Water tank drain clogged

Yesterday I tried to drain my hot electric water tank to replaice one of the elements. I shut off the water and drained all the pipes in the house. Then I attached a hose to the fitting at the bottom of the tank but when I opened it no water could come out, I think there is some sedement or rust or something blocking the valve. How can I clean this out so I can drain my tank and replace the bad heating element?

flush it out

turn the water back on and flush out the line
with full pressure going out the hose...

turn the handle on and off a few times to dislodje the sediment...

this will sometimes work....

if that dont do it , then you have to get more creative with
a long coathanger and unscrewing the capp off the handle and
rheeming out the faucet...

can also try using a compressor, capping the hot outlet nipple on the tank,and connecting the compressor on the cold side,,just turn the compressor on shortly, if there is some sediment,that can get blown out,,if its alot of sediment,try using the compressor on the outlet drain valve,,blowing right at the source.

Did you leave a hot water faucet open when you tried to drain the tank? If not, do that first. You have to let either air or water in before the tank will drain.

Gary Swart said:

Did you leave a hot water faucet open when you tried to drain the tank? If not, do that first. You have to let either air or water in before the tank will drain.

Click to expand...

The last time I drained my hot water heater I had to loosen the connector on the outlet to get it to drain more then a dribble. As soon as I loosened the connector it started draining correctly. I also think the new heat conserving flappers or floating balls added to the problem.

If you open the T&P valve, you'll let air in. If the valve is old, it may not reseal, but you're supposed to check it at least once a year anyways...if it's bad, it's time to replace it.