Water heater won't drain

No, that's not how you do it.

The outside spigot has nothing to do with it (and it's only hooked up to cold water anyhow) Check the picture below (not the best there is, just something I had handy). This just happens to be a Reliance electrical water heater but they all have the same valves.

Before you drain your water heater, shut it off by turning the power OFF if electric or turn gas valve to the "pilot" setting if it's gas fired.

You need to close the cold water inlet shutoff valve (upper right corner of the picture). Then connect a garden hose to the drain valve (bottom center). Put the other end of the hose into a reliable drain or outside. Be sure nobody can come in contact with the scalding water that will come out. Open the hot water valve in a faucet on the top floor of the house. Then open the drain valve and observe the hot water with whatever sediments you are trying to clean come out of the far end of the hose.

When the water stops, close the faucet on the top floor. Open the cold water inlet shutoff valve to make the clean water wash out the remainder of the sediment through and out of the hose. Once only clean water is coming out of the hose, close the drain valve, remove the hose.

Let the heater fill back in by opening that hot water faucet on the top floor again and wait until there's (cold) water coming out of it. Close the faucet and restore power to the heater if electric or turn gas valve to "ON". It will take a while for the water to heat back up, but once it hot again, you're done! 

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Posted 3 years ago by homeowners in Hot Water

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