# drinking water from hot water heater



## Spayth (May 10, 2013)

I know the water in the bottom of a hot water heater can get sludgy when you drain it from the hose hookup they have. But if it was filtered is there any reason it would be unsafe to drink in a pinch


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## eddy_dvyvan (May 8, 2012)

If the water has been cold for sometime then there is a very slight possibility of it having nasties like legionares. Boil it first and it will be ok.


I wouldnt hesitate to use it........id even shower in it 

Cheers


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Proper maintenance of a water heater is to drain the bottom portion off at least once a year. First shut off the power. If the water heater comes on while you are in the process of cleaning the water heater it has the potential of becoming very dangerous. Second, double check to make sure the water heater is turned off. Next turn off the inlet water, it is of no use to drain your inlet water. Then hook up your drain hose and open the drain valve. You will now be creating a vacuum in the water heater. To relieve this vacuum lift the handle on the temperature/pressure (T&P) valve. Let the tank drain till the water runs mostly clear. Reverse the process to fill the tank. 

You will wind up with an amount of air in the tank. This can be vented through the T&P valve or through a hot water faucet. If the T&P valve leaks after this process replace it. T&P valves should be checked annually to make sure that they do not build up scale and fail to function in case of emergency.

Legionaries disease is a valid concern. You can get legionaries from breathing in the steam in a shower so if it is not a problem now I'm not sure it would be a problem later. If the water system has been compromised prior to shutting down completely then you have the potential of any number of diseases.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

This may be off point to a degree unless you are planning to use the water heaters tank as a source of emergency water, but.....

When the water main is opened for whatever reason, natural disaster or work on the pipes, the water sometimes siphons out of the hot water tank if a faucet is opened in the house. This can cause the tank to go dry and burn out the hating elements so putting a check valve in your water line will prevent the burn out and will also "trap" the water in the tank for emergency use if needed.



Caribou said:


> Proper maintenance of a water heater is to drain the bottom portion off at least once a year. First shut off the power. If the water heater comes on while you are in the process of cleaning the water heater it has the potential of becoming very dangerous. Second, double check to make sure the water heater is turned off. Next turn off the inlet water, it is of no use to drain your inlet water. Then hook up your drain hose and open the drain valve. You will now be creating a vacuum in the water heater. To relieve this vacuum lift the handle on the temperature/pressure (T&P) valve. Let the tank drain till the water runs mostly clear. Reverse the process to fill the tank.
> 
> You will wind up with an amount of air in the tank. This can be vented through the T&P valve or through a hot water faucet. If the T&P valve leaks after this process replace it. T&P valves should be checked annually to make sure that they do not build up scale and fail to function in case of emergency.
> 
> Legionaries disease is a valid concern. You can get legionaries from breathing in the steam in a shower so if it is not a problem now I'm not sure it would be a problem later. If the water system has been compromised prior to shutting down completely then you have the potential of any number of diseases.


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## Spayth (May 10, 2013)

Thanks for the information


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## eddy_dvyvan (May 8, 2012)

Top tip Davarm. I never though of that but looking at mine now it would definalty happen


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

eddy_dvyvan said:


> Top tip Davarm. I never though of that but looking at mine now it would definalty happen


When I originally connected my plumbing I didn't install one and for the first year in the house I had to replace the burned out elements half a dozen times.

The small water company that supplies this area was expanding and would regularly add new sections of the main line. Not being much of a plumber, it took me a while to figure it out!:laugh::laugh:


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