It also depends on the water. I just replaced our water heater on it's 10 year aniversary. I took out the anode and it was pristeen. Others can squeeze the last day of use out of a water heater. I don't see the value in it. It's going to leak when I'm not home on Christmas Eve.
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Tubes
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Tubes »

Kudos to everyone for not calling it a hot water heater. 😀
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enad
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by enad »

Ykcor wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:59 am I read recently in a DIY book that every three or four months you need to drain about three gallons of water from the bottom of the tank to remove sediment deposits. I did this once and the valve would not turn off and I had to call a plumber.
We live in Arizona and the water is hard. The first water heater had a 6 year warranty and was never drained but lasted 15 years. When I cut in half do dispose of it, the bottom of the pan was only weeks away from failing. It was so easy to push a pencil into what was left.

Now we have a whole house Carbon Filter and a whole house water filter. The original heater had a zinc anode, the new one came with a magnesium anode which I removed before first use and replaced with a titanium powered anode that should easily last 25-30 years. I opened up the valve with a hose hooked up to it and it was easy to turn and drain but I saw no sediment in the bottom even after letting it drain the full tanks. I guess between the powered anode and water filtration sediment is not an issue since rust is not an issue. The tank is glass lined (as are most). We have a 5-stage R.O. system under the kitchen sink which we've had now for 12 years.

The anode is sacrificial, with zinc anodes lasting 18 - 36 months, magnesium 60 - 72 months and powered anodes 15 - 30 years. The anode helps to prolong the life of the tank
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shunkman
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by shunkman »

The electric water heater in our cabin is almost 40 years old. It gets drained about six times per year in the winter months. The water heater at home doesn't get drained. The last one failed after about 13 years due to the failure of the control board.
DTalos
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by DTalos »

runner3081 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:20 am I drain completely, yearly.

We live in AZ, hard water with high mineral content.
A water softener would solve the hard water problem and be a lot gentler on appliances too.
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whodidntante
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by whodidntante »

Yes, the valve can become non-functional over time. They are usually cheaply built. If it happens, they are simple to replace. You can replace with a metal one if you like, but I just buy the cheap plastic one because metal valves also fail.
runner3081
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by runner3081 »

DTalos wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 10:19 am
runner3081 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:20 am I drain completely, yearly.

We live in AZ, hard water with high mineral content.
A water softener would solve the hard water problem and be a lot gentler on appliances too.
We have one.
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segfault
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by segfault »

I doubt that draining out sediment helps make the tank last longer before it leaks. But, with an electric WH, it may reduce the amount of sediment enough to prevent the lower heating element from failing.

My WH has a date code of 2007, if memory serves, so nearing its end of life, but it’s in an unfinished basement with a sump pump, so not many consequences if it leaks. When it dies, I might replace it with one of the Rheem (I think?) ones which have a plastic composite tank.
DTalos
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by DTalos »

runner3081 wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 10:58 am
DTalos wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 10:19 am
runner3081 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:20 am I drain completely, yearly.

We live in AZ, hard water with high mineral content.
A water softener would solve the hard water problem and be a lot gentler on appliances too.
We have one.
Same here. Never drained last water heater and it lasted 9 years.
runner3081
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by runner3081 »

DTalos wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 12:35 pm
runner3081 wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 10:58 am
DTalos wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 10:19 am
runner3081 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:20 am I drain completely, yearly.

We live in AZ, hard water with high mineral content.
A water softener would solve the hard water problem and be a lot gentler on appliances too.
We have one.
Same here. Never drained last water heater and it lasted 9 years.
When we moved in (and with no water softener on a 20 year old tank), the water heater sounded like gunshots or fireworks were going off outside. It was loud with popping noises. It eventually started leaking a few years later.
Chuckles960
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Chuckles960 »

DTalos wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 10:19 am
runner3081 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:20 am I drain completely, yearly.

We live in AZ, hard water with high mineral content.
A water softener would solve the hard water problem and be a lot gentler on appliances too.
A water softener is not beneficial for water heaters. Water softeners don't create low-ion-content water. They remove the divalent cations that cause water to be "hard" (e.g. calcium, magnesium) by replacing them with other cations such as sodium and potassium. These monovalent ions don't turn soap into soap scum or leave deposits inside pipes, but they are quite effective at eating away the sacrificial anode. Once the anode is gone, the tank will start to rust.

As another post just above reports, with a water softener and no draining, their water heater lasted only nine years...
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Devil's Advocate
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Devil's Advocate »

Yes, however only if homeowner gets too bored watching paint dry and needs something else completely useless to do.

DA
MadHungarian
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by MadHungarian »

My HVAC/HWT servicing guy recommended this when he was out recently for the annual servicing.

Yeah, if you haven't done it for a long time, expect there might be some problems. Sort of like if you don't rotate your car tires regularly, you might have problems with those lugnuts when you do try it.
criticalmass
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by criticalmass »

Devil's Advocate wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:44 pm Yes, however only if homeowner gets too bored watching paint dry and needs something else completely useless to do.

DA
Drain your tank sediment every time someone starts a new water heater maintenance thread here and check/replace anodes annually; your heater should last at least 25 years.
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Tubes
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by Tubes »

criticalmass wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 12:04 am
Devil's Advocate wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:44 pm Yes, however only if homeowner gets too bored watching paint dry and needs something else completely useless to do.

DA
Drain your tank sediment every time someone starts a new water heater maintenance thread here and check/replace anodes annually; your heater should last at least 25 years.
Powered anode or regular? LOL!
ncbill
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by ncbill »

Father-in-law has kept his electric water heater running for decades by draining then vacuuming out the sediment with a wet/dry vacuum annually.
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tuningfork
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by tuningfork »

My water heater is about to celebrate its 33rd birthday! The previous owners of the house installed it about a year before I bought it. I drained it once, about 20 years in, after reading about it here. Haven't bothered to do it again. It still produces hot water, doesn't leak, and it's right next to a floor drain on the bottom level if it ever does leak. The water is very hard well water without a softener. I believe the interior of the tank is covered with hard deposits that are holding it together, and draining it might trigger a leak.
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firebirdparts
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by firebirdparts »

This sounds great, but I'd be way too chicken to open a 25-year-old plastic valve. I guess I could buy a better valve.
This time is the same
criticalmass
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Re: Should homeowner periodically partially drain tank water heater?

Post by criticalmass »

Tubes wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 6:28 am
criticalmass wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 12:04 am
Devil's Advocate wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:44 pm Yes, however only if homeowner gets too bored watching paint dry and needs something else completely useless to do.

DA
Drain your tank sediment every time someone starts a new water heater maintenance thread here and check/replace anodes annually; your heater should last at least 25 years.
Powered anode or regular? LOL!
A powered anode should not need replacement during that time, but a non-powered rod will. (lol?) Also, a gas burner will need servicing/cleaning or an electric element will likely need replacing. But much, much cheaper vs tank replacement over 25 years.
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