To drain your Rheem water heater, you need to do some preparation and then connect a drain hose to the drain valve.
Rheem water heaters have the reputation of being good value for money and of lasting well over time.
In order to make sure that your Rheem water heater lasts for as long as possible, you should drain it once a year, but this is a quick and easy process.
Are Rheem water heaters any good?
Chances are your water heater will be one of the appliances in your home that you use each and every day. Rheem is a brand that is known for having good quality water heaters that garner positive customer reviews and often outlast their warranties.
The Rheem water heaters are also relatively affordable and are some of the most energy-efficient models on the market. Therefore, your Rheem water heater should work well and last quite a long time if you keep it well-maintained.
How to drain a Rheem water heater
In order to keep your Rheem water heater operating as effectively and as efficiently as possible, you need to drain it once a year, depending on how hard your water is.
As water flows through your water heater system, the sediment and minerals that are in the water settle at the bottom of the tank.
This build-up at the bottom of the tank means that your water heater will have to work a lot harder to heat up the same amount of water as an empty tank, which will increase your electricity bill and repair costs over time.
Fortunately, the process to drain your water heater is not all that complicated and most Rheem water heater owners complete this task on their own.
There are some steps that you can complete before the water heater starts draining, and then you have to do the actual process to get the tank draining, which involves the connection of a drain hose and then some steps to take after the tank has been emptied to make sure that all of the sediment has been flushed out of the water heater.
To complete this entire process, the only supplies you need are a drain hose, an adjustable wrench, and a five gallon bucket if you are interested in reusing the water in your tank or if you just want to see what the water looks like after draining it.
Steps to take before you can start to drain your Rheem water heater
There are several things you should do before you can start draining the water from your Rheem water heater. This will ensure that you are working safely and effectively.
It is best to do these steps in sections to ensure that you complete each section properly before you start draining water from the heater, as explained below:
| Steps to complete | Description |
| Turn off your recirculation pump | Unplug the pump and wait until you hear it stop to continue |
| Turn off the power or gas | If you have an electric water heater, you need to turn it off at the circuit breaker. If you have a gas water heater, you need to turn the gas to the “pilot” setting |
| Shut off the water supply | Turn off the shut-off valve at the top of the tank |
How to actually drain the water out of your Rheem water heater
After you have completed all of the preparation steps to ensure that you can work on your water heater safely, you can actually start draining water and sediment from the tank.
You just need to connect the drain hose to the drain valve and open the valve. Use the wrench to make sure that the connection is secure. You can place the other end of the drain hose into the bucket or outside, as this is where the water and sediment come out.
In order for the water to actually start draining from the tank, you need to open the pressure relief valve or loosen the water flex slightly to allow air into the system.
How to complete the draining process for your Rheem water heater
After all of the water and sediment has been drained from the tank, you can return the pressure relief valve to its normal, closed position, or tighten the water flex again.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can also flush the water heater by opening the water supply again for a few minutes before you disconnect the drain hose.
You can then reconnect the circulation pump and turn the power or gas supply to the heater back on, and your water heater can continue to run as usual.