Household Hints & Help

My experience has been that they last 10 to 15 years. I think hard water might cause them to fail sooner. It causes deposits on the heating elements of an electric water heater or tubes in a gas one. I used to flush mine out every few years by turning off the gas or electricity and connecting a hose run to the outside. I open the bottom drain valve and let it run for a minute or two. I would see a lot of brown crud when the first water came out.

I don't know if usage affects life but I would think more usage would cause wear of the glass lining on the tank. This site says it makes a big difference.

https://www.nachi.org/lifespan-water-heater.htm