Steps for Descaling a Tankless Water Heater

Using a tankless water heater is an excellent way to reduce the cost of your water bill while reducing your overall energy usage. Proper maintenance on a tankless water heater — including regular descaling — promotes efficiency and a longer lifespan.

Descaling is known as the process of removing mineral deposits and buildup from the inside of your water heater. These deposits can accumulate over time, eventually reducing your system’s efficiency. They can also cause additional problems you won’t want to hassle as a homeowner, including if you find your tankless water heater leaking or temperature regulation issues.

Descaling your tankless water heater isn’t difficult, but you will need to purchase a special solution designed for this task.

How to Descale Your System
Once you’ve purchased the appropriate descaling solution, you’ll need to gather a few items to use during the descaling process, including:

• A bucket
• A hose
• A wrench
• A garden sprayer

When you’ve prepared your materials, follow these steps to remove the buildup from your tankless water heater:

1. Turn off the water supply and power to the water heater
2. Open the drain valve on the bottom of the heater (If this step seems scary, call a professional)
3. Connect your garden hose to the drain valve
4. Place the other end of the hose in the bucket
5. Pour the descaling solution into the water heater

After adding the descaling solution to the water heater, let it sit and work its magic for the time specified on the product label. Please note this simplified descaling process may vary from machine to machine and solution to solution.

When the indicated time has elapsed, you can open the hot water faucet and let the water run until it’s clear. Next, disconnect your garden hose from the drain valve and close it up tight, then restore the power and water supply to your tankless heater, and voila! You’re officially descaled.

Additional Tips for Descaling Your Tankless Water Heater
First and foremost, always read the instructions included with the descaling solution, as they tend to vary with each product. Also, wear gloves and eye protection to protect yourself from splashing and potential injuries. Finally, work in a well-ventilated area, and never mix different descaling solutions.

How Often Should You Descale Your Tankless Water Heater?
Ideally, you should descale your tankless system every one or two years (at minimum), but this will vary depending on the hardness of your water. If you live in a region that naturally has hard water, you’ll likely need to descale your heater more frequently.

It’s vital to descale regularly to keep it running efficiently. Doing so will also help prevent costly unexpected repairs to your plumbing system and appliances. Taking care of your system can also extend its life and reduce your energy bills.

You don’t have to maintain your tankless water heater maintenance yourself — instead, you can schedule regular maintenance check-ups with our local HVAC experts at Paraco HVAC. The team can service tankless water heaters and perform repairs, maintenance, regular cleaning, and replacement as needed.

Descaling a tankless water heater is one of the simpler tasks to perform as a homeowner. This routine maintenance task will prove to be effective in improving the tank’s performance and limiting the buildup of mineral deposits over time.