Water heater maintenance tips that actually work

A tank water heater should last 10–15 years. Most of the ones we replace at year 8 were never flushed, never had their anode rod checked, and ran at 140 degrees against hard water for a decade. Maintenance isn't magic — it's the difference between a heater that dies at 8 and one that makes it to 14. Here's what we tell every homeowner.

• Flush the tank once a year: Sediment settles at the bottom of every tank, insulating the burner from the water and forcing it to run hotter and longer. Attach a hose to the drain valve, run it somewhere safe, and flush until the water runs clear. In the Inland Empire, the desert, or on a well, do it twice a year.
• Check the anode rod every 2–3 years: The anode is a rod of magnesium or aluminum that corrodes so your tank doesn't. Once it's eaten away, the tank starts corroding — and that's a countdown to a leak. A replacement rod is cheap; a replacement tank is not.
• Test the T&P relief valve yearly: The temperature-and-pressure relief valve is the safety device that keeps a tank from becoming a pressure vessel. Lift the lever briefly — water should flow, then stop cleanly. If it drips afterward or won't open, replace it.
• Set the temperature to 120°F: Most heaters ship set hotter than they need to be. 120°F is hot enough for showers and dishwashers, cuts energy use, and dramatically reduces scald risk — especially with kids or seniors in the house.
• Insulate the first few feet of hot pipe: Cheap foam sleeves on the hot-water line leaving the tank cut standby losses. Don't insulate the flue on a gas unit — and keep insulation clear of the draft hood.
• Descale tankless units annually: In hard-water country, a tankless heat exchanger scales up fast. An annual descaling flush with vinegar or descaler keeps flow rates and efficiency where they should be. Skip it and you'll get error codes and cold surprises.
• Look for the warning signs: Rusty water, rumbling or popping noises, moisture at the base, or a pilot that keeps going out — any of these mean the heater needs a pro's eyes now, not next year.

Much of Southern California — the Inland Empire, the desert communities, the San Gabriel Valley — has water hard enough to halve a water heater's expected life if it's ignored. Sediment builds faster, anodes get eaten faster, and tankless units scale faster. If you're in a hard-water area, treat the maintenance schedule above as the minimum, not the ideal. A softener upstream of the heater is the single best thing you can do for its lifespan.