Why Your Water Bill Suddenly Spiked in Raleigh, Durham, or Greenville (and You Have NO…
Serving Raleigh, Durham, the Triangle NC & Greenville / Spartanburg / Upstate SC
We recommend flushing your water heater EVERY YEAR (or every 6 months if you have very hard water). This simple maintenance prevents sediment buildup, restores efficiency, quiets noisy tanks, and can add 5–10 years to your water heater’s life.
Helpful Video Before You Start
📺 How to Flush a Water Heater – Easy Step-by-Step
Modern Plumbing and Backflow – 24/7 Local Service
- Raleigh / Durham / Triangle NC: (919) 341-1911
- Greenville / Spartanburg / Upstate SC: (864) 979-4050
Tools You’ll Need
- Garden hose
- Bucket (optional)
- Screwdriver or pliers
- Gloves & safety glasses
Step-by-Step Water Heater Flushing Instructions (Do this annually!)
Step 1: Turn off power or gas
- Electric: Flip breaker OFF
- Gas: Turn control knob to “OFF”
Step 2: Attach garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom; run the other end outside or to a tub/floor drain.
Step 3: Open the hot-water tub spout (only the tub – no aerator to clog). Pro Tip – VERY IMPORTANT: Leave the hot-water tub spout running from the moment you close the cold-water supply valve (Step 5) until the very end when the tank is full and water runs clear. This keeps air entering the tank and pushes every bit of sediment out instead of letting it settle back in.
Step 4: Open the drain valve; run full pressure 2–3 minutes to stir sediment.
Step 5: Turn off the cold-water supply valve (top right of heater) – gate valve = full clockwise turns; ball valve = lever perpendicular to pipe. Tank now drains (15–30 min).
Pro Tip: Hear hissing? Valve isn’t fully closed. Don’t force it—call us now.
- Raleigh/Durham → (919) 341-1911
- Greenville/Spartanburg → (864) 979-4050
Step 6: Fully lift the T&P relief valve lever to break air lock and speed draining.
Step 7: When hose stops, close drain valve, remove hose, lower T&P lever. Keep tub spout running → turn cold-water supply back ON. You’ll hear loud gurgling 3–5 minutes (normal – air entering). Run tub until water is crystal clear.
Step 8: Final rinse – close tub spout, briefly reopen drain valve 30–60 seconds, then close it.
Step 9: Open hot taps house-wide to bleed air → restore power/gas.
Done – your water heater is clean and running like new! Mark your calendar to repeat this every 12 months (or twice a year in very hard-water areas).
🚨 STUCK? DRAINING SLOW? VALVE LEAKING OR HISSING? DON’T WAIT!
Call or text RIGHT NOW – advice is 100% free, 24/7. One call can save a flooded basement or costly replacement. Raleigh / Durham / Triangle NC → (919) 341-1911 Greenville / Spartanburg / Upstate SC → (864) 979-4050
Modern Plumbing and Backflow – licensed & insured, serving the entire Triangle, Greenville, Spartanburg & Upstate with over 1,500 five-star reviews
