How to Drain a Water Heater - Step-by-Step

Learning how to drain your water heater can help you make it last a long time. And, it can also help you keep it efficient by removing sediment, which will keep the hot water flowing. But if your water heater is old like mine, be careful. There are few good things to know before draining it.

In this video, I walk through how to drain a water heater as I flush mine for my first time. The water heater is a 50 gallon, electric, 16-year-old, clunking, gurgling, bubbling garage monster. So, my goal was to try and flush as much sediment as I could to try and extend its life. By draining the water heater I was hoping to prevent heating elements from being covered by sediment to help maintain efficiency. And maybe, just maybe, reclaim some of the heater's tank capacity as well. Unfortunately, I think it was too little too late for my water heater. But that doesn’t have to be the case for yours! I hope this video helps you learn how to drain your own water heater. And be sure to drain it regularly, flush that sediment out, and prevent it from becoming a garage monster like mine!

My wife and I started this channel with the goal to be helpful for other first-timers. So, if you happen to find it helpful, SUBSCRIBE, give it a thumbs up, and let us know. Good luck!

Tools to drain the water heater:
2x garden hoses
1x double female adapter
1x tool to open drain valve (mine was a flathead screwdriver)
1x voltage detector (if you need help identifying the correct breaker for electric water heaters)

How to drain a water heater:
01:15 - Tools needed
01:36 - Step 1: Shutoff the electricity/gas
02:33 - Step 2: Connect the hose (be careful with plastic valves)
02:50 - Step 3: Turn off the water supply to the water heater
03:04 - Step 4: Open hot water faucets to relieve pressure and allow air in
03:54 - Step 5: Drain the tank (Caution: Hot!)
04:48 - Step 5.1: Backflushing
06:10 - Step 5.2: Flushing
06:45 - Step 6: Refilling the tank (don’t turn the heat on until it’s full!)
07:53 - What did I learn? Is it worth draining?

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