If you have an electric water heater at home, or at your second residence, sooner or later you will need to empty it. When you are going to change it, you will need the water heater to be empty. But there are many other cases where you may find yourself in this situation. It is possible that, for example, you will not be using it for a long time: in these cases, it is best to empty it to avoid possible damage to the appliance. Cold and frost can damage an electric water heater during the harshest winter months.
You might be wondering: how do you empty an electric water heater? It's a very simple process, and by following our advice, you'll have it done in a flash. You can do it yourself, but always remember that the combination of electricity and water can be dangerous.
- Turn off the water supply to the water heater. To do this, close the shut-off valve that allows water from the pipes to enter the appliance, which is usually located at the bottom. It's possible that this valve isn't located directly on the water heater's inlet because it doesn't have one: if that's the case, you'll need to turn off the water to the entire house.
- Next, unplug the thermos. Disconnect the thermos from the mains.
- Now you need to open one or two hot water taps in the house. The taps that are preferable for this task are those that are lower down, such as those in a bath or a bidet. Leave them open for a while.
- Now it's time to drain the water from the electric water heater. To do this, use the appliance's own drain valve. Before opening it, place a container under the valve. Unscrew the flexible hose from the water heater inlet, which is usually marked in blue.
- Once the boiler has been emptied through the hot water taps which you have left open and no more water comes out of them, you can disconnect the hose from the boiler's outlet, which will be marked in red. The boiler will then be completely empty.
If you need to, you can now take it down from the wall. And if you've only done it for preservation, the task is done!
We remind you that the thermos may empty in the reverse direction. That is, it's possible that the water will come out of the inlet pipe, meaning air will enter through the taps. This is why, before you start emptying it, it's advisable to have several buckets handy because if this happens to you, you will lose a lot of water and will need collection capacity.
How do you refill the thermos?
Open the cold water stopcock, as well as the hot water taps. When water starts to come out of the hot water taps, begin to close them, starting from the lowest ones from lowest to highest. First the bidet, last the shower. This will remove air from the water heater and pipes. Before connecting it to the power supply, the water heater must be full of water. Otherwise, the heating elements may be damaged.
Now you know how to empty an electric water heater and how to refill it. If it's for your second home, emptying it will extend its lifespan. If you're thinking of replacing your electric water heater, you can consult our models or visit our office at Calle Neptuno Local 11, Urbanización Marina d’Or and find out which one suits you best.
