Water Heater Tank Won't Drain : Water Heaters
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
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If your water heater tank won't drain, all you really need is a metal coat hanger to take care of the issue. Find out what to do if your water heater tank won't drain with help from a Foreman for Lighty Contractors in this free video clip.
Expert: Joshua Clement
Filmmaker: Joshua Clement
Series Description: When it comes to plumbing, one of the most important elements of your home that you need to care for and maintain on a regular basis is your hot water heater. Learn about hot water heaters with help from a Foreman for Lighty Contractors in this free video series. - Навчання та стиль
![My Water Heater Won't Drain [Fix It With 3 Easy Steps]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CU6uWIN-Ans/mqdefault.jpg)
![My Water Heater Won't Drain [Fix It With 3 Easy Steps]](/img/tr.png)
Instead of using a coat hanger, I used a zip tie. They have a few advantages that I can see; they are plastic, so less chance of hurting the (inevitably plastic) valve, as well as because of their flat profile, they don't fill as much of the drain and let more of the scale slide past. They are less rigid than the hanger, for good or bad, but if you trim the bendy part off the start off the zip tie, they can be pretty sturdy. I probably still need to back flush mine now that the drain is clear, but that is a task for another day.
Thanks for the tip, it got me thinking of what needed doing!
Thanks for your tip with the zip ties.
Simple solution: replace the valve with a 3/4" straight ball valve with a hose bib fitting. It will not clog except with tanks that haven't been flushed in 10 years. If it clogs, the wire can go in straight to quickly get the water flowing.
Finally! You saved the day. Thank you!
Got mine draining. Thanks for the video!
Thanks so much!
Thank you!!
thanks for the video. Straight to the point
I didn't have the luxury of using the wire on mine, because my water heaters are in the attic with no room for a bucket or tub. My solution was to attach the hose, open the valve, and blow compressed air into the hose from ground level. It worked like a charm.
I tried the hanger, did not work. Tried the water back wash with a washing machine hose, and it is draining now. Thanks for posting this tip, William Ramshaw!
The mineral sediment that accumulates on the bottom of the tank can build completely up to the bottom element over the years, and you're going to drain it all out of a valve with a quarter inch opening in it? The very best way to keep the sediments from building up is to install a brass nipple and full port ball valve and another nipple and a hose bib adaptor. This allows you to attach a hose and blow it down once a year.
Another trick to break loose stoppage at the drain valve is to turn off the hot water to the tank, open a hot valve (that is not a single lever), bath tub or laundry basin is good. Attach a lawn hose from a lawn faucet to the tank drain valve, open the drain valve and give it a few shots of water pressure. This will blow the sediment back away from the drain. You may have to do this a few times to get it to drain well.
Thanks for the valuable tips.
Great discussion!
Yes. Thank you. What s relief. I was afraid that I might have to buy a new water heater.
I did not use a hanger. A thin but rigid wire. All the gunk is out. Took me less than 10 mins.
do you have a video drain water heater step by step? thanks
I ended up using the shopvac and it ended up being perfect
Nice info. But after draining I would recommend removing all the valves at the bottom and flushing it
thanks
Wouldn't this blow water all over the place once you break the sediment loose? Mine is in a closet under stairs in my house and I can't have that
Must have a wet/dry vac ready when you are draining the water tank (assume you perform all safety necessary steps)!
Suggest you replace the plastic drain valve into a 3/4 brass metal valve for next time cleaning!
At first you must use a thin wire thinner than the hanger and be patience, after many time you will succeed and water will be coming out, at the same time you must open the release valve on the tank! Open one near by hot water faucet!
After some hours (assume it is 50 gallons tank), when water reach below the lower element, then remove the lower element, now insert some kind of hose (suggest clear plastic hose, so you can see what is coming out from the bottom of your tank) that connect to your wet/dry vac into the element hole and try to suck out as much as you can until the tank is empty! Emptying the vac container if it is necessary of course!
Now when tank is empty then go ahead replace the drain valve, it makes next time cleaning job much easier!
Thank you for allowing me input this information in your site, please let me know if I have done it wrong!!
Mary S
I couldnt get the coathanger in the valve so I just opened the drain valve and turned the water back on an let the water pressure push it out. Mine might not have been too bad though.
I drained my 40 gallon tank today and it was full of crud that kept blocking the flow of water so I tried to use a metal hanger and remove the blockage but got pissed and pulled out the shopvac and sucked the water out. FYI, the water in the tank was cold at that point as I didn't want to risk boiling my flesh.
How funny I thought of the same thing.
It totally freaking works!
DO NOT DO THIS!!! (Except as a last resort) This procedure risks damaging your water heater drain valve seat. The CORRECT way to fix a water heater drain is to hook up a female-to-female hose (e.g. a standard clothes washer hose) and back flush the sediment out of the valve from another water source. If this does not work, you may try the wire technique but you may damage your drain valve seat which means even more work to drain your water heater.
Don't be so hard on yourself, Charles T. ...The fact that you disapprove of someone who is attempting to save people grief and has suggested another idea to unclogging a water heater ....doesn't really make you a "douche bag".
William Ramshaw Makes a lot of sense, Thanks.
@@RS-uo2nd You are the douche bag, there are a dozen better safer ways
Thanks William!
This worked for me. Thanks
use white vinegar to dissolve scale: empty tank as much as possible. ream out the drain valve only to the extent that water can empty. close the drain valve. remove the anode and pour in 4+ gallons into the tank via the anode mount port, a funnel helps.
reinstall the anode, let the vinegar dissolve the lime scale, usually 6 hours if this maintenance was done annually. wait overnight if this is the first time in years.
important, do not open the water inlet valve to the tank, do not turn on the heater. let the vinegar work full strength.
when returning the heater to operation you will get a vinegar smell and taste, no problem, it will dissipate within the week. the vinegar will also dissolve scale in pipes, valves shower heads. as a plus vinegar will soften clothes during laundry.
Mine was draining very slow so I loosened the bottom element unscrewed it 4-5 turns this let some air get past the threads and that got it going a lot faster.
I have electric water heater they got pulled it sitting outside in the yard They were hoping it would drain but it hasn’t is there a safe way to release all that water don’t care of the tank gets damaged
Mine wont drain...6yr old wster heater..ball.valve hole is clear.....very odd..just drips out...i stick a clothes hsnger wire in about 8 inches...goes in fine...but no water come out...dripdrip..
Air lock?
I had the same problem. However I fixed it by simply opening the drain valve with the cold water ON. It blew out the blockage just fine. Could be worth a try. I'm no expert so do it at your own risk.
Hey David! I just tried your method and it worked great! Thank you for your input!
im baffled by those copper pipes at waste height right in front of the water heater. How in the world are you ever going to replace those heaters without taking apart those pipes.
Um this will take about 30 with tanks in Texas being half full of semi-hardened calcium. The plumber must get an hourly wage!
I tried the coat hanger. I tried to back wash with water. No luck. So I drained the water hose..turned on my air compressor and ran it up to 60 P.S.I. and hooked it up to the water hose and BOOM problem solved. I had full flow. Wish I had thought of it sooner since I spent about 6 hours trying the other ways. Forty P.S.I. probably would of worked.
how big is your air compressor?
+Chuck m Thanks for the idea. It worked great!
How did u hook up the compressor to the hose? Fitting?
my hot water heater is not flowing through the house. What could be the problem? I've drained the hot water heater.
Some water heaters have a little ball inside the outlet of the water heater that gets jammed. You need to cut the pipe above the fitting and tap with a screwdriver until the ball falls into the tank. Hope that does it.
Gene the Plumber
It won't go it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >.< But I'll keep trying. Thanks!
Bad idea you will score up the valve seat and then the valve leaks! Why do so called pros give bad advice? How about back flushing with a hose?
I don't have a hot water heater
jinxed071202 then why are you here on this bid??
Probably because he has a "water heater" that's draining slow... it's an old joke among builders to pick on people who refer to a water heater as a "hot water heater" like the guy in the video did.Yes it's silly...
When someone says "hot water heater" you say "I don't have one" or ask "why would I heat hot water"?
I do flooring, plumbing, electric etc and I still catch myself calling it a "hot water heater" sometimes! LOL
I didn't realize this was eHow until the end. They make crap most of the time.
Please keep in mind its a cold water heater not a hot water heater...
Smart ass !!!
I don't have hot water through my house.
Turn the power to the heater off first, open a hot water tap to release pressure in the tank, give it time for the water to cool off, and try to back flush it with a hose or compressed air. If this does not work, you will have to remove the valve and manually remove the deposits. Using a coat hanger will most likely damage the valve seat and will not reach far enough in the tank to dislodge any sediment. When you have a completely clogged valve, chances are that this method will do NOTHING! And this guy works for a contractor! What a joke!
I just happened to read this. I thought I must have posted it because my name is Scott Miller too! Anyway, thanks for your ideas!
thanks man i did not know what the fu&% to do
This is insane. I had to siphon the water out through the hot (outlet) port.
Mischa Axel '
It’s not that easy pal.
It's a water heater, not a hot water heater. Why would you need to heat water that's already hot? Seriously, replace that valve with a straight ball valve, much easier to clear.
cameriqueTV ok George Carlin