Your water heater is one of those items in the house that makes life more convenient and most people would not know how to survive without it. The good news is that you don’t have to. However, there are certain steps that you should take in order to keep it running in excellent condition, especially if you experience extremely cold winters and are planning on leaving home for a while. The process of winterizing your water heater is a fairly easy one, provided all the instructions are followed.
The first step in this process is to disconnect your water heater from its power supply. If it is electric the you should unplug it. If it is powered by gas however, you should use a crescent wrench to turn the valve until it is perpendicular to the line. You must then find the control box which should be situated at the bottom right hand of the heater and turn the switch to the off position. The next step is very important and includes turning off the incoming water line. You are likely to find it outside the house or in the basement. Once you locate it turn the wheel like valve in a clockwise direction until it is shut off. You then need to locate the drain at the bottom of the tank and let the water out of the tank. You may do this by connecting a hose pipe to the tank if there is a fitting for it or by using an ordinary bucket and draining the water one bucket at a time. You can turn on the drain by turning the handle all the way up in an anti-clockwise direction. The air vent at the top of the tank should be opened by turning the lever into an upright position. You should then open all faucets in the home and let the water drain out.
The final step in this process involves insulating all pipes and eventually the entire tank with insulation, duct tape and a blanket. It may seem unnecessary however, if your water heater is one of the prized possessions in your home, you should rather do it anyway. Follow us on more tips on keeping your water heater from freezing this winter.