Drain a Water Heater
Many water heater manufacturers recommend that you drain and flush the heater every 6 months. Sediment build up in the tank can clog the heater, reduce the efficiency of the heating element and increase your electric bill. Follow the instructions below to drain an electric or gas water heater.
Contents
Steps
Water Heater Prep
- Turn off your water heater. You do not want to drain a water heater that is in operation.
- If you have a gas-powered water heater, turn the switch to "pilot" to keep the water heater's pilot light on, but stop the water from heating.
- If you have an electric water heater, switch off the electrical switch that connects the heater to the electricity. This may be a switch in a board above the heater.
- Allow the water in the water heater to cool before continuing. This can take several hours to half a day depending upon the size of the water heater.
Water Heater Flow
- Turn the cold water intake valve off. This inlet is often at the top of the heater, and it is where the water pours in before being heated.
- Turn on a hot water tap in your house to remove excess water in the pipes.
- Open the pressure relief valve on the tank. You may hear a hissing sound when you turn it.
Garden Hose Drainage
- Find a very long garden hose. Most homes will need to drain the water from the water heater into a drain outdoors.
- If you have an operable drain in a basement where the water heater is stored, you can opt to drain the heater with a water hose straight into your basement drain.
- Test the length of the hose before continuing.
- You can also choose to run the cool water into a garden or lawn. In this case, you may want to place a mesh screen above the lawn to trap water heater sediment. In this case, the cooler the water you are draining, the better.
- Assess whether your water heater sits above or below ground level. If it is above, you can simply string the hose outside and gravity will force the water downward.
- If your water heater sits below ground level, you will need to purchase a small pump at a home improvement store. This pump can connect to a garden hose and reattach to another hose to pump the water outside or into a drain.
- Connect the pump, if this is necessary. Plug it in, if need be.
- Connect the garden hose to the water heater drain valve. This is usually located at the bottom of the tank. Use a wrench to secure it tightly.
- Allow the water to pump out or drain out completely.
- Catch some of the water in a bucket, if the water is going to escape into a drain. This will help you to see how much sediment is in the water.
Water Heater Flushing
- Assess the water in the bucket for evidence of sediment. You can also check your mesh screen to see what has gathered.
- Flush the water heater, if there is a large amount of sediment.
- Disconnect the garden hose, turn off the water tap and the pressure relief valve. Turn on the cold water intake.
- Fill the tank again and drain it. For extremely bad sediment, you may need to do this until you no longer gather sediment.
- Disconnect the garden hose, flip the pressure switch and turn your gas intake or electricity intake back on. Perform regular water heater maintenance to improve water heater function.
Tips
- If you find pieces of plastic along with the sediment, this is the sign of a deteriorating dip tube. Find a replacement dip tube at a home improvement store. Replace it from the top when the water is drained.
Things You'll Need
- Long garden hose
- Wrench
- Pump
- Mesh screen
- Bucket
- Drain
Related Articles
- Flush a Water Heater
- Repair an Electric Water Heater
- Replace a Water Heater
- Replace Shut off Valves
