Taking care of your home can sometimes feel like a full-time job. After all, there’s always something that needs to be repaired, upgraded, or replaced.
This includes your hot water heater.
You might not give your water heater much thought, yet proper maintenance can help prevent potential problems. That’s why you need to make sure that it receives the annual maintenance required to keep it running properly.
This article takes a look at how to drain a water heater before making repairs and conducting basic maintenance. Keep reading to learn the details of this simple process.
1. Perform a Quick Flush
The first thing you need to do before shutting off the water is to connect a hose to the drain valve to flush the tank as much as possible while it still has water pressure.
Once the hose is connected, open the drain valve for a few seconds. The pressure will help blow out any sediment inside the tank. Repeat this step a couple of times, then close the valve.
2. Turn It Off
Now turn off the power to the tank or shut off the gas. Once the power is cut, shut off the main water supply to the house. You can check the sinks in the house to make sure that there’s no water pressure anywhere in the house.
3. Open the Drain Valve
Once the water pressure is successfully cut off, go ahead and open the drain valve on the water heater. Be sure the hose is attached before opening the valve.
Now remove one end of the hot water pipe located above the water heater, pulling it slightly to one side. This will cause water to begin the flushing process.
You should notice water gushing out of the drain.
4. Flush the Tank
The tank should empty rapidly. Once it’s totally drained, add a few gallons of water at a time back into the tank, and then let it drain. Repeat this process several times.
Remember to leave the hot side water pipe disconnected until this process has been completed, but don’t forget to reconnect the pipe before refilling the tank with water.
5. Refill With Water
When the tank has been thoroughly flushed, you can close the drain valve. Be sure that the drain valve is completely closed before refilling the tank.
Now go ahead and reconnect the hot water pipe and tighten it. Then fill up the tank with water and turn the water main back on.
Once everything looks good, you can light the heater pilot and turn the power on. You should expect to have hot water again with an hour or so.
If you have any questions about this process, be sure to contact a local repair company.
Tips for How to Drain a Water Heater
Cleaning your hot water heater doesn’t have to be a complicated process. The key is to understand the simple steps required to do the job right. Fortunately, these tips for how to drain a water heater can help the process go as smoothly as possible.
Keep scrolling to discover more great home improvement and lifestyle tips and advice.
