How To Descale A Tankless Water Heater

Every appliance that uses water collects scale (calcium and lime build-upwardly), including your tankless water heater. To function properly, all types of water heaters need descaling at some point.

All the same, it'due south a bit more than challenging to flush and descale a tankless water heater than a traditional tank water heater. The rate of scale buildup as well depends on how hard the water is in your domicile. In this postal service, nosotros'll be showing you how to flush a tankless water heater with our recommended affluent procedure.

Why Do Tankless Water Heaters Demand to Be Descaled?

Scale collects inside your tankless h2o heater slower than in a tank. Even so, the build-up notwithstanding affects a tankless water heater's performance. The calibration clogs up the heating elements, making them less effective.

Over time, this build-upward will cause your oestrus exchanger to use more than and more than energy when heating your water. Eventually, the build-upwardly may also restrict the menstruation of h2o. Depending on how long the machine goes without routine maintenance, the build-up may erode the walls of your tankless water heater to the point where it needs to exist replaced.

How Often Should Yous Clean a Water Heater?

At Lenox Plumbing, we recommend having your kickoff descaling treatment conducted three years after the initial installation of your tankless water heater. If sediment is found later on the first flush, it is recommended to perform the descaling treatment once more in iii years. Nonetheless, if sediment is non institute, it is recommended to perform the handling again in five years.

If y'all alive in an area with hard h2o , you may demand to flush your water heater more often. If you lot're uncertain nigh water quality in your area, you lot tin can check with your city government. A trusted plumbing professional can also help y'all determine how oft you need to affluent out your water heater.

Taking Intendance of Exterior Maintenance

Caring for the outside of your h2o heater is also important. The good news is, exterior maintenance doesn't require an extraordinary amount of time or supplies.

Start by wiping downward the cover. Using a not-annoying cleaner and a soft textile volition keep the unit of measurement free of dust as well as help to forestall rust evolution.

Side by side, inspect the pipes. Keeping an middle on pipes during common cold weather is a adept style to avoid finding them frozen.

Finally, if your tankless water heater has a pressure relief valve, you should exam it.

Outside maintenance typically takes about 20 minutes. Flushing the water heater volition take a piffling longer.

How to Descale Your Tankless Water Heater

In gild to access the tankless h2o heater, seek the help of a professional plumber. Tankless water heaters are installed in the walls of your abode; therefore, disconnecting the heater and reconnecting it for the descaling process can be difficult, and is better suited to someone who is familiar with the organization.

To descale a tankless water heater, you will need:

A five-gallon bucket
3 to 4 gallons of distilled, nutrient-grade white vinegar
two, ¾ inch connection drain hoses
A submersible pump

Note Before Starting: On the unit, the red isolator valve indicates the hot water side, while the blueish isolator valve indicates the cold water side. Drain caps are located on top of the hot side and on the left of the common cold side. Turning the valves to the vertical position indicates they are "on" and that h2o is free-flowing. Turning the valves to the perpendicular position indicates they are "off."

Go along the unit on but plow the gas valve off .
Turn both the hot and cold valves off. Remove the bleed caps on both valves. Identify the 5-gallon saucepan underneath the hot water side. Carefully turn the red drain valve to the "on" position and use the saucepan to drain the unit of any excess water still inside.
Repeat pace two on the common cold h2o side.
Connect a hose to the submersible pump and place the pump with the continued hose into the 5-gallon bucket. Make certain the power cord stays out of the bucket.
Connect the pump outlet hose to the cold water bleed valve.
Connect a drain hose to the hot water drain valve and place the terminate of the bleed hose into the bucket.
Dump the vinegar into the bucket so that the pump is completely submerged. Open both drain valve lever handles on the isolation valves and turn on the pump for at to the lowest degree an hour. For maximum effectiveness, change the vinegar solution afterwards xxx minutes and repeat. The unit volition effort to fire upward, but will fail due to the gas existence off. Eventually, an fault lawmaking 11 will appear, which is normal during the procedure. DO NOT RESET.
Afterwards a minimum of 1 60 minutes, plow the pump off and push the common cold water drain valve shut. Remove the hose from the cold water drain valve and supplant the cap onto the drain valve outlet.
Remove the pump and drain hose from the bucket and drain the liquid. Place the hot h2o drain hose back into the empty bucket and open the common cold h2o main valve. This process will flush out the heater with fresh cold water. Flush for at least five minutes or until twenty gallons of water have passed through the heater.
For condensing units, identify a bucket nether the unit and twist open the drain cock located directly nether the water heater to drain out any descaling medium that may have collected in the unit of measurement. Turn the main inlet valve to the "OFF" position.
For additional maintenance, unscrew and remove the water filter for cleaning—some water may flow out. Make clean the filter under running water to remove any debris. Identify the dry filter dorsum into the port, making certain it'south twisted tightly by mitt.
Turn the bleed valve to the "OFF" position. Unscrew and remove the drain hose. Supplant the bleed cap and make sure it'south screwed on tightly.
Turn the main hot and cold valves back to the "ON" position and turn the gas supply back on. To get rid of the error lawmaking 11 that resulted from descaling, reset the unit by powering information technology off, then powering it on once more.

Why Choose a Professional for Tankless Water Heater Descaling?

Your tankless water heater touches all of the drinking h2o in your home. You wouldn't want to accidentally do something to jeopardize your water if you descale your tankless water heater incorrectly.

To ensure the process has been washed correctly, it's always better to trust a professional to descale your tankless water heater.

Demand to Schedule Tankless H2o Heater Maintenance?

Keeping upward with maintenance, including a regular tankless water heater flush, should take place at least once a year. You may need to take care of other tasks more often, similar wiping down the exterior of the unit, particularly if the area attracts a lot of grit. Installing a sump pump to protect your basement appliances may too be a skilful idea.

While you can take care of basic maintenance on your own, why not let our team help? We're e'er happy to schedule routine descaling and annual service for both tankless and standard tank h2o heaters. Contact Lenox today for an guess!