Flushing a 15-year-old water heater requires extreme caution and is generally discouraged by professional plumbers if the tank has never been maintained or flushed previously. At 15 years old, heavy layers of accumulated mineral sediment and calcified scale at the bottom of the tank may actually be sealing micro-cracks or rusted pinholes. Attempting to flush or scrape away old sediment can dislodge these rust seals, causing the fragile tank bottom to start leaking aggressively, meaning you should prepare for a full water heater replacement instead.
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