I installed one about two years ago hoping it'd solve our sediment issues. It helped somewhat, but honestly, sediment still builds up over time—just slower. Regular flushing seems unavoidable either way. Filters aren't too expensive upfront, but replacement cartridges add up after a while. If you're on a tight budget, might be better off just sticking with routine maintenance and flushing the tank annually... at least that's been my experience.
"Regular flushing seems unavoidable either way."
Yeah, that's been my experience too. I tried a filter setup last year, and while it slowed things down, sediment still crept back in eventually. Have you noticed if certain filter brands last longer or perform better?
I've messed around with a bunch of filters over the years, and honestly, brand isn't always the magic bullet. Some pricier ones claim to last longer, but in my experience, it's more about the micron rating and regular maintenance than the name on the box. A 5-micron sediment filter usually does the trick for most setups—finer than that, and you'll be swapping cartridges way too often.
Funny story: I once installed this fancy "long-life" filter a client insisted on, and it clogged up faster than the cheapo one we replaced. Turns out their water was just super rusty, and no filter was gonna magically fix that without regular flushing and maintenance. So yeah, flushing is pretty much unavoidable, but pairing it with a decent mid-range filter and staying on top of cartridge changes can at least keep things manageable.
Also, if your sediment issue is really stubborn, you might wanna check your anode rod. Sometimes swapping out the standard magnesium rod for an aluminum-zinc alloy can reduce corrosion and sediment buildup. Worth a shot if you're tired of the rusty-water dance every few months...
Had a similar issue a couple years back—rusty water kept showing up no matter how often I flushed the tank or swapped filters. At first, I thought my water heater was toast and started pricing out replacements (ouch). But before biting the bullet, I tried swapping out that anode rod like you mentioned. Honestly, it made a pretty noticeable difference. Didn't completely eliminate the sediment, but it cut way down on the rust.
Also, totally agree about filters. I went through a phase of buying pricier ones thinking they'd last longer or work better, but nope...the mid-range 5-micron ones seem to hit the sweet spot between effectiveness and cost. Regular maintenance is definitely key—once I started flushing more consistently and staying on top of cartridge changes, things improved a lot.
Long story short: I'd definitely recommend checking the anode rod first and sticking with affordable filters. Might save you from dropping unnecessary cash on a new heater.
Good call on the anode rod—I was pretty skeptical at first myself. Thought it was just another one of those DIY myths floating around online, but it actually helped a lot when I tried it. Didn't completely solve my rust issue either, but it definitely bought me some extra time before having to replace the whole heater. And yeah, pricey filters are overrated...mid-range ones work just fine if you stay consistent with maintenance. Glad you didn't jump straight into replacing the heater—that would've hurt the wallet for sure.
