How to Drain a Water Heater

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If you need to drain your water heater in Cherry Hill, it’s important to understand what you’re doing. After all, you don’t want to get injured and you don’t want to damage your home. If you are uncomfortable taking any of the following steps, call the trusted Cherry Hills plumbers at Jersey Boys Plumbing, Heating, and Air and we will come show you how it’s done.

Most water heater manuals recommend draining the appliance every six to 12 months. Why? To clear out sediment and buildup that gathers at the tank’s bottom due to water minerals. This buildup makes your water heater in Cherry Hill work harder, using more energy and costing you extra money.

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Before You Start

Find your home’s main water shutoff valve, even though you won’t need it now. It’s a wise move for any plumbing work in case something goes awry.

Put Your Safety First

You are potentially dealing with scalding water here. Consider turning off your heater hours in advance for safer cooling. If not, wear heavy-duty rubber gloves and safety glasses to shield your hands and eyes from hot water.

Step 1: Turn Off Your Water Heater

Find the off button or gas line lever to shut down your gas water heater in Cherry Hill. You may want to attach a hose and flush the water heater for a bit with the water on, though this step is usually left for professional water heater flushes.

Step 2: Turn Off the Cold Water

Locate the lever on the pipe feeding cold water to your heater, then turn it off.

Step 3: Let It Cool

Give your water heater time to cool down. Working with extremely hot water isn’t safe. Even if you have the equipment outlined above, it’s a lot safer to work with a cooler water heater in Cherry Hill.

Step 4: Open a Hot Water Faucet

Turn on a hot water faucet elsewhere in your home. This releases pressure, letting your heater drain and flush easily.

Step 5: Attach a Hose

Connect a hose to the bottom outlet of your water heater in Cherry Hill. Any old hose should do. Place the other end in a bucket or your floor drain.

Step 6: Open the Drain Valve

Pop open your water heater’s drain valve. It could be a valve, lever, or button. If twisting is involved, go counterclockwise (left) to open. Drain the water into the bucket or floor drain. You’ll notice sediment flowing out with the water. Do this until the water flowing out of the heater runs clear.

Step 7: Back to Normal

Once done, restore your system to its usual state. Close the drain valve, detach the hose, turn on household water, switch on the water heater, and ensure it’s heating properly before wrapping up.

Draining your water heater in Cherry Hill is straightforward and doesn’t usually take more than an hour or two. Call us at Jersey Boys Plumbing, Heating, and Air if you have questions, if things don’t go as planned, or if you don’t want to tackle the job yourself. And, if you find yourself needing water heater repair, reach out to our Cherry Hill plumbers today!

Contact Jersey Boys Plumbing, Heating, and Air Today

Don’t trust your home to just anybody. The experienced team at Jersey Boys Plumbing, Heating, and Air gets the job done quickly and efficiently — and we won’t leave until you’re completely satisfied. Call now and we’ll be there when you need us!