Draining your water heater can extend its life and also improve the efficiency of your unit. It’s a simple DIY project that can save you money on energy bills and potential repairs. Follow these 13 steps to drain your water heater efficiently.

1. Turn off the power supply: Before starting, ensure your safety by turning off the power supply to the water heater. For an electric heater, switch off the circuit breaker while for a gas heater, turn off the gas valve.

2. Attach a garden hose to the drain valve: Locate the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater and securely attach a garden hose to it.

3. Direct the other end of the hose outside or into a large bucket: Ensure that the end of the hose is directed at a location where hot water can be safely drained without causing any damage or harm.4

4. Open pressure relief valve: Carefully open the pressure relief valve on top of the water heater to release pressure within the tank and prevent vacuum formation during draining.

5. Open drain valve: Slowly open up the drain valve so that water starts flowing out through the hose.

6. Allow tank to drain completely: Be patient and wait for all of the water to drain out from the tank. The process might take longer if there are sediment build-ups in your tank.

7. Turn on the hot water faucet nearby: This will help in draining any remaining leftover hot water inside pipes or hoses connected to your heater.

8. Close all valves, disconnect hose, and remove pressure relief valve pipe: Once your tank is completely drained, close all opened valves tightly, disconnect the garden hose from the drain valve, and remove pressure relief valve pipe from its opening.

9. Flush out sediment with cold water: Reconnect garden hose or turn on cold water supply briefly to flush out any remaining sediment from your tank by opening up either a faucet or the drain valve.

10. Close drain valve and disconnect hose: Close the drain valve once the flush is completed and disconnect the hoses.

11. Reattach pressure relief valve pipe: Carefully reattach the pressure relief valve pipe back to its assigned opening.

12. Refill water heater tank: Turn on the cold water supply and wait until your tank fills back up completely.

13. Turn on power supply: Once your tank is filled up, turn on the power supply to your water heater (either electricity via the circuit breaker or gas). Check for proper functioning by monitoring hot water discharge in any faucet.

Congratulations! You have successfully drained your water heater. Periodically performing this maintenance task can improve the efficiency of your water heater, saving you both money and potential repair costs in the long run.