Essential Hot Water Tank Maintenance: What You Need to Know

What is hot water tank maintenance?

It’s the routine care your hot water system needs to keep delivering clean, reliable, and energy-efficient hot water day in, day out. It includes flushing the tank, checking safety components like the pressure relief valve, inspecting for water leaks, and ensuring internal parts like the anode rod and heating elements stay in peak condition.
Think of it like a service check-up for your car — only this one controls your water temperature, your energy bill, and your comfort every time you step into a hot shower.

Key Components You Need to Know

• To properly understand hot water system maintenance, you need to know what’s under the hood. Here are the key components we check when we inspect a hot water heater:
• Water heater tank – The main vessel that stores and heats your hot water
• Anode rod – A metal rod designed to attract corrosive elements and protect the tank from rust
• Drain valve – Releases water for maintenance or flushing
• Pressure relief valve / temperature pressure relief valve (TPR valve) – Releases excess pressure to prevent explosions
• Heating elements – Used in electric water heaters to heat water inside the tank
• Cold water supply / water supply – The lines that feed water into the tank

If any of these go unchecked, you’re risking more than just cold showers — you could be headed straight for significant damage.

Why Regular Hot Water Heater Maintenance Is Non-Negotiable

Skipping maintenance might seem harmless — until your water heater fails during winter or floods your laundry with rusty water.
Here’s what regular maintenance helps you avoid:

• Water leaks from worn seals or cracked pipes
• Sediment buildup that forces the heating elements to work overtime
• Reduced water heater’s efficiency and higher energy costs
• A shorter life expectancy of your hot water heater
• Dangerous pressure spikes or failure to release pressure when needed

And when you avoid these, the upside is huge: lower bills, fewer repairs, and longer hot water system lifespan.

Core Maintenance Tasks Every Owner Should Know

Here are the maintenance tasks we perform or recommend — the foundation of any solid hot water system maintenance plan:

• Test the pressure relief valve by lifting the lever and allowing it to discharge briefly
• Inspect and replace the anode rod every few years (or sooner if worn)
• Flush the bottom of the tank to remove sediment buildup
• Use a garden hose attached to the drain valve to drained completely once every service interval
• Check cold water supply and water supply connections for corrosion or build up
• Confirm that the circuit breaker or power supply is functioning properly
• Monitor the water temperature to avoid overheating and reduce heat loss

These steps might seem straightforward, but doing them wrong can lead to major problems — and that’s where professional servicing comes in.

Special Note for Victoria Residents

In Victoria, the water supply is some of the cleanest in Australia. That means a flush may not always be necessary unless signs of sediment buildup or water leaks appear.
However, we still recommend yearly licensed plumber inspections and general servicing every 2 years. Why? Because even a clean system can hide problems with the tpr valve, heating elements, or discharge pipe — issues that don’t wait for the next cold snap to surface.

Why You Shouldn’t DIY Everything

We love a capable homeowner — but trying to properly maintain a hot water heater with a wrench and a YouTube tutorial can backfire. Here’s why:

• Opening the valve or attempting to release pressure without training can cause scalding or injury
• You might miss hidden signs of wear inside the water heater tank
• Mishandling the pipe wrench, skipping a bucket beneath the discharge pipe, or not shutting off the cold water line can result in flooding
• You could void your warranty or cause a dangerous fault in gas water heater or electric water heaters

There’s a reason plumbers are trained — and it’s not just for fun.

How to Properly Maintain Your Hot Water System (The Professional Way)

When you book a professional with Melbourne Heating and Cooling, we don’t just skim the surface. We handle:

• Full hot water system maintenance and safety checks
• Flushing the water heater tank, if required
• Inspection of anode rod, relief valve, drain valve, and tpr valve
• Testing of water temperature, pressure, and internal heating elements
• Checking all lines for build up, corrosion, and correct flow
• Ensuring your system is running efficiently with zero risk of heat loss

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late — Protect Your Hot Water System Today

Your hot water heater works silently every day — until it doesn’t.
If you’ve never serviced your hot water system, or it’s been over 2 years since your last check-up, now is the time.

Regular maintenance is the key to lowering your energy costs, extending your water heater’s lifespan, and avoiding significant amount of costly repairs.

And here’s the truth: nothing beats the confidence of knowing your tank, valve, and all other key components are working correctly.

That’s where we come in.

At Melbourne Heating and Cooling, our licensed professionals handle every part of your hot water system maintenance with precision, transparency, and care. Whether you have a gas water heater, electric water heaters, or a tankless water heater, we keep your system safe, efficient, and problem-free.

Contact us today to schedule your next service — and experience the peace of mind that only expert care can bring.