Your water heater is one of the most important appliances in your home for your family's comfort. Like any other appliance, your water heater will need occasional maintenance. Flushing the tank is one of the most important water heater maintenance tasks. Here are three benefits of flushing your water heater.

Faster Hot Water

Mineral impurities are always present in the water that is delivered to your home. Over time, these impurities can settle inside your water heater tank and create a layer of sediment at the bottom. This sediment causes several problems for your water heater that are easily avoidable if you flush the tank.

Sediment buildup inside a water heater is insulative. This means that it will take longer for the heating elements in your heater to heat your water, and in severe cases, you may not receive any hot water at all. Flushing your tank will remove these sediments and help hot water reach the faucets and fixtures in your home more quickly.

Quieter Operation

Sediment in your water heater will often swirl around inside the tank when you run your water. Large chunks of sediment in the heater can bang against the walls of the tank and make distracting noises. Smaller pieces of sediment can even flow into your home's plumbing and make banging noises inside the pipes. Flushing your water heater to remove sediment will often make your heater and plumbing run much quieter.

Longer Heater Lifespan

Water heater sediment is not only an inconvenience. Leaving sediment inside your water heater can cause significant damage that shortens its life. The insulative properties of sediment buildup can create hot spots inside the tank that it wasn't designed to handle. This can result in degradation and eventual failure of the heating elements and damage to the tank walls.

In addition to heat buildup, sediment also promotes corrosion inside the tank. Your water heater tank has an anode rod that slows the rate of corrosion, but mineral impurities can reduce its effectiveness. Flushing your water heater will help you avoid corrosion that can penetrate the tank and lead to serious water damage in your home.

Flushing your water heater is the most important thing you can do to keep it in good shape. Be sure to flush your water heater at least once per year to maintain hot water quality and get the longest possible life out of your heater.

For further tips on flushing your water heater, reach out to a local plumber.