Extending the life of your water heater We'll call this the maintenance "5-minute" because you're probably going to invest more than a minute in draining your water heater- but the good news is that you don't have to drain it completely as your manual may suggest. Over time, any type of water heater tank will build up sediment- which has three harmful effects on your home's hot water system. First, the sediment takes up space which effectively makes your water heater smal