It's a necessary evil. I just bought a home and did this to my water heater. I know the previous owner never did. The water was smelly. It took me several hours of flushing before I got all of the stuff out of not only the water heater but all of the pipes in the house. It's also a good idea to remove all of the faucet aerators cause they can get very clogged with debris. I have really hard water in my area. It worked out very well for me. I will do this every 6 months from now on. It will be much faster the next time now that I have removed all of that stuff from my water system. Water smells clean again. I wrote the date of the flush on a piece tape and put it on the side of the water heater so I will know when to do the next flush. I used to do this religiously at my other home and my water heater lasted 30 years. Thanks for the video. It was fun to watch.
@@hhiippiittyy The rod got changed along with the flush. And I cleaned the burner area and replaced the burner and igniter with new replacements and the FVIR as well. And a new water heater baffle. I basically rebuilt the darned thing. It's working great. Oh, I also vacuumed out the flue all the way up to the roof. It's clean as a whistle. I'm a maintenance nut. 😄
I've been flushing my tank every 3 years and finally got it ~95% clean. Here's what's happening. The original drain valve has a pea size drain hole in it. The drain valve sits above the bottom of the tank by about 2 inches. Hard water sediment is heavier than water. So... When you open the drain valve the rush of water carries some floaters to the valve and clogs it up. Backpressure will clear it over and over again. But the real sediment remains in the bottom. How do I know? I bought a borescope and stuck it down the top anode hole to see the tank bottom. Resolution- completely drain the tank. May take several hours. Replace original valve with a 3/4" full port ball valve. Now you will have amazing flow but there will still be a lot of sediment in the tank bottom. Two options. Remove lower heating element and use a shop vac with hose reducers down to about 1" to shove hose into the element hole and suck out the sediment. You still will only get about 60-70%. Then I added a solution of citric acid down the anode hole and let it sit for ~30 minutes. The acid dissolves the sediment, just like vinegar does. Then fill the tank with water and drain to flush out the dissolved sediment. You get it about 95%. I'm good with that. And if you remove a screw-in heater element the sealing O ring is p/n: Camco 06822 on eBay. If you're not familiar with working w/ electricity and plumbing get someone qualified to assist.
I clean mine by draining all the water by removing the drain. Then taking the water heater outside and using a hose nozel to break up the sediment. Usuallg get about 2-5 gallon buckets full.
My buddy just drained the water heater this week. He got a lot of nasty crud out. The water in the shower seems a lot hotter. He didn't use any fancy tool, he just opened the valve and let the water drain through a hose. I'm sure the tool would do a better job. The job is totally unnecessary if you like changing water heaters.
This is all the sediment you got from 6 years? As a first time homeowner, I didn't know this was needed either and did my first at 10 years. I had a butt load of sediment. I found that during draining if I pulsed the cold water intake it would disturb the sediment allowing it to flow more freely. Took me hours to completely drain. Also my anode rod was completely gone. Just a corroded wire remained.
Before I blow out water heaters that have been in use for years I let the water run out the drain valve through the hose for ten minutes while i get the air compressor set up to a faucet. Make the job go ao much faster when changing elements and cleaning the rest of the sediment out through the element port. Plus doing that more rhan half the sediment goes out while I'm doing the power flush. I let mine run once a year for a half hour and the water smell one might get from the hot side is gone.
I wanted to see what and how much would come out. I think flushing it with fresh water would make me waste more water trying to flush it all out instead of stirring it up with air. Either way it would have been a good test to see the difference and wish I had thought to try to show that. Thank you for the question and thank you for watching.
open all the hot water lines in the house & keep shooting air in the sediment buster to unclog the drain...you shouldn't be using the t&p valve as you are taking a risk of blowing out the seal on the t&p valve which leads to having to replace it
If I had a 15 year old water heater, which has to be on borrowed time, I would just leave it alone or replace it now before having to replace it in an emergency, probably on a holiday weekend.
@@randyspangler1124 Yep, that's what I have and it opens FULLY. I drain my water heater every other year and change the anode every 5-8 years. Water heaters will last a LONG time.
this would have been much better if you would have put a camera in there before and after. It didn't look to me like you got that much sediment out of it, but hard to say how much was in there. We don't know your water quality, I cut open my old water heater after over 30 years and not 1 time did I flush it and there was virtual nothing in it.
I never understood why you need to flush the sediment out in the first place. Since the crud is at the bottom and the outlet is at the top, the tank will rust out before the two ever meet.
Because as the crud builds up on the bottom and the heating element is also on the bottom. It needs to work harder to keep heating the water to the same level……this cuts down on the efficiency and lifetime of the heating elements.
@@Kelemor Yeah maybe, but there are two heating elements, and the lower one is still a foot or so up from the bottom, and replaceable. I have never flushed any of our water heaters (I manage about 25 properties), and some of them are going on 15 years, and still working fine.
If the sediment gets to the lower heating element it will corrode and destroy it. Very hard water in my area, it doesn't take long for that to happen. With that much crud in there good luck flushing it out. I tried, ended up getting a new water heater.
The sediment accumulates on the heating elements as well. When you blow air through the tank filled with water, the agitation knocks the sediment off the heating elements maintaining their efficiency. I noticed my water was hotter after completing the service.
Anyone looking to do this… DONT! This is not a joke. If you have never flushed your water heater every year since it was new, do not do it. That scale and sediment buildup is probably the only thing holding your heater from bursting. The only people that push people to do this are plumbers looking for work
@@jankoodziej877 well you can do it as long as you do it yearly. If it is old, leave it alone. I would be changing mine myself anyway so I would let it go until it starts leaking or other issues. Also don’t buy from big box stores, plumbing supply only. Units are different
How's that will help with sediment already present inside the tank? For some this procedure is to clean water tank so it lasts longer as well not to just have cleaner drinking water.
I worked for the guy who made this product, he’s a plumber very good tool!
It's a necessary evil. I just bought a home and did this to my water heater. I know the previous owner never did. The water was smelly. It took me several hours of flushing before I got all of the stuff out of not only the water heater but all of the pipes in the house. It's also a good idea to remove all of the faucet aerators cause they can get very clogged with debris. I have really hard water in my area. It worked out very well for me. I will do this every 6 months from now on. It will be much faster the next time now that I have removed all of that stuff from my water system. Water smells clean again. I wrote the date of the flush on a piece tape and put it on the side of the water heater so I will know when to do the next flush. I used to do this religiously at my other home and my water heater lasted 30 years. Thanks for the video. It was fun to watch.
Gas or electric?
@@hhiippiittyy Gas
@@eddiea3782
Familiar with the sacrificial anode?
@@hhiippiittyy The rod got changed along with the flush. And I cleaned the burner area and replaced the burner and igniter with new replacements and the FVIR as well. And a new water heater baffle. I basically rebuilt the darned thing. It's working great. Oh, I also vacuumed out the flue all the way up to the roof. It's clean as a whistle. I'm a maintenance nut. 😄
@@eddiea3782
Maintenance nut indeed.
Nice work.
I've been flushing my tank every 3 years and finally got it ~95% clean. Here's what's happening. The original drain valve has a pea size drain hole in it. The drain valve sits above the bottom of the tank by about 2 inches. Hard water sediment is heavier than water. So... When you open the drain valve the rush of water carries some floaters to the valve and clogs it up. Backpressure will clear it over and over again. But the real sediment remains in the bottom. How do I know? I bought a borescope and stuck it down the top anode hole to see the tank bottom. Resolution- completely drain the tank. May take several hours. Replace original valve with a 3/4" full port ball valve. Now you will have amazing flow but there will still be a lot of sediment in the tank bottom. Two options. Remove lower heating element and use a shop vac with hose reducers down to about 1" to shove hose into the element hole and suck out the sediment. You still will only get about 60-70%. Then I added a solution of citric acid down the anode hole and let it sit for ~30 minutes. The acid dissolves the sediment, just like vinegar does. Then fill the tank with water and drain to flush out the dissolved sediment. You get it about 95%. I'm good with that. And if you remove a screw-in heater element the sealing O ring is p/n: Camco 06822 on eBay. If you're not familiar with working w/ electricity and plumbing get someone qualified to assist.
I clean mine by draining all the water by removing the drain. Then taking the water heater outside and using a hose nozel to break up the sediment. Usuallg get about 2-5 gallon buckets full.
That's rediculous!
My buddy just drained the water heater this week. He got a lot of nasty crud out. The water in the shower seems a lot hotter. He didn't use any fancy tool, he just opened the valve and let the water drain through a hose.
I'm sure the tool would do a better job.
The job is totally unnecessary if you like changing water heaters.
This is all the sediment you got from 6 years?
As a first time homeowner, I didn't know this was needed either and did my first at 10 years. I had a butt load of sediment. I found that during draining if I pulsed the cold water intake it would disturb the sediment allowing it to flow more freely. Took me hours to completely drain.
Also my anode rod was completely gone. Just a corroded wire remained.
Before I blow out water heaters that have been in use for years I let the water run out the drain valve through the hose for ten minutes while i get the air compressor set up to a faucet. Make the job go ao much faster when changing elements and cleaning the rest of the sediment out through the element port. Plus doing that more rhan half the sediment goes out while I'm doing the power flush. I let mine run once a year for a half hour and the water smell one might get from the hot side is gone.
I had handfuls of sediment and I just opened the spout. I might need one of these to really clean it.
I don't have a ait compressor. Would a heavy duty bicycle pump do instead?
Yes! In fact that's what they (the mfger) recommend, I just use the compressor because I'm lazy and I don't have it bicycle pump.
Why not just put the hose outside, open the valve and let the house water pressure blow all the stuff out?
This makes too much sense. Why rely on the tools you already own when you can always buy that shiny new gadget advertised on TV?
I wanted to see what and how much would come out. I think flushing it with fresh water would make me waste more water trying to flush it all out instead of stirring it up with air. Either way it would have been a good test to see the difference and wish I had thought to try to show that. Thank you for the question and thank you for watching.
Mine is in a basement with no drain. That's my cold water heater I don't know why I would buy something to heat water that is already hot.
@dw9666 this is one of those sarcastic remarks that sounds funny in your head, but not so much on the internet.
That's too easy that way 😂😂😂
Get an anode or flush with vinegar. They also make descaler.
Open up the t&p valve next time, let's more air directly into the tank. Faucets don't always do the trick
open all the hot water lines in the house & keep shooting air in the sediment buster to unclog the drain...you shouldn't be using the t&p valve as you are taking a risk of blowing out the seal on the t&p valve which leads to having to replace it
If I had a 15 year old water heater, which has to be on borrowed time, I would just leave it alone or replace it now before having to replace it in an emergency, probably on a holiday weekend.
And the HVAC filter right next to the heater… getting all the work done at once eh?
Note to self open a hot water faucet so you don’t blow your plumbing 🤣
Replace that original drain and install one that opens fully open. I forget what it's called.
Ball valve
@@randyspangler1124 Yep, that's what I have and it opens FULLY. I drain my water heater every other year and change the anode every 5-8 years. Water heaters will last a LONG time.
Gate valve
couldn't you just use an air gun with a rubber tip?
this would have been much better if you would have put a camera in there before and after. It didn't look to me like you got that much sediment out of it, but hard to say how much was in there. We don't know your water quality, I cut open my old water heater after over 30 years and not 1 time did I flush it and there was virtual nothing in it.
I never understood why you need to flush the sediment out in the first place. Since the crud is at the bottom and the outlet is at the top, the tank will rust out before the two ever meet.
Because as the crud builds up on the bottom and the heating element is also on the bottom. It needs to work harder to keep heating the water to the same level……this cuts down on the efficiency and lifetime of the heating elements.
@@Kelemor Yeah maybe, but there are two heating elements, and the lower one is still a foot or so up from the bottom, and replaceable. I have never flushed any of our water heaters (I manage about 25 properties), and some of them are going on 15 years, and still working fine.
If the sediment gets to the lower heating element it will corrode and destroy it. Very hard water in my area, it doesn't take long for that to happen.
With that much crud in there good luck flushing it out. I tried, ended up getting a new water heater.
Also realize that the sediment takes up volume I side the tank.
The sediment accumulates on the heating elements as well. When you blow air through the tank filled with water, the agitation knocks the sediment off the heating elements maintaining their efficiency. I noticed my water was hotter after completing the service.
Anyone looking to do this… DONT! This is not a joke. If you have never flushed your water heater every year since it was new, do not do it. That scale and sediment buildup is probably the only thing holding your heater from bursting. The only people that push people to do this are plumbers looking for work
I also don't see a point in doing this. The heater should have anode to prevent buildup on the heating elements, but that's enough.
@@jankoodziej877 well you can do it as long as you do it yearly. If it is old, leave it alone. I would be changing mine myself anyway so I would let it go until it starts leaking or other issues. Also don’t buy from big box stores, plumbing supply only. Units are different
Put a good Carbon filter in your home you wont have drink plastics heavy metals or screw around with your hotwater tank. 2:06
How's that will help with sediment already present inside the tank? For some this procedure is to clean water tank so it lasts longer as well not to just have cleaner drinking water.
Carbon filter does not remove minerals from water...
Also minerals are not making water unclear. Any good drinking water must have minerals.
“Not once, and that was six years ago.” That makes no sense.
Apparently, you did not listen to the whole video.
That was clarified @4:38.
It's not a hot water heater, it's a water heater. Why the hell would you ever need to heat hot water?
To keep the water hot
Correct.
OMG, SO TRUE!
garbage
more trash scam BS.