How to Maintain Your Water Heater to Extend Its Lifespan & Avoid Failures
True Plumbing
October 7, 2025
Imagine starting your morning only to be greeted by an icy shower. It’s a quick reminder that a reliable water heater isn’t just a convenience—it’s essential to daily life. Regular water heater maintenance in Vancouver WA is the best way to keep that comfort dependable, avoid sudden breakdowns, and keep energy costs in check. By combining a few easy maintenance steps with routine professional service, you’ll keep your water heater running efficiently and avoid surprises down the road.
Why Routine Maintenance Matters
Your water heater works quietly behind the scenes every single day. Over time, minerals in the water can build up at the bottom of the tank, pipes begin to corrode, and key components start to wear down. Without regular care, these problems shorten the life of the unit and raise the risk of leaks or costly damage. Following reliable water heater maintenance tips not only protects against those unexpected icy showers but also helps keep monthly energy bills under control.
Flush the Water Heater Tank
Flushing the tank is one of the easiest and most effective ways to maintain your water heater. Over time, minerals and sediment collect at the bottom of the tank. Experts recommend a full tank flush each year to remove sediment and keep the heater working efficiently.
If you’re comfortable with basic home maintenance, you can do it yourself:
- Turn off the power or gas supply to the heater.
- Shut off the cold-water supply valve.
- Connect a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank and place the other end in a floor drain or outside.
- Open the drain valve and allow the tank to empty until the water runs clear.
- Close the valve, remove the hose, and restore the water supply and power.
If you’d rather leave it to a professional, schedule a water heater service in Vancouver WA. A licensed plumber can flush the tank, inspect for leaks or worn parts, and make sure the system is running at peak efficiency. Regular flushing not only clears sediment and improves heating performance, it also reduces the risk of corrosion and helps your water heater last for many years.
Check and Replace the Anode Rod
Inside every tank-style water heater is an anode rod—a metal rod designed to draw in corrosive minerals so the tank itself doesn’t rust. Over time this “sacrificial” rod slowly deteriorates. Once it’s worn down, the tank loses its main line of defense and becomes vulnerable to corrosion and leaks.
To keep your water heater protected, the anode rod should be inspected every couple of years and replaced when it shows significant wear. While some experienced homeowners handle this themselves, most prefer to have a professional perform a water heater inspection. A licensed plumber can safely remove the rod, check the interior of the tank, and install a new one when needed. Regular anode rod replacement is one of the simplest and most cost-effective steps you can take to prevent rust and keep your water heater running efficiently for years.
Don’t Forget Tankless Systems
Even without a storage tank, a tankless water heater still needs regular attention to stay efficient. Over time, minerals in the water create scale inside the heating elements. Tankless water heater maintenance includes descaling to remove this buildup and cleaning or replacing the unit’s filter so water flows freely.
When these steps are skipped, efficiency drops and the system has to work harder, which can shorten its lifespan. With proper care, tankless models often deliver dependable hot water for 15 to 20 years, but neglecting routine maintenance can cut that life expectancy and lead to costly repairs. Regular professional service keeps your tankless unit running at peak performance and helps you get the full value from your investment.
Trust True Plumbing to Keep Your Water Heater Running Strong
Consistent care is the best way to keep your water heater running efficiently year after year. By following these water heater maintenance tips—from an annual tank flush to timely anode rod replacement—you protect your investment and help avoid costly emergencies.
At True Plumbing in Vancouver WA, we provide full water heater service for both traditional and tankless water heater maintenance. Our experienced technicians give honest evaluations, explain every option, and treat your home with the same respect we give our own. With regular maintenance from True Plumbing, you’ll enjoy dependable hot water and protect your system for years.
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True Plumbing was formed in order to provide the residents and business owners in Vancouver WA and all surrounding areas with a local, dependable and trustworthy plumbing company. Concentrating on excellent service and effective repairs, our job is to make every customer happy! We don’t want your family or yourself to be without a working plumbing system for too long. We offer a comprehensive list of plumbing services including Residential and Commercial plumbing, Drain cleaning, Water heater replacement and repair, Whole house water filtration installation, Bathroom remodeling, Whole house repipes, Whole house water softening system installation, Fixture repair and replacement and many more. Consider us your friendly neighborhood plumber!
