Draining The Water Heater; Routine Preventative Maintenance - Rheem Residential 40 & 50 Gallon Use & Care Manual

Care and cleaning of the water heater.
WARNING: Disconnect all
power to unit before starting
maintenance. Failure to do so
can cause electrical shock
resulting in severe personal
injury or death.
DANGER: Before
manually operating the relief
valve, make certain no one will
be exposed to the danger of
coming in contact with the hot
water released by the valve.
The water may be hot enough
to create a scald hazard. The
water should be released into a
suitable drain to prevent
injury or property damage.
NOTICE: If the temperature
and pressure relief valve
on the hot water heater
discharges periodically,
this may be due to thermal
expansion in a closed water
system. Contact the water
supplier or your plumbing
contractor on how to correct
this. Do not plug the relief
valve outlet.
14

Draining the Water Heater

CAUTION: Shut off power to the water
heater before draining water.
DANGER: Before manually operating
the relief valve, make certain no one will be
exposed to the hot water released by the
valve. The water drained from the tank may
be hot enough to present a scald hazard and
should be directed to a suitable drain to
prevent injury or damage.

Routine Preventative Maintenance

Properly maintained, your water heater
will provide years of dependable
trouble-free service.
It is suggested that a routine
preventive maintenance program be
established and followed by the user.
It is further recommended that a
periodic inspection of the electronic
control, heat pump and wiring should
be made by service personnel qualified
in electric appliance repair.
Most electrical appliances, even
when new, make some sound when
in operation. If the hissing or singing
sound level increases excessively,
Contact a qualified installer or
plumbing contractor to inspect.
IMPORTANT: See "DANGER
on left". At least once a year, lift
and release the lever handle on the
temperature pressure relief valve,
located on the side of the water heater,
to make certain the valve operates
freely. Allow several gallons to flush
through the discharge line to an open
drain.
It is recommended to clean the
filter on top of the heat pump every
month. Clean by washing with
mild detergent and water. Dry and
replace over discharge fan. Remove
the filter by lifting up on the handle
at front of the heat pump and lifting
it off the air discharge fan. See
Figure on right.
In order to drain the water heater, turn
off the cold water supply. Open a hot
water faucet or lift the handle on the
relief valve to admit air to the tank.
Attach a garden hose to the drain
valve on the water heater and direct
the stream of water to a drain. Open
the valve.
A water heater's tank can act as a
setting basin for solids suspended
in the water. It is therefore not
uncommon for hard water deposits to
accumulate in the bottom of the tank. It
is suggested that a few quarts of water
be drained from the water heater's tank
every month to clean the tank of these
deposits.
Rapid closing of faucets or solenoid
valves in automatic water using
appliances can cause a banging noise
heard in a water pipe. Strategically
located risers in the water pipe system
or water hammer arresting devices can
be used to minimize the problem.
Filter Handle
Filter