# What pump for draining water heater



## abr (Jun 21, 2009)

I have used the transfer pumps that have hose connections, they come with a replacement impeller but they still don't last very long. I am going to try the bigger pump that Liberty makes. Does anyone have better luck with any others?

Thanks,

Adam


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

abr said:


> I have used the transfer pumps that have hose connections, they come with a replacement impeller but they still don't last very long. I am going to try the bigger pump that Liberty makes. Does anyone have better luck with any others?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Adam


Air compressor all the way


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## Letterrip (Jul 28, 2013)

MTDUNN said:


> Air compressor all the way


What do you do? Pull the P&T and use that opening to adapt?


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

Letterrip said:


> What do you do? Pull the P&T and use that opening to adapt?


Plug off one side. Coupling with schrader valve on other


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

liberty pump works for me..


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

I use Liberty pump with a braded laundry hose that has one end cut off. I only use it to remove the water down to the last foot or so. Keep the end from sucking the rocks into the pump.


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## JWBII (Dec 23, 2012)

What model liberty pump do you guys use?


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Are you having to remove the old tank from a basement where you have to pump or can you use gravity? If you have to pump then the Liberty pumps have worked well for me or the Little Giant pumps are good, too. I always removed the boiler drain valve first and put in a full port ball valve. Then I used the incoming pressure to blast the sediment out enough to get a good flow before I attempted to drain the tank. Then I would hook a pump up to the ball valve. 

When I still did attic water heaters my favorite option was to utilize the T&P drain line if it actually ran to the outside and close to the ground. I cut the drain and use a sharkbite MIP and connected my ball valve boiler drain to the T&P drain with a SS flex hose. Because you are using a rigid pipe instead of a garden hose it wont kink and it is a full 3/4" ID. A 40 or 50 gal tank will drain in 5 minutes easily with that method. When I lived in Montana I rarely had the benefit of using gravity and I used a Liberty Transfer pump which typically worked well. 

In my opinion the main thing is to get that POS manufacturers boiler drain out of there and put a full port ball valve on before you drain the tank. Of the many many tanks I have had to drain I have only had one valve I couldn't remove and had to instead use the unitrol to hook up my ball valve.


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

I've done all the above and they are all good methods. Even utilized the unitrol outlet. But when I first used the air compressor, I never went back. No need to remove plastic petcocks, no need to worry about sediment rocks. It all gets blown out. I can drain a 50 gallon tank in 10 minutes with 100psi


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

MTDUNN said:


> I've done all the above and they are all good methods. Even utilized the unitrol outlet. But when I first used the air compressor, I never went back. No need to remove plastic petcocks, no need to worry about sediment rocks. It all gets blown out. I can drain a 50 gallon tank in 10 minutes with 100psi


Do you push the air into the cold side so it pushes the water thru the dip tube and out the hot side? I could see that being a great method though it would require a pretty good size compressor and a long hose. 

That's why I love this site, I learn new ways to do my job even though i no longer do water heaters.


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## CaberTosser (Mar 7, 2013)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> Do you push the air into the cold side so it pushes the water thru the dip tube and out the hot side? I could see that being a great method though it would require a pretty good size compressor and a long hose.
> 
> That's why I love this site, I learn new ways to do my job even though i no longer do water heaters.


 No, you still have to use either the heater drain or something similar adapted to the gas control tapping if the situation demands. I've only had to do it infrequently when I encounter early 1900's homes with no floor drain and perhaps a sewer 24" or so above bsmt grade. Cap the cold inlet and put a reducer and snifter valve (or even easier an air fitting, so no having to hold the darned thing) on the hot side.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

CaberTosser said:


> No, you still have to use either the heater drain or something similar adapted to the gas control tapping if the situation demands. I've only had to do it infrequently when I encounter early 1900's homes with no floor drain and perhaps a sewer 24" or so above bsmt grade. Cap the cold inlet and put a reducer and snifter valve (or even easier an air fitting, so no having to hold the darned thing) on the hot side.


I see. That is a very good method. That's why repair plumbing is awesome: you have to be creative sometimes and think outside the box in order to deal with a problem.


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> Do you push the air into the cold side so it pushes the water thru the dip tube and out the hot side? I could see that being a great method though it would require a pretty good size compressor and a long hose.
> 
> That's why I love this site, I learn new ways to do my job even though i no longer do water heaters.


I cap the cold or hot. I use a sioux chief gas pressure meter with the meter removed and plugged on the other side, again cold or hot, don't matter. Open petcock and blow it all through it.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

MTDUNN said:


> I cap the cold or hot. I use a sioux chief gas pressure meter with the meter removed and plugged on the other side, again cold or hot, don't matter. Open petcock and blow it all through it.


That's a good idea.


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## abr (Jun 21, 2009)

*Compressed air sounds like the ticket*

Although it reminds me of the time I had the great idea on a job that I needed to get two 55 gallon drums of glycol in a new heating system that I piped. The piping was about 20' higher than the drum. I adjusted my regulator for 15 psi and hooked it up to the top of the drum, on the bottom I had a boiler drain with a hose connected to the piping system. As soon as I added the air, the drum expanded like a ballon. I guess they aren't designed for pressure. The drum had a $25 dollar refundable deposit on it. I wasn't there when my shop dropped it off for the deposit:whistling2:


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2008)

Liberty pump ! 
If drain doesn't work I cut the hot side , adapt a long piece of pex and slide it down the hot side . Pumps it nice and dry ! 

MTDUNN ,, can you send a pic of that air compressor way you use ? Sounds good !


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

JWBII said:


> What model liberty pump do you guys use?


This one.......

A little over 2 minutes and a 40 gallon water heater in a 10' basement will be empty...

Plus you aren't attempting to repressurize a leaking tank after the water has been shut off making an additional mess...


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## abr (Jun 21, 2009)

Redwood said:


> This one.......
> 
> A little over 2 minutes and a 40 gallon water heater in a 10' basement will be empty...
> 
> Plus you aren't attempting to repressurize a leaking tank after the water has been shut off making an additional mess...


Where do you buy your Liberty pumps and how much do they cost?

Adam


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## JWBII (Dec 23, 2012)

Amazon has one for roughly 190....


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2008)

Redwood said:


> This one.......
> 
> A little over 2 minutes and a 40 gallon water heater in a 10' basement will be empty...
> 
> Plus you aren't attempting to repressurize a leaking tank after the water has been shut off making an additional mess...


Yep that's the one !


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## SHAUN C (Feb 16, 2011)

I just pull the t- stat or element and install a nipple with a boiler drain. Easy money


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

Cal said:


> Liberty pump !
> If drain doesn't work I cut the hot side , adapt a long piece of pex and slide it down the hot side . Pumps it nice and dry !
> 
> MTDUNN ,, can you send a pic of that air compressor way you use ? Sounds good !


It's a new water heater but you get the idea


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