- 1). Remove all electric power from the hot water heater. In the case of a gas fired hot water heater, shut off the gas as per the instructions mounted by the gas valve on the water heater tank. Open the hot water faucet in the bathtub or shower and allow the water to cool down in the tank. This may take a while due to the capacity of the water heater tank.
- 2). Shut off the cold water feed to the hot water tank. Attach the garden hose to the lower drain spigot on the tank. Run the end of the garden hose to the nearest drain or outdoors. Do not allow the height of the hose to exceed the height of the drain spigot. Open the drain spigot and allow the water to exit the tank. Keep the hot water faucet on to allow air to fill inside the hot water tank. Wait until all water has drained from the tank before proceeding to the next step.
- 3). Use the pipe wrench and remove any drain piping that is attached to the relief valve. The relief valve is typically located in one of two positions, on the upper side of the tank or on the very top of the tank.
- 4). Remove the relief valve with the pipe wrench by turning the wrench in a counter-clockwise direction. After a few turns with the wrench, you should be able to finish removing the valve with your hand. Pull the valve from the tank.
- 5). Place a few rounds of the Teflon tape around the male threads of the new relief valve. Start the valve into the tank by hand. Pay attention not to cross the threads on the valve's male thread fitting. Tighten the valve with the pipe wrench. Align the opening on the valve with the drain piping you removed in step three.
- 6). Install the drainpipe into the valve. Close the lower drain spigot on the hot water tank. Open the cold water feed valve. Allow water and any trapped air to exit the tank through the hot water faucet you left open during this process.
- 7). Close the hot water faucet and check for leaks. Remove the garden hose. Reenergize or relight the gas pilot on the hot water tank. Follow the instructions on the side of the hot water heater. Allow the heater to come up to temperature.
SHARE
