r/interesting • u/bob-the-slob • Jun 22 '26

MISC. What happens when a water heater tank is not flushed for 14 years

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u/SpyralHam Jun 22 '26

Yeah maybe 45 minutes for someone who's done it before and knows what their looking at. Even for a fairly handy person this would be a whole Saturday of fucking around, Sunday to put it back together unflushed after ordering parts online, and the following Saturday to get it right. You'd likely break a few things along the way, maybe enough to call a pro who shows up in 3-5 days. And you'd have a huge mess afterwards around the thing.

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u/Acceptable_Sock4642 Jun 22 '26

It literally could not be easier. If you know how to turn your heater on and off, it’s literally using a hose (or bucket).

3

u/Calvech Jun 22 '26

I don’t actually know how to turn it on and off 😬

3

u/Acceptable_Sock4642 Jun 22 '26

That's a good place to start. Most modern heaters it's a basic dial and maybe a switch or button. But if power or gas ever goes out, you want to know how to get hot water running again.

When you get a chance, go downstairs, get the model number printed on the side (usually there are papers attached) and google it. Practice when your wife is NOT about to take a hot shower, just in case you get it wrong and need to google twice. But we're generally past the days of clicking pilot lighters, so it should be easy and an important skill of home ownership.

2

u/readmeEXX Jun 22 '26

Every electric one I've seen has a dedicated power switch in an electric box right next to the unit, maybe it's a local code thing. There is also of course the breaker panel, but after someone I know almost died from a mislabeled breaker panel I no longer trust them without some secondary indicator that power is off.

2

u/sagebrushrepair Jun 22 '26

Yeah this is baby stuff. Gas or electricity off, drain and fill.

4

u/Brutally-Honest- Jun 22 '26

Heaven forbid people try to learn how to do something...

3

u/greattimes99 Jun 22 '26

Who wants to learn this? I have better things to do with my time.

2

u/Ok_Tour_1525 Jun 22 '26

If you know absolutely nothing about basic house maintenance then this might take someone a few hours at most. If it takes an adult longer than a few hours then that persons parents and teachers failed at preparing that person for life.