How do you drain a water heater?

Answer 1

Connect a hose to the spigot at the bottom of the water heater and drain out a few gallons. If the water heater has not been drained for a long time the sediment has probably bound together from the minerals that are naturally occurring in the water and you probably won't get much out.If the water heater is making a gurgling sound while the burner is on you will get to buy a water heater soon. That's one of the indications that the sediment has really stuck together and given you a thick layer of sand and silt on the bottom of the tank. When that happens, the metal of the tank gets too hot since the water isn't close by to absorb the heat, then the tank starts to rust and leak.

Answershut off the cold water coming in. hook a hose up to the boiler drain at the bottom of the water heater. open it and let all the water drain out. once the water stops draining turn the water on for a couple minutes. shut the boiler drain off and turn the water back on.

Answer 2

1. Turn off the electricity or gas to your water heater. 2. Turn off the cold water supply to the tank. 3. Attach a water hose the valve on the bottom of the tank. 4. Open the hot water valve on any faucet. 5. Open the valve on the water heater. 6. When the tank empties close the valve on the water heater, turn on the cold water supply, and let the tank fill about 1/4 of the way full to loosen any sediments on the bottom of the tank. 7. Turn the cold water supply off and open up the valve on the water heater to drain the rest of the water. If you have large amounts of sediment in your tank you may need to repent steps 6-7. If at any point sediment clogs the valve or the hose turn on the cold water supply to "blow' the clog out. Also remember when the tank is draining there is no water pressure so the tank will drain slowly.

Answer 3

Turn off the cold water supply (there should be a shut off spiget by the water heater), make sure power supply is off before going to the water heater. At the bottom of your water heater is a drain cock, hook up a water hose to it, run it to the tub or outside. Turn the drain cock handle counter clockwise or to the left, on the side or top of water heater is a pressure relief valve. This needs to be opened, open it by pulling the handle located on top of it. This should drain your water heater.

Answer 4

there should be a drain down valve at the bottom. you may need to pull the cover off the access to the burner/element area depending on if its gas or electric. put a hose on it and open the valve. after you get pressure to push any sediment out (valve can get plugged) then turn off water to tank. this valve should be located on the incoming pipe above the tank on the right. you now need to find a way to let air displace the water in the tank. try opening faucets on the hot side only, open the t+p valve, or disconnect line to tank.

Answer 5

You first turn OFF the power to tank, now remove the anode rod, ( a large bolt head on top of the tank, attached to what may remain of your rod) . then attach a hose pipe to the bottom fitting, lead it outside or to any drain, turn on the valve by it, turn OFF your inlet valve and open the relief valve so air can enter the H/W tank. Let the whole tank empty -takes about 30 -40 minutes. Next, when empty turn ON the inlet valve and let cold water run through the tank and out the hose, now you will see the sludge coming out. Let this run 5-7 minutes or until water is coming through clean. Now you are done . Let it fill, and fit new anode rod as it fills ( weight of the water helps) then turn on power when full.

Answer 6

You first turn OFF the power to tank, then attach a hose pipe to the bottom fitting, lead it outside or to any drain, turn on the valve by it, turn OFF your inlet valve and open the relief valve so air can enter the H/W tank.Let the whole tank empty -takes about 30 -40 minutes. Next, when empty turn ON the inlet valve and let cold water run through the tank and out the hose, now you will see the sludge coming out. Let this run 5-7 minutes or until water is coming through clean. Now you are done . Let it fill, then turn on power.

Answer 7

Routine maintenance of your hot water heater is essential if you want to make your hot water heater last for years. You will need to periodically drain a small amount of water from the drain valve to get rid of any rust or corrosion buildup at the bottom of the tank. Begin draining the water until it becomes clear. If you have an unusually large amount of discoloration in your water, it may be time to start thinking about a new water heater. Rust and corrosion will begin to eat through the inside of the tank and cause small water leaks.