How Often Should I Flush My Tankless Heater?

The recommendation varies in verbiage from each manufacturer and it’s primarily based on water quality and usage amount. We note "annually" on our stickers or flyers to bring it to attention that this is something that may need to be done annually, depending on field conditions. From our experience, no matter the conditions, we recommend not going longer than 2 years without descaling a tankless water heater.

Why Flush My Tankless Water Heater?

The main objective is to keep lime scale and build up that can occur from the hard water in Fort Worth and surrounding areas. This is important because the limited warranty provided with the tankless water heater does not cover “defects, malfunctions or failures due to water conditions that are outside of their recommended parameters”. What this basically means is if the water is not filtered by a water treatment system then it’s not acceptable. This is the reason for recommending the “flushing” or what we like to call “descaling” the unit or heater exchanger.

Is It Difficult To Flush My Water Heater?

It’s about an hour long process that requires a high flow recirculation pump and a descaling solution suggested by the manufacturer. Please visit our Book Now page to schedule an appointment.

It’s important to note that we cannot descale a water heater that is older than 5 years that has not been serviced because there may already be damage to the heat exchanger that is hidden by the scale build up. What this means is that there may already be pin holes that developed in the internal pipes that the lime scale build up actually can plug or stop. If this happens and the descaling process occurs, it can break up the scale build up and open the holes and cause a leak. This has happened in the past and we have learned it is best not to create a bigger issue of having an unexpected and time-sensitive costly repair or replacement.

What Does NCT Plumbing Clean During A Service?

During this visit we provide a maintenance check of the unit:
-Vent system and air filter if applicable
-Condensate drain if applicable
-Burner
-Outside dust and debris
-Water filter screen cleaning
-Visually checking for water or gas leaks
-Pressure relief valve operation

Although routine maintenance and inspection of the system occurs it may not prevent any or all operational issues but may help identify potential future concerns.

Visit the Book Now page today to schedule your tankless water heater service appointment, or check out our Tankless Water Heater Maintenance page for more information!