Hot Water Tank Cleaning: Importance & Process

Your hot water tank plays a pivotal role in the plumbing in your house. Without a hot water heater, you can’t take a warm shower or run hot water to clean your dishes. For these reasons, hot water tank cleaning represents a vital part of home maintenance.

You can review more benefits of hot water tank cleaning with our team at King’s Services of Winnipeg. We can handle your hot water tank cleaning process when you call us at 204-815-5878.

Important Reasons to Clean Your Hot Water Tank

Cleaning (or flushing) your hot water heater helps to keep this appliance functioning at peak efficiency. Lots of water travels through these heaters every day, carrying along debris like:

• Sediment
• Minerals
• Dirt

Eventually, this sediment settles in the bottom of the hot water tank. The debris can prevent the water heater from functioning correctly, reduce the appliance’s lifespan, and even cause a breakdown. Regular maintenance will clear away dirt and debris.

Getting our professional assistance with flushing your appliance can also allow us to notice broken water heater signs quickly. Our plumbing experts can keep you informed of any potential or current issues with your hot water heater.

Preparing to Clean a Hot Water Tank in Manitoba

Our experts at King’s Services can handle hot water tank cleaning for you. Our crew will arrive with the supplies it needs to flush a water heater tank, which can include a hose, bucket, wrench, and screwdriver.

In some cases, the cleaning process starts a few hours before anyone drains the tank. Our crew may add a citric-acid cleaning solution into the hot water heater. These cleaning products can help break up the mineral deposits in the bottom of a hot water tank. However, you may not be able to use the water from your heater while the cleaner is working.

Before beginning the cleaning process, our technicians will turn off the power to the tank.

After turning off the power, our crew will connect a garden hose to the drain valve on the tank. The technicians place the other end of the hose either into a bucket or a floor drain. Note that techs will likely place a colander over a drain before emptying a hot water tank: to catch debris, dirt, and sediment.

Finally, before flushing a hot water tank, our technicians will turn on a hot water faucet. Our crews prefer to open a tap at a sink on a different floor of the house. The floor directly above the tank represents the ideal location to release any water pressure built up in the lines.

Steps to Flush a Hot Water Tank

Once our crew from King’s Services completes its preparations, it can begin the hot water tank cleaning process at your home or business in the Greater Winnipeg Area of Manitoba.

Drain the Tank

The first part of the flushing process requires our technicians to remove the water in the tank. We complete this step by opening the drain valve. Note that the water coming out of the tank will likely be very hot and could cause a scald if not handled carefully.

Rinse Out Sediment

After emptying the tank, we can rinse the inside by adding more water with the water control valve. Our technicians generally turn the valve on and off several times, allowing the flowing water to remove extra pieces of sediment.

The rinsing process should continue until the water coming out of the tank is clear and free of sediment. You do not want to stop the cleaning appointment while the water still appears brownish or has dirt in it, as this allows debris to remain in the tank.

Refill the Tank

Finally, our technicians can refill the tank by closing the drain valve and taking off the garden hose. Our plumbing professionals use the cold-water supply to fill the tank. After the tank fills up, our crew turns on a hot water tap at a nearby sink, allowing it to run only until cold water comes out.

After taking all of these steps in hot water tank cleaning, we turn the electricity back on, allowing the tank to resume heating the water inside.

Adjust Hot Water Tank Cleaning for Gas Systems

Many property owners in Manitoba have electric hot water heaters. However, you may have a gas system in your home. In this case, our King’s Service technicians will turn off the gas before they begin working on flushing out the tank. After they finish their work, they may need to relight the pilot light to turn the gas heater back on again.

Generally, a hot water heater takes around 20 minutes to warm up the water inside after a cleaning appointment. You can check to see that everything is working correctly by turning on a hot water faucet after our service. If hot water comes out, your hot water heater is working appropriately.

When to Set Up Hot Water Tank Cleaning

How often should you plan on scheduling a hot water tank cleaning? Different hot water heater manufacturers recommend different maintenance schedules, and the experts suggest that you follow the information found in the owner’s manual for your water tank.

However, if you do not have the manual anymore, it’s generally a good idea to flush the hot water tank every one to three years. You may want to rinse the system more regularly if you notice issues with water pressure or if your heater begins rumbling loudly when it operates.

Note that too much sediment in the bottom of the tank may also cause small explosions, as the water inside the tank super-heats and flashes over to steam. Eventually, these issues may damage the water heater, requiring additional repairs or even a replacement.

Contact Us for Help with Hot Water Tank Maintenance in Greater Winnipeg

Hot water tank cleaning can help you extend the life of your water heater and make the system more efficient. You can schedule hot water tank service from our team at King’s Services by calling 204-815-5878. Our team has the experience and training to maintain hot water heaters throughout Winnipeg and surrounding areas. We will always put you first when you contact us for help.