I only flush once every couple years and haven’t had issues.
Same here. I used to be religious about the yearly flush, but with my newer Rheem, it almost seemed to make things worse. That “popcorn” noise is usually just steam bubbles forcing their way through sediment layers, but if you’ve got a newer tank and decent water, flushing too often can actually stir up stuff that would otherwise settle harmlessly. And yeah, vinegar’s awesome for shower heads, but it’ll wreck cheap seals—ask me how I know…
That “popcorn” noise is usually just steam bubbles forcing their way through sediment layers
Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. I tried flushing mine last year and it actually got noisier for a bit—almost like I woke something up in there. Guess sometimes leaving well enough alone really is the move. Vinegar trick’s great, but those cheap seals... learned that lesson the hard way with a leaky kitchen faucet.
That “waking something up” feeling is too real. I tried the vinegar thing in my old tank, thinking I was being all eco-conscious, and it ended up sounding like a kettle drum for weeks. Maybe it loosened up more gunk than it cleared out? Hard to say. I’m always torn between wanting to keep things running efficiently and not poking the bear, so to speak.
And yeah, those cheap seals are a nightmare. I swapped out a faucet washer with one of those bargain bin packs—thought I was being thrifty—and it started leaking worse than before. Sometimes the “green” or budget-friendly fix just means you’re doing it twice.
I do wonder if some of these noises are just the price of older systems. You can baby them all you want, but at a certain point, they’ve got their own personality... and not always a pleasant one.