Can I Hook a Hose to My Hot Water Heater?
Common Reasons to Hook a Hose to Your Hot Water Heater
Flushing the Tank
Over time, the sediment and mineral buildup at the bottom of your water heater tank sets up. This is a natural process that puts heavy wear and tear on efficiency and life expectancy for the tank. Some mandatory maintenance activities often include flushing of the tank, which involves attaching a garden hose to the drain valve and allowing some of the water to flow from it to remove the sediment.
Water Heater Draining
This may be required where repairs or replacement needs to be done, or if you simply want to prepare your house for a very long vacation. In this case attaching a hose to the water heater allows you to safely drain the water away from the foundation of your home.
Emergency Water Removal
In case there is leakage or certain damage to your water heater, you may have sudden need to drain it so as not to cause water damages. Obviously, attaching a hose with the drain valve of the water heater would definitely expedite the process of removing water within the tank.
How to Hook a Hose to Your Hot Water Heater
As much as one may be tempted to hook a hose onto your hot water heater, pay extra attention to the steps so that any kind of problem is avoided as comes forth:
1. Turn Off the Water Heater
In electric water heaters, there is a need to switch the power off at the home electrical panel so that there doesn't come any type of damage to the heating elements in the course of time during the process of draining.
Gas Water Heaters: The gas control valve needs to be turned to the "Pilot" or "Off" position .
2. Turn Off the Water Intake
The cold water intake valve is normally located at the top of the water heater. You would turn it clockwise to the "off" position, which cuts the water feeding into the tank.
3. Attach Hose to the Drain Valve
The drain valve would be located on the bottom of your water heater. Take a regular garden hose and then thread it tightly onto the valve.
The other end of the hose must be pointed towards a safe location for drainage, which includes the floor drain, large bucket or away from outside the house.
4. Open the Drain Valve
Turn the drain valve counterclockwise carefully. The water should now be running through the hose. If it doesn't' flow easily you may have to turn on a hot water faucet in the house to relieve the pressure inside the system.
5. Drain the Tank-Optional
Turn the water on, letting it run until the water clears to flush out sediment. If it doesn't clear, you may briefly need to turn on the cold water supply in order to stir up and remove more sediment off the bottom of the tank.
6. Close the Valve and Disconnect the Hose
Drain Valve: Once the tank has drained or been flushed, turn the drain valve clockwise in order to close it. From here, unhook the hose with care so that some water isn't still dropping off from the valve.
7. Refill the Tank and Restore Power
Turn the cold water supply on again, and let the filling of the tank take place. When full, you restore power if it's an electric model, or you relight the pilot if it is gas.
Best Practices When Hooking a Hose to a Water Heater
Here are a few of the best practices in accomplishing this both safely and efficiently:
Use a good hose: A normal garden hose would work in most cases, but just make sure the hose is in good condition without leakage. Note that if you are going to drain hot water, you will need a hose rated for high temperatures because the ordinary ones may degrade or warp upon long exposure with hot water.
Check the Drain Valve: Water heater drain valves may rust or clog up with use. Check the valve before you hook the hose onto it to make sure that it is in good shape. If this valve is difficult to open or close, it would be getting close to replacement time so that it would not leak.
Prevent Tank Damage: When draining, turn off the water heater. It prevents a large block of damage to the unit and can create a hazardous situation.
Watch the process-whether it's draining or flushing of the tank, watch the water's flow. If it is too heavy with sediment, and it is clogging either the hose or the drain valve itself, you may want to shut it down, clean out the valve, or try another removal method.
Reasons You Shouldn't Hook a Hose to Your Water Heater
While generally, attaching a hose to your water heater is not a problem when performing maintenance, here are a few instances where you want to keep your hands off:
If Its a Leaking or a Broken Drain Valve: If your drain valve happens to be faulty, attaching a hose will make the leak even worse or further damages. It will then be best if you call a plumber who can replace or repair your valve.
During Routine Operation: One shouldn't hook the hose to the water heater, should one be taking maintenance or an emergency were to come up. The concept that the hose would remain attached to the drain valve in case the person isn't using it, just doesn't make much sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I permanently attach a hose to my water heater?
A: No, unless for servicing purposes; for draining or flushing. If on for lengthy periods, the major risks are leakage and/or the valve being damaged.
Q: Can I have a flush without having a hose on my water heater?
A: Yes, you can, but it's way easier and not near as messy if you do. You'll have to resort to using buckets or other containers to catch the water as it drains from the heater; that is a pretty cumbersome process.
Q: How often should I flush my water heater?
Q: Is it a good idea to try and flush your water heater to clear the sediment that inevitably builds up in the tank?
A: Yes, it is a good idea to try and flush your water heater at least annually to clear the sediment that inevitably builds up in the tank; if you have hard water in your area, however, you may need to flush the tank with higher frequency in order to keep it operating efficiently.
Q: What happens if my drain valve is clogged?
A: Well, if your valve has a build-up of sediment in it and the water isn't flowing out real well, then you can take your screwdriver or wire and just carefully poke your valve to free up the debris. Otherwise, you may have to call a plumber in order to replace the valve.
Conclusion
As we can well see here, there isn't anything particularly unusual in and of itself about hooking a hose to your hot water heater. Probably the most common reasons one would do this are at times of maintenance such as draining or flushing the tank. These are things you are supposed to do in order to maintain your water heater's efficiency and help it live a little longer, and you should be able, with ease, to do so, provided you follow the right order of procedure and take all the safety precautions seriously. Always use a good-quality hose; check for problems with your drain valve, and do not leave the hose on after completion of the maintenance. Any problem one may have or even come across with one's hot water heater, or as simple as a drain valve, is wisely handled in the fashion of using a professional plumber to aid in their function.