How to Drain a Water Heater
If you want to keep your home’s plumbing running well, regular water heater maintenance is important. One aspect of this is flushing or draining your water heater, which we covered in our last blog post, Water Heater Flushing 101. If you’re not sure how to drain a hot water heater, there’s no need to worry! It’s fairly easy, doesn’t usually take very long and we’ve outlined the steps for you below.
1. Perform a Quick Flush
Connect a hose to the drain valve. Open the valve and flush the water heater while the power is still on. If an excessive amount of sediment comes out, let the heater fill back up, then repeat the process.
2. Power Down the Water Heater
Flip the breaker or switch the gas to “Pilot”. You’ll want to turn off the water coming into the heater, too.
3. Find and Open the Drain Valve
Place the open end of the hose over a bucket or the drain in your floor. Open the valve and move the hot water pipe at the top of the tank until water rushes out.
4. Drain the Tank
Turn on the water supply for the tank and let it run for 10-20 seconds. Then open the drain valve and let that water flow out. Repeat until there’s no sediment in the water flowing out of the tank.
5. Fill it Back Up
Close your drain valve. Disconnect your hose. Ensure that all pipes are connected exactly as they were before you started to flush your water heater. Turn the water supply to the water heater back on. Turn on a hot water tap in one of your bathtubs. As soon as the air is out of the line, close that tap and let the water heater fill up again.
6. Power Up the Water Heater
Light your pilot light again, turn on the gas, or turn on the electricity. Wait an hour or so until the water in the heater has had a chance to heat up again.
7. Test the Drain Valve
Check for leaks around your drain valve. If you have them, make sure that you closed it fully. If that isn’t the problem, try capping the valve. If it still leaks, have it replaced with a new one.
Carrollton Water Heater Experts
At Cathedral Plumbing, our plumbers all know how to flush a water heater. If you don’t have a chance to get it done on your own, give us a call and we’ll come do it for you. Otherwise, now that you know how to drain a water heater, getting it done should be quick and easy!