Many people do not realize how important it is to clean their water tank on a regular basis. Regular maintenance of your water tank will help to extend the lifespan of your water tank. However if you do not engage in water tank cleaning , you are placing your water tank at risk and eventually it will no longer function resulting in you having to purchase a completely new tank.

So how do you go about cleaning your water tank? First of all you need to turn the power off. Remember that a water tank is normally hard-wired so you would have to make sure that the breaker at the electric panel is turned off. Just to make sure that your tank is really turned off, you should try running hot water from a faucet to see if it will remain hot or if it will turn cold.

Once the water tank is fully turned off, you can use a garden hose attached to the drain valve on the tank to completely drain the tank. Once all water has been removed from the water tank, the garden hose should be removed and the drain valve should be closed. If you notice that the last bit of water is murky, you should allow some water to flow back in the tank until the last bit of water comes out clear.

You should then clean the heating element in the water tank. You will normally have to remove the screws holding down the heating element. If you notice that the heating element is corroded, you should have it replaced however if it just has sediment built up, you should wipe it clean. You should only touch the heating element if you are sure that the water tank in empty.

Once the heating element has been cleaned or replaced, you can proceed to refilling your water tank. Once it is completely re-filled, you can plug it back into the socket and turn on the circuit breaker for the water heater. It is advisable to clean your water tank at least once per year to maintain a healthy water tank.