Basic Home Maintenance : How to Drain a Water Heater

[ecgleaton]

Hot water can contain toxic compounds because of a chlorinated water supply, such as chloroform. It is more corrosive than cold water and can therefore contain bisphenol-A (a suspected carcinogen recently banned from baby bottles) and heavy metals such as lead (a neurotoxin) stripped from PVC or lead pipes or the heater itself.

Drain the water into a house drain that leads to a water treatment facility, you CANNOT drain toxic compounds into street storm drains which lead directly into streams.

[francblack]

Well, if you are going to show how to drain it, then you should actually drain it ... otherwise, don't crowd the youtube with half measures.

[pickgospel]

I had a friend who was killed because someone drained water into a roadway and it iced over...be aware

[atlantic1021]

Could I turn off the water to the tank and turn on my hot faucets and just drain it out?

[atlantic1021]

Could I turn off the water to the take and turn on my hot faucets and just drain it out?

[CampbellDukeBranding]

I found this video helpful - we just found water under our floor boards and have discovered the flippin' thing's been leaking a while. This video was a bit of reassurance as we are formulating our plan of action. Water off. Power off. Message left with plumber. Thanks for this nice short video.

[koolkinjkajou]

I just drained it to the road and it caused a car 10 pile up and my wife had to bail me out of jail.

[ptaaffe]

thanks for posting, this helped me as I drained my water heater today

[plhs987]

Why waste precious water to the storm drain? Why not on your garden or lawn?

Nice looking video but the audio has some white noise.

[TomZentra]

@plhs987 The main reason for draining to the street is that the property grading allows all the water to run down the length of the hose. Some homeowners mistakenly run the hose to a utility sink nearby. This leaves trapped in the water heater and hose. Unfortunately, DIY videos never explain WHY you're supposed to run the hose down to the street. You can also run the hose to a floor drain, if the water heater is inside a basement.

[Numberniner9]

1. turn off the electricity 2. shut water valve 3. open vent on top 4. connect hose at bottom drain 5. open drain at bottom and drain to a bucket, container or wherever you want 6.once empty, clean water heater, use hose attached to shop vac 7. disconnect wires on elements (if needed) 8. replace elements (if needed) 9. reconnect wires on new element(s) 10. refill water heater 11. put covers back 12. turn on electricity, DONE

[plhs987]

thought your list would make it simpler but more questions now and where are the precautions?

[Numberniner9]

@plhs987 I just read your comment. I guess for precautions use common sense. First turn the electricity off (golden rule). Then let the water cool off. If you can't get a hose attached to drain the water directly to your lawn outside, get at least a couple of big buckets and the shop vac ready (without filter/bag), as well as some old rags you may need for any water that gets spilled. I was successful and know nothing about plumbing but I learned a big deal about this. Took me a whole day :)

[employee3dotcom]

@amtrakuk It's a gas water heater in the video. That being said, if you do have an electric you should kill it from the breaker.

[MidNightRider2001]

All I have is an uncommon garden hose.

[slimepuke]

Great relief line Tim! Right onto the gas valve! Four stars fot

[zxterca]

Hi Tim is it safe if i always carry my fully loaded pistol with me before i drain my water heater.i dont know,it just make me feel safe.

[tamgiang]

turn off the system...

[IryshGyrl]

Thank you!

[petergonefar]

yeah, i gotta say that is very confusing. I live in a condo and my monthly maintenance guide says I should drain my water heater every month. And then yeah it doesnt mention anything else about the actual process. very bad video overall I have to say

[mannyhvac06]

@amtrakuk

What electricity you idiot..

[VincentVBoold]

Not every Water Heater has that unit :/

[christiancounselor1]

Thanks, Tim, for your video...it was great. You said the only time to drain the water heater is when it is inoperable. My question is should I annually drain my water heater as a good maintenance? My water heater is 2 years old and I heard I should drain it every year.

[bassguitars11]

ohhh ohhh he just melted the components in the heater forgot to turn the gas off

[cheechzs]

its a gas water heater you idiots there is no power!!!!!!

[CJYomama]

I'm gonna drain it to my yard! It's uglier than his door!! LMAO!!!!!

[CJYomama]

uhhhhh don't forget to unplug it!!!!

[johntasha2]

Crappy, incomplete advice. On ANY appliance, first turn off the juice or be prepared to be shocked (at having to replace at the elements if not the whole water heater).

[BoNGL0AD]

@johntasha2 dont be a critic if you dont know what you are talking about. its a gas water heater.

[pibn8tive]

what a crock! they should be drained to remove sediment to prevent having to replace, and you forgot about turning off the power to unit, which is the very first procedure.

[bigal0412]

this video is to show how to drain a water heater but we wont really do it then what is the sense

[McSwammich]

Why didn't they clean that door before posting a video online for the whole world to see? Can you imagine how filthy the inside of the house is? Cripes, how disgusting.

[vjmacintyre]

Can't you just close the COLD water shutoff valve and hook up your drain hose, open the drain valve, and then **turn on a few hot water taps** instead of opening the Temperature&Pressure relief valve as a vent?! That would allow air into the tank on the hot water out side of the tank...

Also, can't I drain it with a RUBBER (for hot water use) hose while it's hot?!

[gtmarx]

Video means action, all the way through and not standing and talking and pointing action. How to Books us words and still pictures just like this. jke606 is right.

[tanonginosibalasi]

and filling it backup is as simple as turning the valves back on?

[RikaKazak]

simple and awesome, great vid

[jke806]

Good tips but confusing. Why do I need to drain it to the road? Can I drain a hot water heater if it is still operable, say for maintenance purposes to clear the sediment? Might have been helpful if you had actually shown how to drain the water heater, not just talked about it.

[mannyhvac06]

@jke806

to a drain is fine he didn't mentioned that you had to shutt off te thermostat. these heaters do not build a lot of pressure.

[JTGOB2]

@jke806

Do not drain a water heater when it is still "on." Can it be an otherwise working water heater? Sure. Doing this gets rid of the sediment, as you say. BUT! You have to turn off the circuit breaker (or gas) and open up a hot water faucet before you drain it... to avoid the heating elements hitting plain air, at which point they will overheat and destroy themselves... and to avoid a vacuum in the pipes of your house, which might cause them to form a leak.