Boiler expansion tank question

[blazenut]

Is there any reason to routinly flush a boilers expansion tank? I never read that this is needed, but an agent was trying to convince me otherwise today.

[Chad Fabry]

Before bladder tanks it was necessary to periodically drain the tank to prevent water logging. If the PRV is leaking every firing cycle then it's the perfect time for this maintenance.

[Inspectorjoe]

I assume you mean flushing (running water through it) as opposed to simply draining. Are you talking about a conventional tank, or a bladder type tank?

If it was a bladder type tank, you could have put an end to the nonsense right away by asking the agent to explain the procedure to flush it.

If it was a conventional tank, you might have asked the agent why on earth you would want to replace some of the chemically inert water in the system with fresh oxygen-rich water by flushing it. Then follow up with surely you know what that would do, don't you?

There is no upside to getting into pissing matches with real estate agents over things that are (or should be) your forte.

[Neal Lewis]

What would be the reasoning behind it? The piping is a closed system, and i would doubt much debris could accumulate, especially in the expansion tank.

The agent may have been thinking of bleeding water from an old style tank without an air bladder.

[Bill Kibbel]

Is there any reason to routinly flush a boilers expansion tank? I never read that this is needed, but an agent was trying to convince me otherwise today.

The agent is probably just repeating what he heard from another home inspector. They're pretty good at perpetuating folklore to appear like they have a lot of knowledge.