How often to drain a water heater for better performance

Knowing how often to drain a water heater is one of those home maintenance tasks that usually falls off the radar until you start hearing weird popping sounds coming from the basement. For most homes, the magic number is once a year, but that isn't a hard and fast rule for everyone. Depending on where you live and what's in your water, you might need to grab that garden hose a bit more frequently, or you might be able to stretch it out a little longer. ...

May 22, 2026 · 7 min · Mara Krim