How to Clean Your Water Heater
![Cleaning the water heater](https://onthehouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/waterheater-300x336.jpg)
If the bottom of your water heater fills with sludge, the heater won’t operate at peak performance. Sediment buildup also causes the water at the base of the tank to super-heat and turn to steam, resulting in mini explosions that blast small amounts of sediment off the bottom of the tank.
To clean the sediment out of a water heater, follow these steps:
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Unscrew the cold-water supply line at the top of the water heater and remove the nipple screwed into the cold-water port.
Be sure to turn off the power to the water heater and the cold-water inlet valve before you begin any repairs.
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Pour a citric-acid-based cleaner into the open hole and wait about eight hours for the acid to dissolve the minerals at the bottom of the tank.
The citric-acid-based cleaning product Mag-Erad works well, but it can sometimes be hard to find at local plumbing supply stores.
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Connect a garden hose to the drain valve located at the bottom of the water heater and run the hose out into the garden.
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Open the drain valve, reconnect the cold-water supply line, and then turn on the cold-water supply to the water heater.
The cloudy water and sediment that comes out of the end of the hose will amaze you.
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When the water runs clear, close the drain valve and remove the hose.
Aside from being a breeding ground for bacteria, sediment at the base of a tank significantly diminishes the efficiency of a gas water heater and can cause it to rumble like a freight train.
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Bleed air from the system by turning on the hot-water faucet farthest from the water heater.
When water runs from this faucet, turn it off and repeat this process at other faucets throughout the house.
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Turn the power to the water heater back on.
Hopefully, you’ll be in hot water now.
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