Be Sure to Flush Your Tankless Water Heater!

All water heaters need routine maintenance, regardless of water heater type.  The frequency with which you will need to perform routine maintenance will depend on where you live.  Water naturally has minerals in it and certain states and regions may have a higher concentration of minerals than others.  When water has a higher concentration of minerals it is often referred to as “hard water.”

Hard water tends to leave behind mineral deposits on anything that water touches including dishes/dishwasher, clothing/clothes washer, and even your skin and hair! Hard water wears down appliances and your hot water heater faster beads4 as mineral deposits build-up, it can clog plumbing and make appliances ha4e to work harder to do their job which is not energy efficient and will shorten the overall appliance lifespan.  Though a water softener can be very helpful in reducing mineral deposits, your tankless hot water heater will still require routine maintenance to perform optimally and last longer.

The best and most important maintenance you can perform on your tankless water heater is flushing out the heater tank.  Even though it is “tankless” there is still a small heating tank the water must pass through to heat quickly and that needs to be flushed.  The hot water valve must be shut off to begin and then you can attach a garden hose to the outlet of your unit’s cold water isolation valve and the other side to a sump pump.  The tank must then be flushed first with vinegar water and then plain water to completely clean out mineral deposits. For the average homeowner, this is beyond their knowledge and available tools which is why it is ideal to have your unit inspected and maintained by a professional plumber.