Comfort is Always on Call!
If you need to drain your water heater in Depew, NY, 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 us at Emerald Heating and Cooling, 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 Depew, NY work harder, using more energy and costing you extra money.
Find your home’s main water shutoff valve, even though you won’t need it right away. It’s a wise move for any plumbing work in case something goes awry.
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.
Find the off button or gas line lever to shut down your gas water heater in Depew, NY. 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.
Locate the lever on the pipe feeding cold water to your heater, then turn it off.
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 Depew, NY.
Turn on a hot water faucet elsewhere in your home. This releases pressure, letting your heater drain and flush easily.
Connect a hose to the bottom outlet of your water heater in Depew, NY. Any old hose should do. Place the other end in a bucket or your floor drain.
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.
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 Depew, NY is straightforward and doesn’t usually take more than an hour or two. Contact us at Emerald if you have questions, if things don’t go as planned, or if you don’t want to tackle the job yourself.
