I've been told that if your water heater is over 10 years old that I should not be suprized if I can't get parts (thermostat or whatever) for it any more as they don't expect them to last that long, warranty's range from 6 to 12 years, I haven't seen any longer then 12 years but I have seen water heaters last much longer then that and some fail after 5 years.
I'm not sure why you would turn off the water and let the tank fill with air, I always drain mine with the water on and it flows clear after about 5 gallons but starts out with a nice brown sludge.
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