Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
Most people, including me, never do any maintenance on their water heater. Some people believe in draining the tank every year, and replacing the anode after 5 years or so. But, the manufacturers of these water heaters do not recommend this type of maintenance. I don't think that draining water through a tiny valve will remove enough sediment to do any good, and could actually cause the valve to leak, which would require replacing the valve. Replacing the valve could even cause damage to the tank. Most of the sediment will be caked onto the bottom of the tank and it will not drain out. Personally, I think it is a waste of time and money to try to extend the life of a relatively inexpensive appliance like a water heater. This is my opinion, but can make your own decision.
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Here is the recommendations from the manual:
At least once a year, lift and release the
lever handle on the temperature pressure
relief valve, located near the top of the
water heater, to make certain the valve
operates freely. Allow several gallons to
flush through the discharge line to an open
drain.
A water heater’s tank can act as a setting
basin for solids suspended in the water. It
is therefore not uncommon for hard water
deposits to accumulate in the bottom of the
tank. It is suggested that a few quarts of
water be drained from the water heater’s
tank every month to clean the tank of these
deposits.
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The anode rod should be removed from the
water heater’s tank annually for inspection
and replaced when more than 6″ of core
wire is exposed at either end of the rod.
Make sure the cold water supply is turned
off before removing anode rod.
Unfortunately you can not remove the anode rod in most houses because there is not enough overhead to remove it. It is probably best to remove it by cutting it in pieces and replace it with the segmented anode rods.
It was very negligent of the contractor to put in an undersized drain pan that is made of cheap plastic that degrades very rapidly. Do you have any idea of how much damage a water leak can cause if it is not contained? It also prevents conducting recommended maintenance whether it is performed by the homeowner or a technician. That includes draining it since you can not connect a hose to the bibb.