Advice for draining water heater

[wimpy69]

While you're getting everything together, pick up a threaded hose cap for that draw off on the tank when you drain it. Tank that old the draw off washer's probably gonna pass a little, just in case.

 

[forktender]

While you're getting everything together, pick up a threaded hose cap for that draw off on the tank when you drain it. Tank that old the draw off washer's probably gonna pass a little, just in case.

zwiller

Absurdly long, sorry in advance.

This is great advice, either a cap or any hose adaptor that you have lying around that has a shut off on it will work great.

When we used to do maintenance on old water heaters and boilers. We would turn off the heat source, whether it be natural gas, LP gas or electric. You shut off the incoming water to the heater, which is above the water heater on the incoming cold water line. Then you drain down the hot water through the tub spout only, for about 2 minutes. Then you disconnect the incoming cold water line at the top of the W.H.
There will be a brass nut where the supply line connects to the nipple on the top of the water heater.

Now the fun begins, get a funnel and pour 1 gallon of Lime Away and one tube of food coloring, we always used blue because it shows up well.
Reconnect the cold water supply line and turn the water back on.
Then go around to each fixture that is supplied with hot water and bleed out the water into a white bucket or clear glass until you see the blue tinted water, then shut it off and do the same at every fixture, even the dishwasher. Once you see blue water at each fixture, you're good to go.

It's best to do this in the afternoon, so you can let the Lime Away work its magic overnight.

In the AM, go around to each fixture and remove the aerator and screen, leave them off.

Once you have them off, shut off the cold side supply line above the W.H.
The gas or electric should still be off from the night before, double check to make sure it is off, then drain the W.H. by connecting a hose to the hose bib at the bottom of the W.H. then go open the hot side on every fixture that has hot water supplied too it. Let the W.H. drain completely.

Once it's drained, turn on the incoming cold water supply line at the top of the W.H. while everything that you have open is still open. Do this until you have clear running water at each fixture, then close them.

Refill the W.H. and refire the WH until it shuts off once fully hot, then turn off the gas or electric once again. Then go around and open all the hot water sources throughout the house again, and drain the W.H. tank.
When the tank is drained, give it a few blasts of water by opening the cold water supply line at the top of the WH in an on, off motion for a few minutes to blast out as much scale as you can.

Then go through and shut off the WH at each fixture and refill, and refire the WH.


This is probably way more than you want to tackle on your own, now you know why good plumbers charge as much as they do, it's a chore.

Personally, I'd go to Home Depot and buy a new water heater.

I just installed this heater in my own house in August.
Rheem Performance 40 Gal. Tall 6 Year 38,000 BTU Ultra Low NOx (ULN) Natural Gas Tank Water Heater. $750.00 uninstalled.

Be warned, no matter which brand of W.H. you install, NOT many of them outlast their warranty these days, this is coming from personal experience. I've installed many thousands of them and my older brother is the sales manager for a huge west coast plumbing supply company, so he has to deal with many thousands of water heater replacements under warranties. They all suck these days!!!!

Try to find a W.H. with the old school controls, the one with manual lighting and the round dial thermostat control knob. The New self lighting electronic controls and blue blinking light are a Royal piece of Shit!!!


Sorry about the absurdly long post, I was trying to give you the best prospective I could from a professional Union Plumber/ Fitter's point of view.

If I can help in any way, feel free to reach out to me, we can exchange numbers and I can walk you through things over the phone.


Best of luck, to you.

Dan.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Some great info but if all else fails and nothing seems right step a safe distant and let the 306 rip.

Warren

 

[zwiller]

No way I am accepting an apology from you Dan forktender with such a detailed post! THANKS. Your info is basically the same as I got from a local pipe fitter.