Howdy. How do you empty a hot water heater? I think mine is 40 gallons. Also my toilet has cracks in it. Should I drain that, too? Thanks a bunch.

-- mwerks3 (mwerks3@yahoo.com), December 07, 1999

Answers

All hot water heaters have an hose connection at the bottom of the water heater. First turn off power to the heater! If you do not do this, the heating elements will fry! Then wait till the water cools. Then hook up a garden hose to the connection, put the end of the hose downhill, and open the connection. As for toilets, first turn off the valve at the wall. do this carefully, these are not rugged valves, and may have totally frozen with time. Flush the john. Then pour a cup of nontoxic RV antifreeze into the bowl.

-- Les Holladay (holladayl@aol.com), December 07, 1999.

With a cresent wrench bucky! super glue your toliet too

-- can't help it (lets get serious@idoitpreps.org), December 07, 1999.

I am always trying to understand Americans, so could someone please tell me: Why do you have hot water heaters? Why do you need to heat hot water? I must be missing something.

on de rock

-- Walter (on de rock@northrock.bm), December 07, 1999.

LOL Walter, we Americans gotta do everything big, even if it's redundant.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 07, 1999.

mwerks...in addition to the first response, you will need to open a hot water faucet after opening the draincock. If not the water will only trickle out.

-- (rcarver@inacom.com), December 07, 1999.

Hey Walter....wheres my book on the rock and WWII? Hope all goes well out there on the rock for you and yours. Taz

-- Taz (Tassi123@aol.com), December 07, 1999.

Just a point of trivia, if the heater in question is old enough, there may or may NOT be a valve in the bottom. THe water heater we replaced last year did NOT have a drain valve. 'Course it was over 25 years old......

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), December 07, 1999.

The point of opening a faucet is to let some air into the pipes, otherwise there's a vacuum inside and water can't drain from the heater. That's what rcarver was driving at.

Get a 4-foot drinking-water hose (try a marine supply place, if your hardware store doesn't have it) and leave it coiled up on top of the heater. Then you have it handy when you need it.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), December 07, 1999.

Hi Taz! it's coming, it's coming! ( I know, so is Jan 1st) I didn't forget- But have you ever heard of anything getting done in a hurry on any Island :) Thanks for the kind thoughts

on de rock

-- Walter (on de rock@northrock.bm), December 07, 1999.

mwerks3,

For us mechanically-challenged types, why is it important to empty a hot water heater? If you are worried about freezing, can't you just insulate the heater with some sort of outside wrapping?

-- mike (maples@voy.net), December 07, 1999.

If you insulate something that can not produce heat in itself, no matter how much insulation you put on it, it will eventually freeze if sujected to sub-freezing temperatures for long enough. I can get in a sleeping bag or some other well insulated container in 40 below and stay warm because I am producing heat.

-- tree (thetrees@bigfoot.com), December 07, 1999.

What's wrong with this picture????

Hello! That's drinkable water, in your hot water tank. Maybe it's just an oversite, but it sounds as if it's being recommended to just drain the water into the floor drain.

Trust me. That water is going to freeze a lot slower, due to the insulation, than what anyone has stored in 2-liter soda bottles or plastic drums. And if you have your water heater in a basement area, it might never freeze, unless you open a window (depending on just how cold it gets in your area, of course).

If you rush downstairs and drain your tank, when the power goes off, you just might be cutting your own throat. The best idea would be to have a thermometer handy, and make daily checks on the temperature of the water coming out of the tank. I wouldn't drain it, till the water temp got pretty close to freezing, and then I'd drain it into water storage containers.

-- Bokonon (bok0non@my-Deja.com), December 07, 1999.

And say the water supply is reestablished and doing fine and you want to re-fill you water heater....excuse my ignorance, but how do you do that?

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 07, 1999.

To fill a water heater: Turn the supply line back on (assuming you turned it off--if you didn't close the valve, the tank will fill on its own).

-- Sam Mcgee (weissacre@gwtc.net), December 07, 1999.

mwerks3, After reading all the posts to your question, I am inclined to mention that if you keep your house at 55 degrees it will keep your water lines from freezing. But to drain the water heater, 1st, turn off the power to it at the circuit panel. 2sd, open the bottom drain at the bottom of tank, attach a garden hose to it so the water drains out the garage or put it by the floor drain. 3rd, You can open the pressure release valve located on the top of the water heater( it has the metal flapper thing on it). Lift it half way and you will notice the water coming out faster. 4th, if you want the water to drain out of the lines in the house open the farthest hot faucet from the water heater. 5th, Close the valves at the top of the water heater ( both hot and cold ) if you only want the water heater to drain out. If your toilets are cracked, replace them.... and shut off the water valve located just below the toilet along the wall.

Still trying to figure out why your doing this ???? Like the other posts you are loosing all that drinkable water...

Let us know how your doing on this, looks like you need alot of help!!

-- Furie (furieart@dnet.net), December 07, 1999.