How to Clean Out a Gas Hot Water Heater?

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How to Clean Out a Gas Hot Water Heater?
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Cleaning out a gas hot water heater is basically
a matter of flushing the tank to remove sediments
that have built up on the bottom of your tank. If
you use well water, these sediments may be mostly
dirt and grit if you are hooked up to city
water, the sediments may be calcium and lime, but
grit in the city water lines will also build up
in a hot water tank over time. Cleaning your gas
hot water tank is a "tankless" job, but one which
should be performed at least every year or two,
depending on how much sediment is in your water
supply.
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• Instructions
• Using your pliers, turn off the gas to your hot
  water heater. This involves turning the valve
  (lever) on the gas line perpendicular to the
  line. Turn the level 1/4 turn clockwise to shut
  off the gas. (Note Do not shut off the gas if
  you do not know how to relight the pilot on your
  heater. Plan to have a gas-company employee or
  another knowledgeable person come to your home
  and show you how to relight your pilot.)
• Turn off the cold water inlet at the top of your
  tank. You can determine which line is the cold
  water line simply by touching both lines. Turn
  the handle on the cold-water line clockwise as
  far as it will go.
• Connect a garden hose to the drain valve at the
  bottom of the tank and place the end of the hose
  in a suitable place to drain the water. Open the
  valve and allow the water to drain out of the
  tank. This could take several minutes. If you
  cannot drain the water using a garden hose, you
  will have to do it one bucket at a time.
• Open a hot water faucet in the house, such as in
  the kitchen or the bathroom. This will allow air
  into the system.
• Turn on the cold water to stir up the sediments
  in the tank after it has drained. Fill the tank
  about 1/4 full of cold water, then shut off the
  cold water inlet again. Observe the water
  draining out of your garden hose. If the water is
  draining very slowly it means the sediments are
  clogging your drain. In this case, add more cold
  water until you force the sediments out. When the
  water is draining fast and clear, your job is
  done.

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6. Shut off the drain at the bottom of the tank
and remove the garden hose. Turn on the cold
water valve at the top of the tank and allow your
tank to fill with water. When the hot water
faucet you opened in the kitchen or bathroom
starts to run, you know your tank is full. Turn
the faucet off. 7. Open the valve on the gas
line by turning the lever counterclockwise until
the lever is aligned with the gas line. You may
need a pair of pliers to turn the lever. Relight
your tank's pilot light using a long fireplace
lighter and allow the system to reheat the water
in your tank. This could take a couple of hours.
Source http//www.ehow.com/how_4812350_out-gas-ho
t-water-heater.html Images http//thegasshowroom
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