Does TextMyHouse perform water heater maintenance?

No. TextMyHouse sends SMS reminders timed to your setup - tank or tankless, your climate, your water - so the flush, valve test, and anode check actually happen. No app, no login.

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SheetNº 03 — WATER HEATERS

Revision2026-06-10

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Home / Home maintenance / Water heaters

Water heater maintenance · tank & tankless · annual cycle

The schedule worth keeping.

Q: How often should a water heater be flushed?

Flush a tank water heater once a year. In hard-water areas, flush every six months - sediment builds up roughly twice as fast. Tankless units should be descaled about once a year.

Q: How long does a water heater last?

The U.S. Department of Energy puts storage (tank) water heaters at 10-15 years and tankless units at more than 20 years. Regular maintenance is the main thing that pushes a unit toward the high end of its range.

Q: What is an anode rod?

A sacrificial metal rod inside a tank water heater that corrodes first so the tank lining doesn't. Check it every 3-5 years - sooner if you have a water softener, which speeds anode wear. Once the rod is consumed, the tank itself starts rusting.

A tank water heater lasts 10–15 years; tankless can run past 20. The difference between the two ends of that range is mostly maintenance nobody remembers.

Last reviewed 2026-06-10Sources cited inlineReading time 5 min← All sheets

Four tasks. Once a year covers most of it.

Flush the tank once a year.Every six months in hard-water areas — sediment builds roughly twice as fast.
Test the temperature & pressure relief valve once a year.If it drips afterward, it needs replacement.
Check the anode rod every 3–5 years.Sooner with a water softener, which speeds anode wear.
Descale a tankless unit annually, per manufacturer guidance.More often in hard water.

9:41

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Today 9:41

Reminder: it's been a year since your last water heater flush. 30 minutes now beats a cold shower in January. Reply DONE, LATER, or WHY.

DONE

Logged. Nothing else due until the valve test next spring.

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The hardware

Sediment settles at the bottom of the tank and blankets the burner. The anode rod — a sacrificial metal rod hanging inside the tank — corrodes first so the tank lining doesn't. The T&P valve is the safety release if pressure or temperature runs away. Each part fails quietly; the schedule below exists because none of them announces itself.

Tankless units skip the tank but collect mineral scale on the heat exchanger instead — especially in hard water — which is why they get an annual descale.

Fig. 1 — Storage water heater.

1hot supply
5sediment layer
2T&P relief valve
6cold-inlet shutoff
3anode rod
7flue & vent
4drain valve
8gas control

The schedule

Every interval below comes from U.S. Department of Energy or manufacturer guidance. When this table and your manual disagree, the manual wins.

Nº	Task	Interval	Operator	Why it matters
T-01	Flush sediment from the tank	1×/YR6 MO hard water	● USUALLY DIY	Sediment blankets the bottom of the tank, forcing the burner to heat through rock. Efficiency drops, the tank rumbles, and the tank floor wears out early.
T-02	Test the T&P relief valve	1×/YR	● DIY, CAUTION	The tank's main safety device against over-pressure. Valves stick shut or weep with age. Lift the lever briefly; if it keeps dripping after, replace it.
T-03	Check the anode rod	3–5 YRS	● DIY OR PRO	Once the sacrificial rod is consumed, the tank itself starts rusting from the inside — the beginning of the end.
T-04	Verify temperature is 120°F	ONCEthen after changes	● DIY	The DOE-recommended setting: reduces scald risk, slows mineral buildup, trims standby losses.
T-05	Descale a tankless unit	1×/YR	● PRO / EXP. DIY	Mineral scale coats the heat exchanger — especially in hard water. Needs isolation valves and a pump kit; without them, this is a plumber visit.

The stakes

The annual flush costs you 30 minutes and nothing else. The other side of the ledger:

$600–2,500

Typical installed cost of replacing a tank water heater, per NerdWallet, 2026.

$2,800

Average tankless installation ($1,200–$3,500), per This Old House.

$13,954

Average water-damage & freezing insurance claim, 2018–2022, per the Insurance Information Institute.

18%

Share of home energy spent heating water — the house's second-largest energy expense, per the DOE.

Warning signs

Rumbling or popping while heating. Water trapped under the sediment layer is boiling. The fix is a flush; the sound is the warning.
Rusty or metallic-smelling hot water while cold runs clear. The anode rod is likely consumed and the tank has started corroding.
Moisture or drips around the base or the T&P discharge pipe. Don't wait on this one.
Hot water runs out faster than it used to. Sediment is occupying tank volume and insulating the burner.
The unit is 10+ years old and never serviced. Maintenance now still buys time.
A tankless unit cycling or showing scale error codes. Time to descale.

The 30-minute job: flushing a tank

Cut the heat. Thermostat to pilot (gas) or power off at the breaker (electric).
Close the cold-water inlet and connect a garden hose to the drain valve at the base. Run it to a floor drain or outside.
Open a hot tap upstairs to break the vacuum, then open the drain valve.
Drain until the water runs clear — usually 10–20 minutes.
Close the valve, refill, restore power only after the tank is full.

Hard stop

If the drain valve won't open, don't force it. Old plastic valves snap, and a snapped valve is an emergency. That's the line where DIY ends.

Know your limits

● Yourself

Flush, temperature, visual check

The annual flush, verifying the 120°F setting, and looking over fittings for moisture are homeowner tasks on most units.

● With caution

T&P valve test, anode rod

Test the valve briefly; stop if it drips afterward. Anode rods are often seized — if it won't break loose with reasonable force, hand it to a plumber.

● Call a pro

Gas, corrosion, leaks, stuck parts

Gas smell, active leaking, rust on the tank body, seized valves, or tankless descaling without isolation valves. Stop and call.

Questions homeowners ask

How often should a water heater be flushed?

Once a year for tank units. In hard-water areas, every six months — sediment builds roughly twice as fast. Tankless units should be descaled about once a year.

How long does a water heater last?

The U.S. Department of Energy puts storage water heaters at 10–15 years and tankless at more than 20. Maintenance is the main lever that decides which end of the range you get.

What is the T&P valve and how often should I test it?

The temperature and pressure relief valve is the tank's main safety device — it releases water if the tank overheats or over-pressurizes. Test it once a year by briefly lifting the lever. If it keeps dripping afterward, it needs replacement: call a plumber.

What does it cost to replace a water heater?

A tank replacement typically runs $600–$2,500 installed, per NerdWallet's 2026 data; a tankless unit averages $2,800 installed ($1,200–$3,500), per This Old House. The annual DIY flush that delays that bill costs nothing.

What is an anode rod?

A sacrificial metal rod inside the tank that corrodes first so the tank lining doesn't. Check it every 3–5 years — sooner if you have a water softener. Once the rod is consumed, the tank itself starts rusting.

Does TextMyHouse perform the maintenance?

No. TextMyHouse sends SMS reminders timed to your setup — tank or tankless, your climate, your water — so these tasks actually happen.

Keep reading

Sources

U.S. DOE — Water Heating (18% of home energy; 120°F)
U.S. DOE — Tankless Water Heaters (lifespans)
NerdWallet — Water Heater Cost, 2026
This Old House — Tankless Installation Cost
Insurance Information Institute — Claims Facts
Rinnai — Tankless Flushing

Reviewed 2026-06-10. When this sheet and your manual disagree, the manual wins.