Nancy
: How do I drain an electric hot water heater and replace the element?Hi, Nancy!!I hope you got the element replaced OK. I got a little confused reading the instructions (Im not sure it was clear that the cold water shut-off was at the TOP of the water heater). I like to see people save their water heaters rather than discarding into landfills. Along that line, I suapect that your anode is probably about used up by now. DONT fail to replace it at the end of your (five year) warranty period, or else you will have a new element in a failed tank!If you havent done this, it is about as easy — and JUST as necessary as replacing the element is. Look for a bid nut on top of the tank (its 1 1/16). Most manufacturers over-tighten this fitting (possibly to discourage replacement?). So you may need to use an impact wrench to loosen it. Unscrew it and check its condition. If a total of 5 – 6 of the center core wirer is exposed, you are about ready to replace it with a new one. Merely put pipe dope on the threads and screw the new one in — tighten ONLY enough to keep it from leaking. And you are all set for another 5+ years of heater life!If you dont have about 36+ clearance, you need a flexible anode. Just contact me, if you need one. OK? Good Luck!! Darrel I
