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MAINTENANCE
Rou ne Maintenance
Rou ne maintenance will help your
water heater last longer and work bet-
ter. If you cant perform these rou ne
maintenance tasks yourself, contact a
qualifi ed person.
Water Heater Mainte-
nance
A er the fi rst six months, drain and
fl ush the water heater and inspect the
anode rod. Depending on the hardness
of your water, repeat this process at
least annually, or more frequently if
needed. From me to me you may
need to replace a hea ng element or
a thermostat. All three maintenance
tasks are described below
Draining and Flushing
the Water Heater
Tap water contains minerals that can
form lime deposits on hea ng ele-
ments or sediment in the bo om of
the tank. The amount of lime deposits
or sediment depends on the hardness
of your tap water. The rate at which
sediment builds up depends on water
quality and hardness in your area,
the temperature se ngs, and other
variables. We recommend draining and
fl ushing the water heater a er the fi rst
six months of opera on to determine
the amount of sediment build up.
Draining sediment extends the life of
the tank, hea ng elements, and drain
valves.
28 • Residen al Hybrid Electric Heat Pump Water Heater Use and Care Guide
• In areas with very hard water,
remove and check the heating
elements whenever you drain the
tank. If you have heavy lime depos-
its on heating elements, you will
need to replace them more often.
• Sediment may form large masses that
can prevent the tank from draining.
Have a qualified person use a de-lim-
ing agent suitable for potable water
to remove the sediment buildup.
• In most cases, it is easier and
cheaper to replace lime-encrusted
elements than trying to remove
heavy lime deposits.
To drain and fl ush the
tank:
Locate the water heater's
1
circuit breaker and turn it OFF
(or remove the circuit's fuses).
Figure 31 - Circuit Breaker
Open a hot water faucet and
2
let the hot water run un l it is
cool.
Figure 32 - Water Faucet
WARNING! Be sure the water runs
cool before draining the tank to
reduce the risk of scalding.
Connect a garden hose to the
3
drain valve and place the
other end of the hose in a
drain, outside, or in buckets.
Turn the cold water supply
4
valve OFF.
Open the drain valve on the
5
water heater.
Figure 33 - Drain Valve
Open a hot water faucet to
6
help the water in the tank
drain faster.
NOTICE: DO NOT turn electrical power
back on unless the tank is completely
full of water.
Remove and inspect the
7
anode rod (see Repair Parts
Illustra on on back cover for
loca on of the anode rod). Replace the
anode rod if it is depleted.
Figure 34 - Anode Rods from new (top) to
partially depleted (middle) to fully depleted
staged (bottom)
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