the heated water normally exits the tank at the top.
the drain valve is at the bottom, where the sediment builds up.

"- Colonel -" wrote in message
news:2006012617442450073-nobody@verizonnet...
I guess what's confounding me about this is, why doesn't the HW heater get
"flushed" every time you draw hot water out of it?

Col.

I guess what's confounding me about this is, why doesn't the HW heater get
"flushed" every time you draw hot water out of it?

Col.
Well the sediment builds up in the bottom of the tank. Drawing water
off the top does not draw the sediment from the bottom. I saw an
episode of "Ask This Old House" the other day and they did a project
about the same problem. The expert was hesitant to drain the sediment
because he said if it had been sitting like that for a long time
draining it might cause it to fail sooner. He pumped it out of the
house with a electric hose pump. Sure enough the heater failed within 6
months. He then did a cutaway of the heater to show how the sediment
builds up inside.
Richard