Water heater maintenance, explained by the licensed plumbers at Utah Service Pros in Payson.
TL;DR: Flush your water heater yearly, Utah County’s very hard water builds sediment fast enough to matter. Steps: power and fuel off, cold inlet closed, hose to a drain, open the valve plus one hot tap, flush until clear. Check the anode rod every 2-3 years. Tankless units descale with a pump kit instead.
How do you flush a tank water heater?
Breaker off (or gas to pilot), cold inlet closed, garden hose on the drain valve, a hot faucet open upstairs for air, then drain until the water runs clear, expect more sediment than the videos show if the home is unsoftened. Refill completely before restoring power; an electric element exposed to air dry-fires in seconds.
When is DIY the wrong call?
A drain valve that clogs or will not reseal, water that never clears (hardened sediment bed), rusty flushes, or any new leak afterward, stop and call. Old tanks sometimes take a flush badly; that tank was already failing. Our maintenance visit covers flush, anode, T&P valve, and connections in under an hour.
What about tankless units?
Annual descaling with a circulation pump and food-grade descaler through isolation valves, or book it and skip the kit: 801-874-8479. Full hard-water context at the water heater hub.
Expert-reviewed by Utah Service Pros. Last updated June 2026.
Questions about water heater maintenance? Call Utah Service Pros at 801-874-8479 for straight answers and a flat-rate quote.