How to Drain your Hot Water Heater & Remove Sediment
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- Why is the water coming out this hot water heater brown??? It's probably because you've never drained it before. I bet not ever. My hot water came out of the tap yellow and that made me learn how to drain a hot water heater. And what I found made me glad that I did! The plumber explains and we show you how (actually do it).
This DIY saved me and can save you a TON OF MONEY (over $250!!!) doing it myself over paying the plumber to do it. Also, by extending the life of your hot water heater.
We used a washing machine hose like these
➡️ amzn.to/3d0H5Rz
➡️ 5 gallon bucket amzn.to/31dkG0B
It's a little scary at first, but we can do it together! Towards the end the plumber tells me an even easier way to flush the hot water heater. And how much he'd charge me to do this.
Sometimes you can find these hoses at thrift stores. They come with your washer and a lot of people don't need them so they donate them. But you can use a regular garden hose (it's just harder to work with and not insulated).
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The plumber also told me ways to prolong the life of your hot water heater with pressure regulator and more. Be sure to watch that to learn from him, no charge!
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Just bought our first home me and the wife 26 and 25 and I had no idea this was a thing. I know what I’m doing on days off!! Thanks!
You're way ahead of me since I've been a homeowner for decades and haven't done this until now!!
THIS IS THE MOST EDUCATIONAL AND TIMELY LESSON ON HOME MAINTENANCE I HAVE EVER TAKEN. THANK YOU.
Thank you for your comment! It’s not the most popular video but it’s something I wish I’d known sooner. And doing it can save $ by stretching out the time before you have to buy a new hot water heater.
Actually, it's pretty useless and incorrect.
@bmfilmnut not according to my hvac people who advised me to do it…
Father in law gave GREAT TIP on HOSE!!
TBH I WOULDN'T have thought about temperature!!
My sister &I inherited our grandparents home !!
I UNDERSTAND NOW why my Papaw was so SMART ABOUT doing things correctly!!
Very smart about dumping outside
Older ppl are WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE
WE NEED
I will tell share all these comments with him. He is a wealth of information and an incredible person. He can fix anything and has the tools for it. Thank you for your comments.
Thanks 4 update!!!
Wow 2 water heaters!!
Meanwhile I have 8ppl in house w 40gal tank!!!
Yes, my husband doesn't like running out of hot water. Nor being in it 😂. Wait....
my process:
1) turn off the water heater the day before, take some showers/laundry/dishwasher to use up the existing hot water
2) the next day i attach a garden hose to the drain valve and extend the hose outside (if below ground, then run it to the sump pump)
3) open the drain valve AND a hot water faucet in a upper level to break the vacuum. it may well take a 1/2 hour to drain
4) after it drains, open and close the main water valve to help flush out sediment, then close all valves, remove hose.
5) remove the sacrificial anode rod from the top of the water heater and inspect/replace. i scrape mine clean, there is always
a lot of build up. depending on how hard your water is you might have to replace it every 5 years. get the magnesium type.
FAILURE TO REPLACE A WORN OUT ANODE WILL cause a catastrophic leak !!!!!!!!!!!
removing the anode will take a breaker bar and a 27mm (or 1 1/16") socket. it is will worth it and will pay for itself.
6) while the anode is removed, pour 4 gallons of white vinegar into the water heater via the anode opening to dissolve calcified deposits/scale, a funnel helps. let sit for several hours, preferably overnight.
7) replace the anode.
8) turn on the main water valve, but also turn off the inlet valve to the water heater
9) finally, after letting the vinegar do its work, turn on the water heater and open the inlet valve to the heater.
the first couple of showers will have a slight vinegar smell, but its no big deal.
i do it every year, and every year crud comes out.
performing the above process might very well extend the life of the water heater 20 years
Thank you so much!!! This sounds intimidating but worth learning how to do. Can you make a video showing how??
@@CleanFreakGermaphobe there are already plenty of youtubes that show vinegar and anode water heater steps...
@@CleanFreakGermaphobe Right, the other way seems more simple for us women.
Thanks for this information. I’ll be draining mine tomorrow
Thank you!
I heard her talk about price and things being too expensive, but why do you need 2 water heaters in one home?😳
Got have a back up in case one goes out! It was in the cost of building the house. It’s a lot of money to come up with at once, unexpectedly. The price went up significantly in the past few years.
@@CleanFreakGermaphobe okay, now I see! Thank You😊
My mom home has 2 as well. One for the basement tenants and one for top floor.
That's ridiculous. So you burn up 2 water heaters instead of one, worrying about one going out. Your builder saw you coming. And where do you live that code allows flexible gas lines to a water heater instead of black pipe?@@CleanFreakGermaphobe
Shocking how the TPR valve discharge pipe is allowed to drip out like that with all the elctrics. In the UK are Building regs are very clear on D1 to tundish and then to D2
did you pay him for including his expertise in your educational video?
On a slightly different note...we had a tankless water heater go out once. They came out and repaired it since it was under warranty but they said if they were ever going to be able to come out and repair it again, we'd have to agree to putting on a special water filter to filter out the lime/aka sediment. Other than a filter on the house, I guess there's no way to avoid being in these circumstances, tankless or tank.
New subscriber here 😊
Thanks for subbing! Welcome!
We pay $20/extra on gas bill 4 insurance plan 4 ANY APPLIANCES!!
IF they break insured
So it's through your gas company?
@@CleanFreakGermaphobe yes it's billed thru Columbia gas BUT "Separate business ⁶
I think they call it igs
@@Blessd-savingraceThat covers labor for maintenance not replacement.
Manufacturer sugests to do it monthly
Never unbelievable what in the water heater
Why someone want to heat hot water?
Any hose works fine because you’re just draining so no pressure and nothing to burst.
The face diaper plumber😂
Lots of iron in your water. It's been over 7 years for mine, going to do this next weekend and put a new anode rod in the water heater. Why do you have two 40 gallon water heaters? Why not an instant tankless water heater gas unit since it saves space and energy, my mountain spring water is too cold for the instant on unit. After 7 years I would think there is more hardened sediment at the bottom of your tanks calcium and other mineral elements building over that long. I would run the hose down the drain or outside and let it run for 5 minutes on the 10 minutes off and repeat 3 to 5 times to power flush. Then drain the tank with the heater power off change the anode rod, open the cold water to splash to break up the hardened sediment and repeat the power flush.
I thought that said drink your water heater 🤣
How did this work out for you Clean freak? I need to do this right away. It seems so much simpler than turning this off that off this on that off lol lol
It worked out well but it is a bit of a job! Not hard but just doing all the things and having the house and bucket. We need to do it again. We should do it every fall.
Your water installation is not right. You are missing two 24 inch drain plates. Imagine when they will start leak water, drain hole blocked by metal piece.
If you used a long hose, you would not have to carry the bucket upstairs. Put the hose through an open window.
Good tip!
What happen if you never done it
Start now!
Depends on how old the water heater is and/or how long it's been. I was told by a plumber not to drain a water heater if you do not know how long it has been or has ever been flushed. It can cause the water heater to leak. It is also actually mentioned on some plumbing sites.
Wow $185 2 DRAIN HOT WATER TANK!!!
I was surprised too! Way more than I expected. That made up my mind right on the spot that I was going to do it. And I knew just who to ask to help!
You have to factor in drive time, the hour or so it will take and the larger jobs they are missing out for doing this.
You dragged this video out longer than it should have been. Get to the point!!
I have the same water color as this, thus me watching video on water heater, my water heater is electric.
You do know that says remove SENTIMENT, not SEDIMENT, right?
No but thanks for pointing that out!
There is no such thing as a hot water heater. It's called a water heater.
I would empty out all the water in the tank...
Super expensive water tank? I bet you have a $1200 cell phone LOL. And a $85,000 car sitting on the driveway and $36 dollars worth of junk in the garage.
You’re right about my phone, it’s my computer and camera. Most of the videos I’ve made are recorded on this phone. I think you overshot it on the garage though.
your to close to the mike and he is too far from the mike