I've drained these tanks but it takes forrrrreeeeeevvvver to do. Even the new one at the cabin. I was thinking about holding a hose connected to the exhaust port of a shop vac around a hot water spigot, sealing as much as possible with a rag and a firm grip, to pressurize the tank. Sounds like it should work. Do you folks see a downside to this??
I don't see a huge problem but the real problem is probably scale in the valve. You might end up packing it in tighter.
MY tricks that I use at MY cabin are these:
When you hook up the drain hose, pull the pressure relief thingie so that it lets air in. If possible, have a setup where you can actually put water IN the outlet to blow out crud that may be blocking it. They are simple and cheap to make from pieces of hose and connectors. I also open up every and all the water lines in the place AFTER, of course turning off the water. duh.
If yours is draining slow, there is not enough air going in, or an obstruction somewhere. If you DO make the setup for putting water into the drain spout, just run it for a second or two, and not a long time. Obstructions should move along quickly, and running it for longer would do no more good.
STeve
According to C & E :
The trick that I tried most recently is similar - I used an air compressor to "push in" thru an opened hot water faucet, and out thru the HWT tank bottom drain line. Going _very_ gently.
While the HWT tank is capable of handling 200PSI or so, and the compressor has difficulty getting to 100PSI, I never let the HWT pressure get above about 10PSI.
The shop vac should work almost as well.
[I have to use pressure to blow it, because the HWT is _below_ the septic tank level, and I can't use gravity feed.]
No downside.
Waht's the goal? If you just want to flush otu the scale, just hook a hose and run to a drain. Open the valve,a nd wait awhile.
If you want an empty tank, then the shop vac pressure idea is excellent.
Ten-to-one it's the pressure relief valve that needs to be opened. Frank
you might have sediment built up in the tank. This also insulates the tank, taking more heat to get the water hot.
**That's it** !! The pressure relief valve to allow more air in. I felt that it seemed starved for air hence my feeble solution with the shop vac. All due respect to those who suggested the sediment issue - legit for the home tank but not the cabin which is new. I'll probably attempt your reverse flow to the outlet to stir the bottom of the tank.
Oddly, Sormin', I need to remove the heated water because of bacteria growth in the tepid water which makes it smell of sulfur. When I drain it between visits I have no such problem. The speed of draining is an issue in the winter for the most part.
use BALL valve they dont clog and allow easiest water flow, also shut reliably, a real problem with the average tank valve often plastic never designed for many opens and closes
Stinky water? check out this link:
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.