The water heater should be drained every one to three years depending on the model and water source. This helps to control the build-up of mineral deposits. Your water heater will work more efficiently and this will usually extend the life of the water heater. Use this guide to drain your water heater.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Drain Heater
Step 1. Find a breaker/fuse box for an electric heater or a thermostat for a gas heater
Before you start draining your water heater, you first need to find the main power source and turn it off.
- The breaker box or fusing box is usually a small gray power panel (about the size of a shoebox) with a swinging door. Often mounted on the wall. In some homes, this box is located in the garage and in others it can be located outside the house.
- The thermostat for gas heaters is usually a red knob located on the outside of the heater where the gas pipe enters the gas. The knob should have three settings: "Pilot," "On," and "Off."
Step 2. Turn off the circuit or fuser that powers the electric water heater, or turn the thermostat to "Pilot" on the gas water heater
This will stop power to the water heater or the entire house, depending on which circuit/fuser you are turning off.
- You should see a small on/off button. These switches are called "branch circuit breakers," and they provide protection against electrical overload in the different circuits that power your home. If you know which branch circuit breaker powers your water heater, turn off this individual switch.
- If you don't know which individual circuit breaker powers your heater, look for the larger switch named "Main" above the branch circuit breaker. The main circuit breaker should have a higher voltage such as 100, 150, or 200. The branch circuit breaker will have a lower number than 10-60. Turn off the mains, but you know all power to your home will be temporarily cut off.
- If you open the box and find a round shape with a glass top or a small tube with a metal tip, you have a fuse box, not a breaker box. In this case, you will need to remove and remove the fuser that powers your water heater (similar to turning off a branch circuit breaker). If you're not sure which fuser to move, look for a large rectangular box with handles on top of the panel. Pull hard and directly on the handle, but be careful that the metal parts may get hot. The power to your entire home is now out.
Step 3. Turn off your cold water supply by turning the water stop valve clockwise
The stop valve should be located at or near the cold water inlet at the top of the tank.
- There are two types of valves used: ball valves and gate valves. A 90 degree turn closes and opens the ball valve, but the gate valve requires many turns.
- Some gate valves have a "stop" sign before they are closed or fully open, so make sure you turn the valve past that mark. Gas and propane supply valves for non-electric heaters may be left out.
- For natural gas and propane (LP) water heaters, pay attention to what the temperature setting is and then turn the thermostat, the big red button in front of the control, to the lowest setting, or "Pilot."
- If you plan to use the water for other purposes, turn off the heater beforehand and allow the water to cool overnight before draining.
Step 4. Open the hot water faucet on your sink or bathtub
This will prevent a vacuum from forming in the stream.
Step 5. Attach the garden hose to the conduit cock, or valve, located at the bottom of the heater
The dispensing cock is usually shaped like a hose faucet, like a garden faucet, or a circular button with a threaded hole in the middle.
- The feeding cock may be hidden under a removable liner.
- If you don't have a garden hose, you can use a bucket to collect the water and dump it in a safe place manually. Don't fill the bucket all the way out, as hot water can thin the cheaper plastic buckets or burn your skin.
Step 6. Extend the garden hose to a place where water from the heater can be safely removed
Either direct your hose to the drain outside or to the lane for vehicles in front of your house.
- If you allow the water to cool overnight, you can funnel the water into a bucket and save the water for use in the garden or for other purposes. Do not use for delicate plants, or wash your car, with sediment present in the water.
- If you are dispensing hot water, also be careful with the materials you use. Poor quality hoses and buckets can thin from the heat, causing leaks. To facilitate the process, drain directly into a suitable underground drain or water hole.
Step 7. Open the drain cock to allow water to escape from the heater
Open the pressure relief valve, usually on the top of the heater, to allow the water to flow freely.
- The pressure relief valve is usually a lever that you turn to the "up" position to open it.
- Make sure the water flows slowly. If the water flows too fast the flow of water can agitate the sediment, causing the process to take even more time.
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Warning:
If you don't let the water cool, it will be very hot when it leaves the tank. Also be aware that if the feeding cock is made of water and the heater is several years old, the cock may be difficult to open and may break if forced.
Step 8. Fill the "test" bucket with still running water after a few minutes of draining
Let the water in the bucket sit undisturbed for a minute and see if the water is clear or if there is market-like material settling to the bottom.
- If the water is fading or you see grit-like material at the bottom of the bucket, continue draining the tank until the water is clear (deposit-free or does not fade). If the tank is empty but you still see some remaining, turn the cold water supply back on to give more water to the tank. Fill the tank halfway and then drain again. Repeat this process until it is clean.
- If the water is clear and you don't see any sediment, you can move on to the next step.
Part 2 of 2: Solving
Step 1. Close the feeding cock and remove the garden hose
Close the pressure relief valve if it is open.
Also remember to turn off the hot water faucet in your sink or bathtub
Step 2. Restart the water supply and allow the tank to fill
When the tank is full and the pressure is balanced, slowly open the pressure relief valve again to let the excess air out.
This will keep the water heater from making "noise" when cold water returns to the heater during normal use. After the compressed air is out, close the pressure relief valve again
Step 3. Close the water heater line
Open the hot water faucet in the bathroom to let the wind out.
Do not turn on the power first. If you turn on the power without charge, the heating element may be damaged. Open the hot water faucet in the tub or sink and wait for a full flow of water
Step 4. Turn the water supply back on and wait for the hot water to start flowing
Once the hot water faucet is running at full volume, it's safe to turn on the breaker box or circuit fuser.
Step 5. Close the tub faucet
Wait for 20 minutes and test the hot water on the tub.
Listen carefully to the water heater to determine if the heater is working
Tips
- If the heater is an electric heater, be sure to turn off the circuit box before draining.
- If the heater is a gas heater, do not turn off the gas supply to the heater.
- Drain annually or every 6 months if your home has a water softener that uses salt.
- Schedules for draining heaters vary. Drain your heater if it's a few years old or you've just moved into a new house. The amount of sediment you see will help you determine how often you need to drain the water heater.
- Use a garden hose when draining your water heater.
- To reduce the accumulation of sediment, install a filter system throughout the house.
- Make sure you plan ahead if you want to reuse the water.
Warning
- Regular draining will keep your heater free of debris, but most plumbers warn that if the valve has not been opened for more than five years, it is best not to attempt to turn the handle as the valve can be damaged.
- Do not turn on the power without filling the water completely. If you do, the heating element will be damaged. D
- If you're not comfortable doing this yourself, call a licensed plumber.
- Be careful not to damage the distributor cock.
- Do not turn off the pilot or gas on the water heater just turn it to the lowest setting. This way you don't have to go through the reboot procedure; You just need to turn the gas control valve.
- Be careful, because the water may be very hot.
