Drain Hot Water Heater?

[Lamb]

Do you do the yearly maintenance of draining your hot water heater? I have never done it before! We usually have bought a house with an older hot water heater and didn't want to risk removing sediment that was blocking a rusted bottom meaning that it could leak afterward.

We got a new hot water heater a year ago and now intend to maintain it by draining it yearly. Any good tips?

 

[Tigger]

I’ve heard of the practice of flushing your WH but I have never done it nor do I personally know of anyone who has. The only two problems I’ve seen occur with them is they stop heating (usually an easy fix) or the tank starts to leak (time to get a new one).

 

[Lamb]

I’ve heard of the practice of flushing your WH but I have never done it nor do I personally know of anyone who has. The only two problems I’ve seen occur with them is they stop heating (usually an easy fix) or the tank starts to leak (time to get a new one).

I don't know of anyone who flushes it either. It's in my booklet that came with the unit stating that it should be done yearly as maintenance. I hate doing maintenance to tell you the truth! There is so much to home ownership that gets to be a pain.

 

[Tigger]

I don't know of anyone who flushes it either. It's in my booklet that came with the unit stating that it should be done yearly as maintenance. I hate doing maintenance to tell you the truth! There is so much to home ownership that gets to be a pain.

I hear ya. I do building maintenance for work so the last thing I want to do is come home and do more.

 

[tango]

Our furnace provides our hot water so no need for us. I am considering installing an electric hot water heater, even if only so I can turn the furnace off entirely during the summer months. It gets pretty tedious when I'm working in the basement and the furnace fires up to provide hot water. A water heater can sit in the room under the kitchen that is not only unfinished but looks more like a tunnel through the rock under the house. Then once the copper pipes are replaced with PEX we can just close the door and leave it closed. For now we need to open the door in the winter because there's some kind of venting going on that I haven't quite figured out yet, and it gets cold in there. Opening the door lets heat from the furnace get in and stops the pipes freezing. I'm not sure if the pipes ever would freeze but I'd rather not learn the hard way.

 

[Albion]

From all that I know, every professional says to drain water heaters regularly and that this will both improve service and prolong the life of the water heater. Most people forget, however, or just don't bother, but there is A LOT online about how to do it.

I understand that the risk of a leak is a concern with older units, so that is a concern with your own water heater. What the likelihood is of causing a leak, though, I don't know. If you think that the unit is at least ten years old, perhaps it would be better to leave it alone.

 

[Tigger]

This topic did start to get me thinking. Because most of the WH's I've owned over the years were heated by gas and I've never had a problem with sediment and my current WH is 12 years old.

Now one of the buildings I maintain has an electrically heated WH. Now I've never flushed it but I have had to drain it down twice to replace the lower heating element so I don't know if that counts.

 

[Lamb]

Well, if my husband is up for it this weekend we'll be draining the hot water heater as well as maintaining the well pressure tank. I'm more afraid to handle the pressure tank because I don't want to ruin that and having to add more air is a little nerve racking. I kind of wish we could hire a plumber to come show my husband how to do all these things and have my husband take a video so that next year all he has to do is watch the video. I think that would be a great side business for someone in the industry to get into! A plumber teacher

 

[Josiah]

Yup.

I don't think it needs to be done annually (maybe if you have very "hard" water?) but I think every 3-5 years is the recommendation.

Very easy to do. Turn the heat setting to "vacation"... hook the hose up to the water spicket.... turn off the cold water valve to the heater, open any hot water value in the house, open the value to the hose.... bingo. Let it drain out to the street (too hot for your hard).


Here you go....





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[Tigger]

Well, if my husband is up for it this weekend we'll be draining the hot water heater as well as maintaining the well pressure tank. I'm more afraid to handle the pressure tank because I don't want to ruin that and having to add more air is a little nerve racking. I kind of wish we could hire a plumber to come show my husband how to do all these things and have my husband take a video so that next year all he has to do is watch the video. I think that would be a great side business for someone in the industry to get into! A plumber teacher

The fact that you get you water from a well can up the anty.

The two buildings I maintain are in different cities and one pulls water from aquifers and they
cause a lot more hard water and sediment problems.

 

[Lamb]

The fact that you get you water from a well can up the anty.

The two buildings I maintain are in different cities and one pulls water from aquifers and they
cause a lot more hard water and sediment problems.

We have a filter that is hooked up to the well and the water goes through it first before it goes to the hot water heater or even the outside faucets. It captures most of the sediment as far as I know but I'm not completely certain.

 

[tango]

Yup.

I don't think it needs to be done annually (maybe if you have very "hard" water?) but I think every 3-5 years is the recommendation.

Very easy to do. Turn the heat setting to "vacation"... hook the hose up to the water spicket.... turn off the cold water valve to the heater, open any hot water value in the house, open the value to the hose.... bingo. Let it drain out to the street (too hot for your hard).

Drain to the street.... handy if the street is readily accessible from the water heater.

Presumably most of the water comes out under pressure? Otherwise it seems like a lot of water to try and get rid of, if the heater is in the basement.

 

[Lamb]

Our house is set back too far from the street to drain there. All we have is the grass.

 

[tango]

Our house is set back too far from the street to drain there. All we have is the grass.

I'd assume draining onto a driveway would work. If the water is hot the grass won't like it.

 

[Lamb]

I'd assume draining onto a driveway would work. If the water is hot the grass won't like it.

I don't think one hose would fit to the hot water heater, down to the door and then back again toward that same side of the house that the hot water heater is at and toward the driveway. We have a fitting to connect two hoses but it's cheap plastic and would probably crack?

 

[tango]

I don't think one hose would fit to the hot water heater, down to the door and then back again toward that same side of the house that the hot water heater is at and toward the driveway. We have a fitting to connect two hoses but it's cheap plastic and would probably crack?

Can you feed a hose out of a window? Failing that is buying a longer hose a sensible option for you, or get a stronger fitting to connect two hoses?

Personally I'd be wary of something that might crack if you're talking about spraying hot water everywhere, moreso than if it's cold water.

 

[Lamb]

Can you feed a hose out of a window? Failing that is buying a longer hose a sensible option for you, or get a stronger fitting to connect two hoses?

Personally I'd be wary of something that might crack if you're talking about spraying hot water everywhere, moreso than if it's cold water.

The window is too high off the ground. It would be almost the same height as taking it to the laundry tub and trying to get it to drain into that.

 

[Josiah]

If there's a drain handy (say to washing machine), that's an option.



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[Tigger]

Our water heater at home is in the basement and that floor drain would probably only keep up with a slow stream and would take a long time to drain the water heater.

The floor drain at work is much bigger and I was able let the water flow quicker to save time draining the tank.

Being both a residential and commercial appliance technician this would be a highly favorable service call to make. Between the drain and refill time it’s time consuming $$$ but not really complicated or physical but I’d guess 90% of home owners wouldn’t attempt it on their own.

 

[Lamb]

We don't have a floor drain in our basement.

Now I have bigger issues with leaking under some sinks so a plumber is coming out tomorrow. Home ownership is costing way too much. I've owned 3 homes now and the bigger you go, the more problems you have. I need to downsize.