How to Drain and Remove a Water Heater

There comes a time when repairs to an old water heater are too expensive and the best solution is to replace the water heater with a new unit. Once you have the new water heater you must drain and remove the existing water heater from the home. The draining and removal process is similar whether it is a gas or electric water heater. Because of the weight of the water heater, it is a good idea to ask a friend for some assistance.

Things You'll Need

• Garden hose
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Wrench set
• 2 pipe wrenches
• Helper

Instructions

Drain the Water Heater

1. Go to your home electrical panel box and turn off the water heater circuit breaker. Some homes have two circuit breakers supplying power to the water heater. Go to the water heater and turn off the supply valve near the top of the water heater on the house wall pipe.

2. Turn off the gas valve on the side of the water heater. Turn off the main gas supply valve on the house gas line, if you have a gas hot water heater. The supply valve usually is on the house pipe beside the hot water heater tank.

3. Thread a garden hose onto the drain valve of the water heater, The drain valve is near the bottom of the water heater on the side. Set the opposite end of the hose outside or in a nearby tub. Turn the drain valve knob counterclockwise to drain the water from the hot water heater.

4. Lift the lever on the pressure relief valve. The relief valve is either on top or on the side, and connects to a drain pipe. Opening the pressure valve helps to drain the water quickly.

5. Turn the drain valve knob clockwise to close the drain after no more water is draining through the hose. Unscrew the garden hose from the drain valve.

Remove Water Heater

1. Remove the screws securing the electrical cover plate to the top of the water heater with a Phillips-head screwdriver. Loosen the screws securing the electrical conduit to the water heater. Untwist the wire caps securing the house wires to the water heater wires. Pull the conduit and house wires away from the water heater. Place the plastic wire caps over each individual house wire.

2. Disconnect the water pipes from the hot water heater. Look for couplings connecting the pipes above the water heater between the shut off valve and the tank. Use a wrench to disconnect the coupling. Cut the pipes with a hacksaw or pipe cutter, if there are not couplings.

3. Locate the union coupling joining the house gas line to the water heater. The coupling will be between the house gas shut of valve and the water heater. Disconnect the union with two pipe wrenches. Place one wrench on the upper union nut and use the other wrench to loosen the lower union nut.

4. Remove the sheet metal screws securing the gas vent hood to the vent pipe on the top of the water heater with a Phillips-head screwdriver. Remove the vent hood from the hot water heater.

5. Ask a friend to help you pull the water heater out of the location and out of the house.

References

• Aubuchon Hardware: How to Replace a Water Heater