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Draining and flushing water heaters
should be part of every home maintenance schedule. Even municipal water supplies
contain minerals and sediments and left unchecked can shorten the life of your
water heater. Consequently it is wise to drain and flush a water heater at least
once a year to remove the mineral and sediment buildup.
Drain and Flush Water Heater
Instructions
To drain and flush a water heater,
first make sure that the electricity or gas to it has been turned off and allow
time for the water to cool in the tank. |
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After allowing time for the water
to cool a bit, turn off the cold water inlet supply valve to the water
heater and attach a garden hose to the drain valve. Run the garden hose
outside, or to a floor drain, so that the water can exit the water heater
without spilling in the home.
Next, turn on a hot water faucet
somewhere in the house, e.g. sink or tub. This will allow air to enter the
hot water pipes and enable the water to drain from the water heater tank
more easily. |
Photo by Mark Donovan |
Once the preparation work has been
completed to drain and flush a water heater, open up the drain valve and allow
the water to drain from the water heater. Do not be surprised to see discolored
water draining from the water heater. The discoloration is due to the mineral
and sediment deposits in the water heater.
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After draining the water heater,
turn the cold water inlet supply valve back on and allow the cold water to
enter the water heater and exit the drain valve. Continue to flush the water
heater until the water exiting the drain valve becomes clear.
Once the water drains clear from
the water heater, turn both the cold water inlet supply line valve and drain
valve off and remove the garden hose. Also turn off the hot water faucet
that you had earlier turned on inside the home.
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Next, turn the cold water inlet
supply line valve back on and allow the water heater tank to fill.
| Once the water heater has filled, place a bucket underneath
the pressure water heater relief valve and flip the lever up to discharge a
little water from it. Then close the lever down and confirm that no more
water drips from it. The pressure water heater relief valve, as the name
suggests, prevents the pressure from building up too high in the water
heater. In the event that the pressure or temperature within the water heater does exceed
the rating capacities of the pressure relief valve, it will automatically open
up and reduce the water pressure. |
Photo by Mark Donovan |
When this occurs, unfortunately,
water will spill on the floor if it is not designed to feed into a floor drain.
Upon confirming that the water heater
pressure relief valve is working properly you can turn the electric or gas back
onto the water heater. And with the power turned back on, you’ve completed the
process of draining and flushing a water heater.
Again, it is important to drain and
flush water heaters annually in order to improve the operating efficiency of it,
extend the life of the water heater, and provide clean hot water to the home. So
don’t forget to include a line item in your home maintenance schedule to drain
and flush water heater annually.
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