Flush hot water tank
 

Good day for it. Extend the life of your tank..... I think I went to long between purges....

Do you also change what i will call the "zinc rod"? I have seen it written up a few times but never actually done it, nor do I know its zinc but seems to be based on the pictures if I remember. It totally makes sense, but i am afraid mine is already too far gone.

I just flushed mine the other day! I think the rod in mine is magnesium but not sure. It's 8 years old and never changed. Little nervous every to crack the seal!
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The tank that each of you guys are flushing what is the fuel used to provide heat,oil,propane, natural gas or electric also are they direct exposure or indirect.
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oil fired

If direct then yes flushing it is very beneficial,because you are removing the sediment brick that lies between the flame,metal and water which slows down the heating transferring process,which wastes fuel and shortens vessel life. As you know hard water and electrolysis is a by product of direct fire units.most tanks have the common anode rod made of zink,mag,aluminium and other metals,some newer ones are called impressed current rods, they are charged to attract negatively charged metels that are in the water and are more easily picked up during electrolysis,this type of ananode needs to be changed out more frequently, but these are mostly found in commercial applications.
Another type is titanium and these are directly charged and never need replacing, ever.there are a couple more.


Anyway the ananode rod will help the prevent the deteiration of the glass/ceramic lining of the tank,but flushing is being proactive,which is helpful on your wallet,but you can go one step further and de scale it which will eat away the harder sediments from the years you didn't flush it.
These kits can be purchased at FWWebb,Grainger and other plumbing supply houses.


Where as indirect fire will have far less debris/sediment on the bottom because there is no direct flame to metal and electrolysis will lower.
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My hot water tank is based on a heat exchanger, source of heat is a 4th hot water zone off my oil furnace. Should be no need to flush.
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Buzz you have an indirect heating DHW storage tank, boiler fed,and yes your tank should be flushed de scaled every few years even if you have water softener system.

Mine's an indirect system off an oil furnace. My before and after water looked very much like the pictures posted above, though perhaps not as discolored to start.

Close but my heat exchanger is external to the tank and is only about 1.5"x 8"x4" in size (est not actual)

Not a bad guess based on what was provided, you have a true external indirect DHW heat source.