Draining Water Heater Woes

[Mark D]

Hi all, Typically I've seen this a number of times, had this happen again the other day, and it's the old woes every time it seems I'll drain a water heater!

After you drain off X amount of gallons, then try closing the Drain Faucet, they never seal again, and continue to leak leak leak!?

Typically too, they always seem to have these Plastic Drain Faucets, in which you have to fear applying any type of torque, and if you do, the the Handle usually strips out too!

My question is, can these faucets be replaced? Are they easily gotten from the Big Box Stores-hardware Stores?

Can I expect more woes by trying to replace these Faucets? Can these usually be disassembled, and just the Rubber Gasket replaced? Or? Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Mark

[Big Al]

You can buy a cap with hose threads and just cap the output.

Al

[Humble Tom]

I just wonder, if you can put another stop downstream of it. Like a cap, or another screw on valve.

Just guessing....

tom @

[Bob F]

Remove the valve and replace it with a ball valve. Some people say they do this when they install new heaters.

Bob

[Ken]

There are many good suggestions already, but I had exactly the same problem on my hot water heater. What I finally did was to remove the stem (the part that turns off the water flow) and reverse the washer on the end. There is generally a screw holding the washer to the stem. The valves are cheap and fragile so be careful, but it beats replacing the valve.

[hallerb]

plastic valves are meant to be opened ONCE, to drain tank at end of life.....

when buying next water heater shop for tank with brass valve.

or install ball valve when tank is brand new

disturbing by removing valve in old tank MAY junk tank if it decides to leak at valve location...... this occured to a buddy of mine

always drain tank first thing in morning so you have all day to fix whatever goes wrong!

[scott21230]

This is a highly recommended practice.

[SteveF]

Where did you get that?

I've been draining my tank every year and never had a plastic valve leak after I closed it.

Steve.

[hallerb]

might depend on how hard the water is, it stops the valve from opening and closing around here plastic ones often break when disturbed. the handles twist off:(

[SteveF]

Certainly that's true. I make it a practice to go around once a year, fully opening and closing all the water valves a couple times(like the ones behind the washing machine) to keep the build up from freezing the valve. And also why I have to periodically drain my water tank. I'm very careful when closing the valve to close it most of the way, turn the water back on and finish closing it just tight enough so it stops leaking.

Steve.

Steve.

[John Gilmer]

Yep!

An alternative suggested by the real estate agent who sold us an repro "as-is" property is to get one of those valves that are intended to screw onto the end of a standard garden hose. Then the "next" time you want to drain the heater, you just rotate the lever 90 degrees. We put one on about 9 years ago.

Another "problem child" with water heaters is the PT release "safety" valve. They are supposed to be "tested." The problem is that after the "test" most of them will leak a gallon or so until they settle down. The only "cure" for that is a bucket!