Draining your hot water heater regularly is a good idea to ensure it continues to run efficiently and heat your water as effectively as possible. You should think about draining your water heater’s tank about once every 1-3 years to prolong its life by flushing out the sediment and mineral buildup that accumulates over time.

Luckily, this is an easy task that most home owners can perform on their own to prolong the life of their water heater and save money on their utility bills.

Ready to drain a hot water heater? Here’s how to get started:

1. Turn off your water heater. Ensure that the thermostat is set to the “off” position and the gas valve is set to “off” if you have a gas hot water heater. If you have an electric water heater, shut off the breaker that feeds it power.
2. Turn off the cold water supply. You’ll want to make sure no additional water is entering the tank.
3. Open the hot water faucet in a sink or tub. This should be left open during the entire draining process to stop a vacuum from forming in the water line.
4. Let the water cool. You won’t want to be draining hot water, so give the hot water inside your tank a few hours to cool.
5. Attach a garden hose to the hot water tank’s drain valve. Place the opposite end of the hose into a bucket or outdoors if possible. If your hot water heater is in the basement, you might need a portable pump to get the water to ground level and outdoors.
6. Open the drain valve. Drain the hot water heater completely or until the water running out of the valve appears to be clear and free of sediment.
7. Flush the tank. Turn the cold water supply back on for a few minutes to flush out the tank. Before shutting it off again
8. Put things back. Remove the garden hose, close the drain valve, shut off the hot water faucet you opened, turn the cold water supply back to the open position, and finally restore power to your hot water heater.

Not sure how to drain a hot water heater? At Evam Canada, we offer water heater maintenance services that will keep your water heater working its best! Our expert water heater service technicians are familiar with all makes and models and can handle everything from minor repairs to the installation of a brand-new water heater.

To book a service appointment for your hot water heater, contact us today!