Flush Your Water Heater Once a Year and Make It Last

Sediment settles in the bottom of a water heater, making it pop and rumble, work harder, and die younger. Flushing it once a year is the single best maintenance you can do.

How to do it

1. Turn the heater's power off at the breaker (or set a gas unit to pilot). Let the water cool for a few hours.
2. Hook a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom and run it somewhere safe — the water can still be hot.
3. Open a hot tap somewhere in the house, then open the drain valve and let it run until the water comes out clear.
4. Close everything, let the tank refill fully, then turn the power back on.

Never energize an empty tank — it kills electric elements fast. If the drain valve hasn't been opened in a decade, go gently; sometimes the wisest move is to leave a crusty old valve alone.