Homeowners, have you flushed your water heater tank lately? A plumber recently took to TikTok to lay out the uncomfortable reality of what can happen when that maintenance is neglected for too long.
“These tanks should be flushed at least once a year,” user @theplumbersplunger explains. “A lot of people don’t know this, and so it never gets done. And since this never gets done, whatever’s in your water can settle at the bottom of these tanks and just sit there.”
In his video, which has already been watched over 2.6 million times, he cuts open a water heater tank that hadn’t been regularly flushed so that viewers could get a visual. The interior featured water that was murky and gray, with chunks of sediment floating and lining the walls.
“This honestly isn’t that bad compared to some of the other tanks I’ve opened,” he claims, later adding that it was a combination of calcium, scale, and pieces of the anode rod that had broken off.
@theplumbersplunger Cutting open a water heater tank to see what is on the inside. Talking about water filtration and how to find out what is in your water. #plumbing #water #fyp ♬ original sound – The Plumbers Plunger
Why do water heater tanks need to be flushed?
As @theplumbersplunger told one viewer, failing to flush a tank regularly “can hurt the water heater’s efficiency, decrease volume, and slowly break down the inner lining and tank causing a leak.”
This can not only force homeowners to have to replace the tank sooner than they otherwise would, but it can also increase energy bills when it’s not functioning properly.
Most water heater tanks should be flushed every year. The specifics on how to do so vary by model, but generally involve turning off the gas or power, draining the tank, and flushing the system with cold water. You should follow the instructions in your particular water heater’s manual.
Viewers express shock over water heater tank interior
Seeing what was inside a water heater tank that hadn’t been properly maintained was a nasty wakeup call to a lot of TikTok viewers.
“I never knew that you’re supposed to flush a water heater, yikes,” one commenter wrote.
“Great new nightmare released!” said another.
“This is going to sound insane but I never once even considered that water heater tanks were actually filled with water,” a further user admitted, adding that he’s been a lifelong renter in apartments.
One commenter suggested that “about 99 percent of water heater owners don’t flush the tank ever,” which prompted @theplumbersplunger to agree.
When another viewer noted that they were glad they’d switched to a tankless water heater, he also pointed out regular maintenance still matters.
“It’s actually more important to flush a tankless water heater,” he said. “You won’t have nasty buildup like this though. Just scale inside.”
And if the sight of that tank interior concerns you, @theplumbersplunger recommended that “everyone have a water filter for their home,” and possibly a water softener, too, depending on your area.
“If you don’t already know what’s in your water, I’m sure you’d be very surprised to find out,” he added. “If you’d like to find out, you can contact your water provider, and they should provide you with a water quality report, or you can go to ewg.org and they have an online database as well.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @theplumbersplunger via TikTok comment.
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