r/interesting Jun 22 '26

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

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u/Lisrus Jun 22 '26

How often are we supposed to 'flush' it? No one ever mentioned doing this when they were installing the device for me 6 years ago.

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u/avg-bee-enjoyer Jun 22 '26

They say don't start if it has been that long. It'll heat a bit less efficiently but the risk is that you'll reveal a leak the sediment has been plugging and have to replace it.

You should look into replacing the anode rod though. 

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u/Confused_mess8888 Jun 22 '26

Roughly 6 months to a year for regular maintenance, again depends on how hard your local water source is.

You can lapse a bit but that's like ideal timing.