Neglected Oil Fired Hot Water Heater, What Now?

FatJack

Guys, I bought a house with a 9 year old oil fired hot water heater. It is working fine, but it turns out that it has not been serviced or flushed since it was installed! I assume that I should have a professional check the oil burner, right? Should I also flush the tank and check the corrosion rods? (That seems like an easy DIY task, is it?) I've been told that flushing the tank at this stage may invite more problems than it prevents so appreciate any professional advice.

Jellis

a technician should certainly look over the burner, change the filters and nozzle and clean the unit. They should then perform a combustion test to verify proper operation of the burner. I would certainly check the Anode Rods, if the rods are completely worn and gone you could already have some degradation in your tank, I would say flushing is a good idea, if flushing causes any kind of issue then i would say its good to be replacing the tank anyway.

EBEBRATT-Ed

wahat @Jellis said is good advise

STEVEusaPA

Along with above excellent advice, I’d also recommend pulling the burner to check/clean the chamber, and check the end cone.

Larry Weingarten

Hi, Is it a glass lined or stone lined tank?

Yours, Larry