Home » Water Systems Q & A » This Water Heater Won’t Drain Because Of Sediment Clogging The Outlet When I Turn It On. Any Suggestions?

This Water Heater Won’t Drain Because Of Sediment Clogging The Outlet When I Turn It On. Any Suggestions?

I am trying to replace a water heater and want to drain the old one for less weight to carry out of basement. There is only a trickle.

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  1. Comment by sensible
    August 14, 2009 @ 7:50 pm

    If you have an air compressor, you can blow back through the drain hose. If not, use a washing machine fill hose. Connect it to the heater drain and run a garden hose outside to a spigot. With both hoses connected, turn on the outside faucet and it will push the sediment out of the drain valve. Then disconnect the hose from the outside faucet and let it drain.

  2. Comment by Tom
    August 14, 2009 @ 11:09 pm

    Your best bet is to use a hidrocloric acid based toilet bowl cleaner to desolve the setament. Atach a garden hose to the drain and put the other end in a floor drain, open the top of the heater and put about 2 quarts of the cleaner in then put the cap back on be carefull not to use to much. when the cleaner reacts with the sedament it will creat carbon dioxide gas if you use to mutch cleaner then you will get to mutch carbon dioxide and it might blow up the water heater from the presure

  3. Comment by Tammie
    August 15, 2009 @ 2:29 am

    gilfinn has it right. You do need a new water heater.

  4. Comment by rshiffle
    August 15, 2009 @ 7:32 am

    There’s a couple of things you can try. First, try running a wire (like a coat hanger) up the drain to see if that’ll clear it. Second, and this will cause a big mess if you aren’t careful, you can remove the drain completely and let the water flow out that way. Or third, remove the outflow from the top and attempt to siphon the water out from there. And last, and most drastic… make sure you have plenty of help for this… lay the heater down and let the water flow out the top.

  5. Comment by gilfinn
    August 15, 2009 @ 10:14 am

    When you get your new water tank. Drain your tank once a year to keep it clean. Good Practice for any one that is on well water or hard water area

  6. Comment by younowan
    August 15, 2009 @ 12:02 pm

    Used to have this problem because of well water… Assuming the drain is like the one I had, we used a long and skinny spoon to scoop out enough muck to allow for water to flow. A bartenders mixing spoon is about the right size.

  7. Comment by Brian H
    August 15, 2009 @ 2:49 pm

    I had the same problem.
    We ran a hose from were it drains, to the window and used a water hose at the top, to flush it out.

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