The water heater is something that stays out of sight and out of mind until an issue occurs and there’s no hot water flowing from the faucet or showerhead. To avoid any issues from occurring, follow these tips to learn how to efficiently and safely drain your water heater.

Draining The Water Heater

Before draining the water heater, make sure to read the user’s manual. The following steps will allow you to drain most water heaters. If you don’t trust yourself going DIY with this type of water heater maintenance, call Dylewski Plumbing Inc. for water heater maintenance in Stuart, FL.

Step 1: Shutting Off The Heater’s Water Supply

Usually, the shut off valve is located on the top of the water heater. If you can’t find it, just follow the water pipe that goes into the tank. When you turn off this valve, the water supply to the tank will be cut off.

Step 2: Shutting Off The Water Heater’s Electricity Supply

If the water heater in your house is powered by electricity, shut off its power from the circuit breaker. Usually, the fuse will be labeled with “water heater”. You must turn off the electricity supply when you drain your electric water heater — if you don’t, you could burn out the heating element in the unit.

Step 3: Allow The Water Heater To Cool Off

The water in the heater is incredibly hot. To prevent injuring yourself, you should let the heater sit overnight to allow that hot water to cool before it’s drained. The water inside the heater can easily damage a person’s skin.

Step 4: Prepare The Drain Valve By Attaching A Hose

After you’ve given the water in the heater time to cool down, place one end of the hose in an area where water can drain without causing any issues. Inside of a floor drain, or, if the hose is long enough, out of a window or door works even better as a place to drain the water. Attach the opposite end of the hose to the drain valve of the water heater.

Step 5: Turn The Hot Water On The Faucet Closest To Your Heater

This will help alleviate the pressure that is inside of the pipes that go to the water heater. Opening the faucet closest to the heater will alleviate sufficient pressure to drain the tank.

Step 6: Open Up The Drain Valve

Once this valve has been opened, water will begin to flow freely out of the tank. This process could take some time — up to 30 minutes — depending on how much water is in the tank, and how dirty it is.

Step 7: Turn The Water Back On

While the drain valve is open, turn the water back on. This will flush the tank with clean, fresh water and remove any remaining dirt and sediment from the bottom of the tank. When the water looks clean, turn it off again.

Step 8: Refill The Heater Tank With Water

Remove the hose from the drain valve, and start refilling the tank. Once the tank is full, and the power is back on, you should have clean, well maintained hot water.

To receive some help draining your water heater in Stuart, FL, call Dylewski Plumbing at 772-283-8640 or visit online at http://martincountyplumbing.com/

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