Most modern houses surely have all kinds of conveniences – gas, electricity, water, and so on. All these conveniences are serviced and enabled by various appliances and smart devices. For example, people can heat water very fast thanks to the great resourcefulness of a tankless water heater. If you do not have it yet, you should consider acquiring one and never wait for long until the water is heated.
As with any appliance or machine, a tankless water heater is supposed to be maintained. You should flush it because it builds up calcium and other minerals that damage it and may lead to low functioning, as well as break it. The most obvious thing to do is to call a contractor to resolve this issue.
In the meanwhile, you can save up money and complete everything yourself. All you need is to buy a tankless water heater flush kit and read our informative guide. It provides smart tips that help to flush your unit fast and without much effort.
Special Tips and Data
Before we begin our guide step by step, we want to provide vital data. The main cleaning ingredient for flushing your water heater is white vinegar. It successfully removes all the minerals that build up in the system and damage it. Besides, it is safe for humans.
A standard tankless water heater flush kit surely includes all the necessary staff, including white vinegar. Of course, you may buy everything separately. At times, such an option is cheaper, but it also requires more time. A tankless water heater cleaning kit is one purchase only!
As for other tools that come with the kit, you will need to use:
- A large bucket;
- Submersible pipe;
- Water hoses.
Besides, we recommend acquiring (if you still don’t have) a screwdriver if you have an electric water heater. It will be useful for opening and afterward, closing the panel of your water heater. A non-contact voltage detector is a MUST in such operations! You will need to check if the unit is powered off. By having all this stuff, the tankless water heater flush will run smoothly and safely.
Read the Manual
The first step seems to be pretty obvious. You are supposed to read the annual to your water heater. We mention it because most people skip it and this may lead to accidents or at least a waste of time.
The truth is that different manufacturers have different instructions for the use, as well as for maintenance of water heaters. Accordingly, each manual may offer many similar and different rules about how to flush tankless water heater properly.
We ask you not to skip this stage because we don’t know what type of water heater you use. A slight difference from the standard instruction may be critical!
Disconnect It from the Power Source
After you are through with the manual, get to the action. Firstly, you should disconnect your heater from its power source. Mind that even a gas heater should be disconnected from the power line! Yes, gas heaters are also connected to it, and you should NEVER ignore this rule! Always unplug the unit from the electrical outlet.
The best way is to shut off your device from the power supply by accessing the breaker panel. Here you should use the non-contact detector that we have already mentioned in our review. Although you may check via the light indicator, it is always better to double-check everything. Perhaps the indicator is spoiled and cannot show whether the unit is on or off. That’s why the detector will be crucial.
Close and Drain
The next thing you should do is close the gas supply and the water supply line. Check the valve and turn it into the necessary position. In case the heater does not have valves, close the main supply line.
If you use a gas unit, close the gas line as well. Do it before you shut off the water line. Afterward, open all the taps to drain water. You may also relieve the pressure in the system by carefully opening the release mechanism.
If you own an electric unit, remove all the electric units by screwing them with a screwdriver. They need to be cleaned as well.
Set It Up
Your next move is to set up the flushing system. If you have a gas unit, follow the next instructions:
- Open ports for cold and hot water.
- Power up the submersible pump.
- Make sure vinegar circulates in the system for at least an hour.
- Power off the pump and drain the solution.
- Turn off the port of cold water and turn on the water supply line to flush the remaining solution.
- Shut off the valve.
- Clean the filters of cold and hot water.
If you have an electric unit, complete the next steps:
- Pour white vinegar into the copper heating chamber.
- Let it settle for at least 90 minutes (2 hours are possible).
- Replace all elements of the water heater.
- Refasten the electric wires.
- Open the valve of cold water and repeat it for hot water in a few minutes.
All this time you should have the bucket under the hoses that are connected to the pipes. They will pour out the water from the system, as well as vinegar or solution.
The Bottom Line
We have reviewed the best way to clean tankless water heater. Consider all the points several times until you remember them for good. Define the differences in instructions for gas and electric units. It is very IMPORTANT!
Buy a tankless water heater flush kit or try to find its components separately. It is up to you, but our instructions are always required. You may look for other similar reviews. However, you will simply waste your time because they will provide pretty the same guidance. Use our tips and clean the unit fast and safely!