Do-It-Yourself Maintenance of Electric AND Gas-Fired Water Heaters:
When water is heated, calcium carbonate settles to the bottom of the tank. This sediment reduces the efficiency of your water heater, as well as its storage capacity and eventually its lifespan. To combat the effects of this natural process, drain water from your tank two to four times a year (more often if you live in a hard-water area). To do this, first turn the water heater off. Then simply attach a length of garden hose to the drain valve near the bottom of the tank and empty several gallons into a floor drain or bucket. Typically the water will look rusty or brown.
Occasionally sediment sticks inside the valve after you drain it, preventing it from resealing tightly. Opening and closing the valve a few times will usually flush the sediment out of the valve. Finally, remember to turn the water heater back on as the last step of the process.
On most water heater models, there is a safety device known as the temperature-pressure relief ("T & P")
valve located at or near the top. If an excessively high temperature or pressure were to build up in your
