Water Heater Maintenance: What You Should Do Every Year

The difference between a water heater that lasts 12 years and one that fails at 6 is almost always maintenance. Hot water is one of the easier things in a home to ignore — until it fails. A small annual investment of time (or a maintenance visit from us) preserves the lifespan of an expensive appliance.

Here’s what should be happening every year on your water heater.

Tank water heaters: the annual checklist

1. Flush the tank

The single most important thing. Hard water deposits accumulate at the bottom of the tank year over year. Flushing removes them before they cause damage.

How to flush:

1. Turn off the gas (or breaker for electric units)
2. Turn off the cold water supply
3. Open a hot tap somewhere in the house (to break the vacuum)
4. Attach a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank
5. Run the hose to a floor drain or outside
6. Open the drain valve
7. Let the tank drain completely
8. Briefly open the cold supply to flush sediment out
9. Close the drain, refill the tank, restore power

The first time you do this on a unit that’s never been flushed, expect significant sediment. Use a 5-gallon bucket so you can see what’s coming out. The water often runs the color of weak coffee initially, then clears.

This can be DIY for most homeowners. If your drain valve has never been opened and is gunked up with sediment, it may not close properly afterward — in which case a service call is the right move.

2. Test the temperature and pressure relief valve

The T&P relief valve is a safety device — it opens if pressure or temperature inside the tank gets dangerously high. Like all safety devices, it should be tested annually.

How:

1. Place a bucket under the discharge pipe
2. Briefly lift the lever on the T&P valve
3. Water should rush out
4. Let go — valve should snap closed and water should stop

If water continues to drip after the valve closes, the valve needs replacement. If the valve doesn’t open at all when you lift the lever, it’s seized — also needs replacement.

This is a small, inexpensive part. A failed T&P valve is dangerous — it’s the only thing standing between you and a steam explosion.

3. Inspect the anode rod (every 2–4 years)

The anode rod sacrifices itself to protect the tank lining from corrosion. Eventually it’s consumed and stops protecting the tank.

Inspecting it requires unscrewing a large hex bolt at the top of the tank. If you’re comfortable doing that, pull the rod and look at it. If it’s heavily corroded or down to a wire, replace it. If it still has significant magnesium or aluminum, put it back.

This is more advanced DIY. Most homeowners are better off having us check the anode rod during a service visit.

4. Check for leaks and signs of trouble

Walk around the unit and look for:

• Water on the floor or in the drain pan
• Rust around fittings or at the base
• Corrosion on the tank exterior
• Moisture or rust on the connections at the top
• Burn marks or scorching on a gas unit’s burner area

Any of these is a reason to schedule a service visit.

Tankless water heaters: annual descaling is non-negotiable

Tankless water heaters are not low-maintenance. They tolerate neglect badly. In Houston’s hard water, annual descaling isn’t optional — it’s part of the deal you made when you installed a tankless.

What descaling involves:

1. Isolation valves (which all properly installed tankless units have) are closed
2. A pump circulates a vinegar or commercial descaling solution through the heat exchanger
3. Solution runs for 45–60 minutes, dissolving mineral scale
4. Unit is flushed clean with fresh water
5. Inlet filter is cleaned

Some homeowners do this themselves with a pump kit. We do it as a service for customers who’d rather have a professional handle it.

Skip descaling for a few years and you’ll see:

• Reduced flow rate at hot taps
• Error codes appearing
• Higher energy bills
• Eventually a failed heat exchanger (very expensive repair, often beyond economic repair)

A simple rule

If your water heater has gone more than two years without any maintenance, it’s behind. Catching it up now is far cheaper than dealing with a premature failure later.

We offer maintenance visits for tank and tankless units. One visit covers everything on this list, takes about an hour, and adds years to the unit’s life.