The drain valve of your water heater performs the important role of draining water during periodic maintenance. With time, sediments deposit at the base of your water heater, clogging its drain valve. Before starting to work on your maintenance project, you need to make sure that the drain valve is functioning the way it should. If your drain valve is clogged or has outlived its service life, you must replace it before proceeding. Before you get to work, make sure you have tools of the trade including a screwdriver, a pipe wrench, pipe wrap tape, leather palm gloves, and a couple of buckets handy. Replacing your drain valve is no rocket science. All you need to do is follow the below workflow.
1. Drain the Heater
To avoid flooding, drain the heater. Ask a helper to collect and dispose water using a bucket. Once you have dumped enough water, you are ready to replace the valve.
2. Switch Off the Valve
To ensure the pipe does not fill the water heater as you drain the contents, switch off the valve. To avoid water from getting reheated, turn off the gas valve of the heater. Wait for some time for the water in the heater to cool down. Using pipe wrap, wrap the threads of the new valve.
3. Unscrew the Valve
Unscrew the valve of the tank. You can use a pipe wrench for this purpose. As the water leaks, ask your helper to use the buckets to collect it. Carefully remove the valve.
4. Get Rid of the Deposits
Carefully stick the screwdriver into the hole to get rid of mineral deposits.
5. Install the New Valve
To install the new valve, insert it in the hole. Once you are sure that you have placed the valve correctly, screw it in. Make sure it fits in snugly and is not leaking.
6. Test the Valve
To ensure the valve is working the way it should, open and close it multiple times. Switch off the pressure release valve. Turn on the water supply valve.
7. Switch the Circuit Breaker On
By now, your loved ones may have started demanding in unison that they be provided warm water (after all, who does not like warm showers during winter?). Don’t keep them waiting. To heat the water, restart the water heater.
Follow these steps to replace your old drain valve with a new one. If you have any problems understanding the workflow or have no experience of performing the task, Holman Plumbing would be happy to help. We offer superior water heater repair services in Sonoma County. To talk to our experts, call at 707-495-5002. To get your plumbing concerns addressed, fill out our contact form.