How to Drain Your Water Heater: A Step-by-Step Guide
Tank water heaters聽are a聽dependable聽way to聽provide聽a fast supply of hot water for your home. The聽presence聽of a storage tank ensures some hot water is聽readily聽available. But over time,聽foreign聽substances聽can聽build up聽within聽the storage tank. This聽might聽be sediment or mineral buildup聽getting in聽from the main water line or聽a crack聽in the pipes. Whatever the聽source聽is, this buildup聽can聽negatively impact聽the efficiency of water heaters. In severe cases it can聽plug聽up drainage and聽could聽even聽result in聽premature failure.
Thankfully, draining your water heater and聽clearing out聽sediment buildup is a relatively聽simple聽task.聽An experienced聽plumber in聽San Antonio聽can handle the process, but you can also drain the tank聽on your own聽if you know what you’re doing.聽Whatever you choose, draining the tank now can help聽lower聽the risk you’ll need premature water heater replacement.
Before You Begin…
Before you start draining the tank,聽you'll want to聽shut off the cold water supply. The supply valve connects your water heater with the main water line. Unless you have access to a well (and you聽might聽need to drain the tank more聽regularly聽if you do), the water main聽supplies聽all the potable water your home uses. Keeping the valve聽sealed聽will聽stop聽more water from聽flowing into聽the tank, allowing you to completely聽drain聽it.
You’ll also want to聽grab聽a rubber hose, like one you聽can聽use for yard work. The hose allows you to safely drain the water heater tank without spilling water聽all over聽your garage, utility closet, attic or wherever the water heater is聽kept. Make sure you聽put聽the other end of the hose far away from your home to聽stop聽the water from聽flowing聽back inside.
Finally, a screwdriver聽can聽help you loosen聽stubborn聽screws or valves. You shouldn’t need any more tools than this unless you聽come across聽a problem with the water heater or聽adjacent聽piping. At that point, it聽might聽be best to聽contact聽a certified plumber in聽San Antonio.
Step 1: Shut Off the Water Heater
After you’ve聽shut聽off the water supply, you can shut off the water heater. This聽will聽be on the thermostat for natural gas water heaters or聽via聽a breaker switch for electric models. The pilot setting on gas water heaters can聽continue to stay聽on during flushing, but electric models聽need to聽be completely off. This is聽because of聽the heating elements electric water heaters聽have, which remain submerged. In聽an empty聽tank, they聽may聽quickly overheat. You should also聽review聽the model’s manual, as some water heaters聽have to聽be completely full before the heating elements are聽started.
Even after you’ve shut off the water heater, you’ll聽need聽to wait for the water stored in the tank to cool down. It聽may聽be hours before the water聽cools to聽a safe temperature, so it聽is often聽best to leave the聽remaining steps聽for the following day.
Step 2:聽Connect聽the Hose to the Water Heater’s Drain Valve
Tank water heaters聽are designed with聽a drain valve you can use to empty the storage tank. Once you’re聽sure聽the water supply is disconnected and the water heater itself is off,聽locate聽the drain valve. Some models聽will聽have it covered up. Make sure the hose is聽securely fastened聽to prevent spilling hot water near you and the water heater.
Step 3: Open a Faucet or Other Hot Water Tap
Your home’s plumbing聽uses聽pressure聽inside聽the piping to聽sustain聽a consistent flow of water from the main water line to the rest of the house. This pressure聽needs聽to be relieved before the hot water can actually聽exit聽the tank. By heading to the聽closest聽faucet or spigot, you’ll聽release聽the pressure inside the piping. All you have to do is open the hot water tap to relieve the pressure before聽heading back聽to the water heater.
Step 4: Release the Drain Valve
Keep in mind聽that this water聽might聽still have some residual heat. Open the drain valve and allow all the water to drain from the tank. This should聽carry聽sediment buildup out of the tank and away from your home. But some buildup聽might聽be stuck to the inside of the tank. Turning the cold water supply back on will help聽flush聽stubborn minerals and other substances from the tank.
Keep repeating聽this step until the water聽looks聽free聽of sediment or minerals. If the drain isn’t working because of聽an obstruction, a trained plumber聽may be聽required.
Step 5: Re-Shut the Valve Before Refilling the Water Heater
If everything proceeds聽like it's supposed to, you should be able to聽clear out聽most excess sediment聽stuck聽inside your water heater.聽Close聽the drain valve,聽disconnect聽the hose and open the water supply to get things聽working聽again. As the water heater tank聽starts聽to fill,聽head back聽to the hot water tap you opened. Once cold water starts to flow, you know the pressure is back聽at appropriate levels.
At this point, you can open the gas valve or flip the breaker switch back on. Like we mentioned聽before, don’t forget that聽some聽models聽might聽need to be聽completely聽full before the water can be safely heated. Make sure you聽check聽your manufacturer’s instructions before starting the process.
Keep Your Water Heater Sediment-Free for Best Results
Tank water heaters聽are still聽a great option for supplying your hot water needs. Draining the tank every 1-2 years will help聽flush聽sediment buildup and keep things running at聽maximum聽efficiency. If you think your water heater is past the point of efficient heating, consider looking for聽a replacement聽from a technician you trust.
