How To Turn Off And Drain A Water Heater

How To Turn Off And Drain A Water Heater

We tend to take most of the appliances in our home for granted until one of the breaks and we realize how essential it is to our comfort and daily life. Just imagine a leaky toilet that you can not use anymore or a burst pipe in your kitchen. Or, imagine that your heater started leaking on a cold winter day.

Leakage coming from your water heater can mean a number of things, and it should be dealt with before your house suffers structural damage or the water heater breaks completely. The first thing you should do if you notice water accumulating in the drain pan or leaking on your floor is to turn the water heater off.

How can you do that?

Here’s everything you need to know.

How to Turn Off Your Water Heater

If your water heater runs on gas, first turn off the gas supply. The valve is located near the water heater, on the gas pipe, and you can simply turn it off by turning it clockwise. If you have an electric water heater, turn off the circuit breaker for it from the electric panel.

Next, it’s time to turn off the water. The valve to turn the water off is usually located on the right side of the water heater, above it, on the cold water pipe. Turn the valve off by rotating it once or more times, depending on the type of valve it is.

How to Drain Your Water Heater

Once the water heater is off, you can proceed to draining it. Search for the boiler drain. This is a valve situated on the lower part of the tank. Connect a garden hose to it, then turn the valve handle or use a flathead screwdriver if it has a slit for it.

Before draining, check the instruction manual for the water heater, as it specifies very important safety measures to take during this operation. Drain the water from the tank in a container or outside, if the hose reaches. While draining the tank, open a hot water faucet in the house, as this will allow air to get into the tank.

Turning your water heater off and draining it are just the basic preventive steps you can take to stop any damage from happening, but it doesn’t mean that the cause of your problem is gone. As soon as your water heater is drained, call a plumber who can inspect it and fix the problem for you.

Need help? Contact Us!

We at Anytime Plumbing, Inc. have years of experience servicing all types of water heaters for residencies in Santa Cruz County, and will get it running again in no time. Acting fast can make the difference when it comes to secondary damage caused by water.

Contact us and schedule service as soon as possible. We have premium services and favorable prices for you.