Can't flush water heater properly, looking for advice

[bfollowell]

My wife complained that the water was starting to get a little discolored when she filled her whirlpool tub. As soon as she'd said it, I knew I had forgotten to flush our water heater. We're in a new home and I'd forgotten to setup a reminder for it when we built. My issue is that, when I've done this before, I've always closed the incoming supply water and opened a faucet or two to make certain I don't create a vacuum, then completely drained the tank, then turned on the incoming water to flush out the rust/sediment. I double-checked and any online instructions I could find all recommended pretty much the same procedure. My problem is that, when I do this, I don't get the first drop of water out of our tank. The only way I get water out of our tank is to leave the incoming water line open, but this doesn't flush nearly as well, takes a lot longer, wastes a lot more water, and basically stirs up the sediment a lot more than a true flushing would do. Does anyone have any idea what would cause our system to act this way; why I can't give my tank a true flush?

Thanks.

- Byron

 

[LearningTech]

Need some info ron the water heater, but the point of a flush is to stir up. The sediment.  Turnig on and off the incommming water in a pulseing patter can help to knok it loose.  It it tankless?