Did you know that you should drain the sediment from your water heater about once a year?
Sediment collecting on the bottom of the tank can reduce heat transfer to the water, wasting energy and your money (plus it's just yukky).
If you have an oil fired tank, like we do, simply get a 5 gallon bucket and open the valve at the bottom. Be careful -the water is hot and will come out with great force.
Also take caution if your water heater is old and has never been drained before as the valve may get clogged and be hard to close. You don't need to drain out all the water but you may need to fill the pail a couple times to get it clear. (I don't fill the bucket all the way because 5 gallons of water is pretty heavy to carry upstairs and outside.)
If you have a gas tank, you'll need to switch the gas control to "pilot" - don't do it yourself if your not comfortable re-lighting it if necessary. You can probably have your furnace folks do it for you during your annual maintenance.
5 comments:
There is no way I can do that..too much work. I need to hire a lesbian to do it for me.
You are so right! Except out here in the lead bible belt, there's so much crap in the water I have to do it at least twice a year to keep the thing clear. Had our water tested once and the guy shook his head and said "Are you drinking this?"
You should go ahead and replace the elements on an electric heater every year, as well. They get crusty.
And on a side note, why do they always put water heaters where they will do major damage if they break? And/or in a teeny space where replacing it would be like a major renovation? It's a conspiracy.........
You can hire a lesbian?
Cool.....
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHA....
That kind of stuff scares me!
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