How to Drain Your Hot Water Tank and Save Money

If you’re like us and you’re looking for ways to save on your energy costs but you haven’t had the opportunity to upgrade to a new high-efficient, tankless hot water system then you’re going to need to know about this trick to improve the efficiency and prolong the life of that existing tank. Draining your hot water tank every so often will make the tank last longer and perform better which will save you big money!

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You’ll start by turning off the tank. This is very important for two reasons: The tank is likely filled with 120 scalding hot water so the longer the tank is off before working the better and running the unit without water in the tank could quickly destroy the heating elements causing costly repair situation. If you have an electric tank like us, it has to be turned off at the main breaker panel.

Next, locate the cold water supply valve. This is probably located at the top of the tank with the cold pipe clearly marked on the tank. If you’re not sure, very carefully touch the pipes to see which is colder. If one pipe is covered in insulating foam, that is the hot supply, the cold is likely bare. Turn the valve all the way off.

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With the power and the water turned off, we can go ahead and attached any ordinary garden house to the drain at the bottom of the tank. Now we have to decide where the water will go. Remember, gravity will take the water out of the tank so we’ll need run the hose flat or downhill. If you’re in the basement and your home has a sump pump or a functional floor drain you’re in luck. If not you may need to empty the tank into a bucket. Keep in mind, the typical residential tank contains 40 or 60 gallons of water, so that’s quite a few buckets! :)