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How to empty an electric water heater?

Keeping appliances in the home working properly is a good way to extend their useful life. However, appliances like electric water heaters can go unnoticed until it’s too late. Knowing how to empty and descale them is a good way to keep them in good condition.

Electric water heaters don’t seem like very important artifacts on hot summer days, when what you really need is a good cold shower to refresh you and make you forget about the heat. However, when the winter season arrives, and with it the low temperatures, a warm bath seems to be the solution to all the problems you may have. For these moments, an electric water heater is, in many cases, the best option.

Due to this, it is necessary to do everything possible so that this device is always kept in good condition so that it can continue to offer good performance. For this reason, many recommend purging the electric water heater at least once a year, to remove all the dirt that can be found at the bottom of it, such as lime and different types of sediment.

In order to do so, it is necessary to empty it completely, including purging the air from the electric water heater, as it is the only way to clean it and check all the internal components of this very practical device, to extend its useful life without having to buy a new model.

However, in order to carry out maintenance, you must first have knowledge about the procedure to be carried out. Therefore, here you can learn a little about this process and how to do it at home, without having to pay a third party to do it for you.

How do you empty an electric water heater?

In order to clean an electric water heater, it is completely necessary to empty the device of all the liquid it has. In the same way, if you want to disassemble the electric water heater and replace it, it is impossible to skip emptying it, since disassembling a water-filled thermos is something really dangerous.

Although many people believe that emptying a thermos is a difficult process, actually carrying out the process only requires patience and a couple of tools to make the job easier. As long as you follow the steps, there are no risks.

Before you begin, find a wrench and a couple of buckets.

  1.   Disconnect the device from the electrical current

This is a standard step when you need to interact with electrical devices, however, it is always worth remembering, especially in this case, since these thermoses use water and electricity to work; that is, two elements that together can be quite dangerous.

In case the product is connected directly to a power outlet, simply unplug it . However, if the thermos is connected to the electrical installation of your home, then you must lower the general switch .

  1.   Close the corresponding water faucet

As long as the water faucet continues to be open, it will be impossible to empty it, because the device will continue to fill every second and our efforts will have been in vain. Therefore, locate the water stopcock of the electric water heater and proceed to close it.

This key can be found in the thermos itself, however, some models do not have this part, so it may be necessary to turn off the home’s water tap .

  1.   open some faucets

To allow emptying, it is necessary to open one or two hot water taps so that the thermos can drain all the liquid.

Preferably, open the braces located below . Then let the water run for a while.

  1.   Prepare the cubes

In the lower part of the device you will be able to find the hoses for the electric heater, which are flexible plastic tubes coated with stainless steel.

To continue with the process, it will be necessary to place both buckets just below these pieces and, helping you with the wrench, you will have to loosen the hose found at the cold water inlet. This is recognized by being marked with the color blue.

In case your electric water heater has a stopcock, you simply have to open it to let the water run. The liquid will start to drip down, so you’ll want to keep your buckets in place and avoid wetting the floor.

  1.   Take care of the hot water inlet

After a while, you will notice that there is no more hot water running from the taps that you have previously opened. At this time, use the wrench to move the red hose and loosen it.

Doing this will cause some water to leak out of this location and air into the reservoir, causing all the rest of the fluid to be expelled through the cold end that has already been loosened.

When no more water comes out of any tap, or through the water taps, then you can change the electric water heater for another or continue cleaning yours, by means of descaling.

How to descale the artifact?

After emptying, you must do this to disqualify the appliance and prevent a breakdown in the electric water heater.

  1.   Remove the electrical resistance and the anode

Under the cover of the thermos you will be able to find the accessible plate, where the resistance and the anode are located.

Disassemble the plate and clean the lower tank, where you will find the sediments and clean. You can help yourself with a non-corrosive anti-limescale cleaning product and a metal brush.

If you notice that the anode is worn, change it.

  1.   rearrange everything

When you finish emptying, cleaning the resistance and having checked the anode, put everything back in its place.

After this, you can start opening the stopcocks again, connect the electric water heater and wait for it to fill up to enjoy a delicious shower.

Remember that carrying out these processes will not only extend the useful life of the appliance, but will also save you money, since electricity consumption will be lower if the thermos is completely clean and functional.

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