As The Grumpy Plumber notes in this video, flushing your water heater’s lines probably won’t solve any problem with your water heater. Most water heaters lack the proper design to easily extricate the water and the sediment stuck in the lines. By trying to do it yourself, you’ll probably flood your utility room. Here’s a quick list of issues homeowners may face:

  1. The tank leaks
  2. The water won’t get hot
  3. The water appears discolored or rusty
  4. The water smells awful


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Flushing the lines won’t solve any of these problems, but phoning a plumber for water heater repair will. A leaking tank needs replacement. Ask your plumber for recommendations on a tank suitable for your size of household.

When water won’t heat, the water heater’s thermostat probably needs adjusting. Find the thermostat on the unit and turn it one or two degrees higher if it uses degree settings. Some heaters use a color scale, while others use words like cool, warm, hot, and very hot.

As the video mentions, a corroded rod in the water heater can discolor the water. So can rust buildup in the water heater. If the rod went bad, have it replaced; if your water heater started rusting from the inside, replace it. A strong smell coming from the water typically indicates bacteria build up inside the water heater. Contact your plumber for an additive to kill the bacteria.

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