Many households in rural areas use water wells that produce water with a lot of calcium and other minerals floating around in it. This type of water is often referred to as "hard" water. While the calcium and other minerals are good for the human body, they aren't so great for plumbing fixtures and water heaters. 

When a water heater heats up hard well water, it brings the minerals out from the water and turns them into solids. The solid minerals build up and, over time, clog up both the water heater's tank and the household plumbing. 

Since replacing a water heater is expensive, you will be pleased to learn you can often avoid this cost by proactively flushing out the tank to remove any hard water scale that's present. 

To remove the scale buildup from your water heater's tank, follow this procedure:

1. Turn off the water heater's breaker in the main breaker box. This is important for your safety, and it is also vital because this is the only way you have to turn off the heating elements inside of the water heater's tank.

2. Turn off the cold water supply for the water heater. It isn't necessary to turn off the whole home's water, instead, turn off the valve located on top of the water heater's tank.

3. Connect a hose to the drain located near the bottom of the water heater. Place the other end of the hose somewhere where the hot water from the tank can safely drain out. Good drain locations are the nearest bathtub or out the window near a tree.

4. Turn on the hot water in the nearest faucet to allow the water to flow out of the water heater's tank via the hose. Open the drain valve and completely drain the tank. Once the water stops coming out, close the drain valve, and disconnect the hose.

5. Now that the water and water scale has been flushed out of the tank, turn back on the cold water inlet and refill the tank. Once full, it is safe to turn the power back on. You should have hot water in about an hour.

For Further Assistance

Finally, if flushing out your home's water heater isn't a job you want to tackle, then a licensed plumbing contractor can easily do it for you. Water heater repair services are a common part of their day and this proactive procedure isn't very expensive to have done.