Knowing how to unclog your water heater can save the day, especially when you have 20+ gallons of water in your tank and your heater is hell-bent on not being drained. Clogs in your drain valve often occur due to sediment buildup inside your heater tank. This sediment buildup can significantly affect your heater’s efficiency, increasing its consumption of electricity. But that’s not it, these hardened sediments strike against your tank walls as the water boils. It’s only a matter of time before these continuous impacts take a toll on your heater’s durability, resulting in leakage. So if you’re dealing with a clogged heater drain, here are a few tips to help you unclog your heater drain.
— Use a Garden Hose to Push Debris Out
The intensity of clogs determines what needs to be done to combat this issue. If it’s a minor clog, chances are; it’ll clear out on its own. Attach a garden hose to your drain valve while leaving the other end out in your garden. Close all your hot water taps and then open the drain valve. The water pressure will push the debris out through the hose in a little while.
— Stiff Wire
If the former method doesn’t work for you, use a stiff wire to clear out the debris. Inset the wire into the tank’s valve and rotate it in a circular motion to loosen up the accumulated debris. Open the drain valve to check if the water is coming out of the valve. Continue rotating the wire until you have good water flow.
— Reverse Flow
When all else fails, the reverse flow will save the day! Connect one end of the hosepipe to your tank’s drain valve and connect the other to your garden faucet. Open the faucet valve to allow reverse flow of water into the valve for at least 15 seconds—this will clear out the sediment buildup, giving you steady water flow.
A clogged heater drain doesn’t only affect the flow of water but also damages the structural integrity of your drain valves. So how do you make sure you’re not compromising on the durability of your heater valves? By installing heaters with brass drain valves! Designed to withstand high temperature and pressure, brass drain valves offer high durability and resistance against corrosion and rust. Miami Water Heater provides residential side connect water heaters with brass drain valves that don’t crack or disintegrate easily, unlike big box stores. Our range of services also includes water heater maintenance, tankless heater parts, and solar water heaters.