How To Drain Your Hot Water Tank

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You need to drain your h2o heater at to the lowest degree in one case a year to remove whatsoever sediment that builds up and go on it in working order. Fortunately, draining a water heater is super easy to practise. Start by turning off the power or gas and then connect a garden hose to the drain valve. Pop open the bleed and pressure relief valves to allow the water to drain out completely. Plough the water supply back on to affluent out whatever remaining sediment. Then, close upwardly the valves, restore the power or gas, and yous're all fix!

one
Turn off the power if you take an electric water heater. Find your fuse box or circuit breaker box and check the diagram on the inside of the console to identify the billow that controls the ability to your water heater. Flip the switch to shut off ability to the h2o heater so you don't stupor yourself.^[1]
- Use a flashlight or set up a lamp most the water heater and then you can run across while yous're working.
2
Flip the pilot light switch to "Pilot" if you have a gas water heater. Virtually the pilot light is a switch that controls the menstruation of gas into the water heater. Motion the switch to the "airplane pilot" setting to prevent heating an empty heater and and then gas doesn't leak out while you're working on it.^[2]
- The pilot low-cal will not actually go out, but the gas will be cut off from the water heater.
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3
Turn the water supply valve off at the acme of the water heater. On the tiptop correct side of the h2o heater is a valve that controls the flow of h2o into the h2o heater. Plow the knob or move the switch to shut off the water supply.^[three]
- If y'all can't locate your water supply valve, bank check the owner'south transmission or look up the make and model of your water heater online to detect it.
4
Adhere a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. At the base of the water heater is a pocket-sized valve called the bleed valve. Take a standard garden hose and align it with the threads on the drain valve. Screw the garden hose onto the valve to connect it.^[4]
- Make certain the hose is fastened securely and the threads are fifty-fifty so h2o doesn't leak out.
5
Place the other cease of the hose exterior below the level of the bleed. Run the garden hose to the outside of the building so the water can run off safely. Make sure the stop of the hose is lower than the level of the drain on the heater and so the h2o will flow.^[5]
- You could also run the hose to a storm drain in the street so it flows safely into a drainage organisation.
Tip: If you demand to inspect the tuckered h2o to look for sediment or damage to your h2o heater, place the other end of the hose into a five gallon (19 L) bucket so you tin inspect the water that drains out.

1
Plough the knob on the bleed valve to open it. Near the drain valve where the hose is connected is a knob or lever that opens and closes the valve. Turn the knob or lever to open the valve. Make sure it'south opened all of the way to allow for proper drainage.^[6]
- If the valve is hard to open up, use a wrench to assist plow it.
Note: Some drain valves require yous to use a screwdriver to turn the knob that opens it.
2
Pull upward on the pressure relief valve at the top of the tank to open it. At the top of the water heater is a valve that allows air to flow into the unit in gild to salvage pressure that can build up inside of it. Open the pressure relief valve to allow air to run through the valve and bleed the water. If water doesn't outset to flow immediately, loosen the nut on the meridian of the h2o heater that connects the bleed valve to allow more air to laissez passer through.^[seven]
- Do not remove or entirely separate the nut at the top of the water heater. Only loosen it to let air to pass through.
- Be careful not to snap or wiggle the valves and then y'all don't risk damaging them.
3
Allow the water to drain completely. It tin accept upwardly to thirty minutes for your water heater to completely drain. When the water stops flowing from the garden hose, then the h2o heater has finished draining.^[8]
- Keep an heart on the garden hose to brand certain it's draining properly.
4
Open the water valve for 5 minutes to affluent out the water heater. Sediment tin collect at the lesser of your water heater so it'south important that you run fresh water through it to flush it all out. Turn the water valve to start the flow of water through the heater so information technology drains through the drain valve.^[ix]
- Allow the fresh water to flow for at least 5 minutes and then plow it off again.

1
Close the drain valve and pressure relief valve. Plough the valve to close the drain where the hose is continued. Make certain information technology'due south fully closed. So, close the pressure relief valve on the water heater and tighten the nut on tiptop if yous loosened it.^[10]
- It's important that the valves are airtight tight and then they don't leak when you turn the water heater back on and allow it to make full upward.
ii
Disconnect the garden hose from the drain valve. Unscrew the garden hose from where information technology's connected to the drain valve. Bring it outside and dump out whatever water contained inside of it so it doesn't develop mold or mildew that can harm it.^[11]
- Wrap up the hose and store it when you're finished using it.
3
Flip the breaker to plough the electricity dorsum on. If you lot accept an electric water heater, turn the power back on by flipping the billow that controls the electricity to information technology. Close the circuit breaker box up when y'all're finished.^[12]
- If power isn't immediately restored to the water heater, try flipping the breaker off and back on again.
iv

Turn the airplane pilot light to the "On" position if it's a gas water heater. To plough a gas h2o heater back on, you need to restore the menstruum of gas into the h2o heater. Flip the airplane pilot light switch back into the on position.^[thirteen]

Tip: Relight the pilot light if it was extinguished by turning the valve to the "Pilot" position and using the ignitor switch on the valve or a long lighter if there isn't an igniter.

Add New Question

Question

Where is the pressure valve located, and how tin can I open up it on the tank?

It is typically located on the top or side of the h2o heater. There should be a pipe connected to information technology, leading outside or to within six inches if the footing. In that location is a small-scale lever on it. Be conscientious when opening it, as hot water can menstruum from the valve very chop-chop.
Question

I take well water. Is it safe to put a gallon of vinegar in the tank for the 3 months maintenance to absorb the lime? Will this keep lime eolith from forming?

They won't dilute, and the water will taste like you mixed Caesar salad in information technology.
Question

Is it condom to drain h2o with sediment into the toilet?

Yes. The sediment is likely to include a lot of ruddy-dark-brown rust; if the toilet porcelain is sometime and pitted, some of that colour might adhere to the bowl interior. Be prepared to clean that out.
Question

Why is h2o still inbound the hot water heater after I shut off all the valves?

There should be a valve on the cold water intake line. Sometimes, these are not easily visible. If yous plant it and turned information technology, only h2o is still flowing, you lot may have a faulty valve. If in that location is no valve, it is a good idea to install one.
Question

How do I flush out an electric hot water heater?

Follow the same steps for emptying a gas hot water tank, except rather than turning the gas off, get to the console box where your electricity comes into the house, find the circuit breaker that powers the hot h2o tank, ordinarily a twenty or thirty amp billow, and move the breaker switch to the off position. This stride should be done early on in the process when draining the tank, and almost the last stride after the tank has been drained.
Question

Tin can I drain a h2o heater by turning off the cold h2o and turning on a faucet instead of hooking a hose to the bleed valve?

Didn't work for u.s.a.. We had to open the release valve on hot water heater too.
Question

What if my hot water tank won't drain, even when I take followed procedures?

Disconnect the hose open up valve slowly. If h2o comes out, the hose may be chock-full or kinked. If no water comes out, stick a screwdriver in the valve, and be fix to shut it. Reconnect the hose open valve and drain. Echo if necessary. Y'all may need fill and drain several times, and be careful to not get scalded.
Question

How exercise I drain a water heater that's plugged and won't drain?

Effort pushing a straightened wire clothes hanger up the drain valve to dislodge some if the sediment. Be gentle going through the valve so you don't damage information technology. If this doesn't work, you'll likely need to contact a plumber to hash out your unique state of affairs.
Question

Water is coming out of the bottom of a water heater. What's wrong?

You likely demand a new h2o heater. Y'all should turn off the ability to the water heater immediately (at the fuse box).
Question

At that place is water in the tank, only the h2o is not getting hot for showering. What is the trouble?

Most likely if information technology'south a gas water heater, the pilot calorie-free isn't ignited to warm the water. If it'south electric, cheque the circuit breakers and wiring.

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Article Summary X

To drain a water heater, kickoff by turning it off and let the water cool for a few hours. Once the water in the heater has cooled, turn the cold water intake valve off and run some hot water from a faucet in your firm to empty out excess h2o in the pipes. Then, open the pressure relief valve on the tank and connect a long garden hose to the bleed valve. If your heater is in a higher place ground, just permit the water bleed out of the tank and through the hose to an outdoor location. If your heater is beneath ground, use a pump to pump the water up through the hose. If you want to larn more than, like how to flush your h2o heater, keep reading the article!

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