When was your water heater last flushed? Here’s how to tell.
A water heater rarely fails politely. It usually goes on the coldest morning of the year, and the reason is almost always the same: sediment nobody flushed out in time.
What sediment actually does
Minerals settle to the bottom of the tank and bake into a crust over the burner. Your heater works harder to push heat through it, your bills creep up, and the extra stress shortens the tank’s life by years.
The signs it’s overdue
Rumbling or popping sounds as it heats, water that runs warm instead of hot, or a service record you simply can’t remember. If you’ve lived in the home more than two years and never flushed it, assume it’s time.
Keep the date where you’ll find it
The whole point of a maintenance record is that you never have to guess. Log the flush the day it happens, and HearthIQ will remind you before the next one is due — no mental math, no mystery.
The 15-minute home scan that saves you a whole weekend later
Walking room to room once, on purpose, is the single best thing you can do for your home. Here is exactly what to capture — and why future-you will be grateful.
HVAC filters: the one habit that pays for itself
A five-dollar filter on a calendar protects a five-figure system. The simplest routine to keep.
The five numbers every homeowner should know
Filter sizes, paint codes, water-shutoff location and two more that save real time when something breaks.