How do you drain your hot water heater?

Shut off fuel supply. Allow to cool. Close the inlet and out let valves. Open the drain valve bottom of heater. Open the T&P to break Vacuum. Have a hose attached to dump water in a safe area.

If you are draining heater to flush don't shut off fuel supply. On a power vent heater (pvc venting) you can turn the switch off. On a conventional heater with metal flue pipe turn to the vacation setting (lowest temp setting). when your heater is refilled you can switch on or turn temp setting to original position without bleeding gas and relighting. Waiting for a sitting heater to cool will take hours. You can run hot water in house with heater off until cold. You should not have an outlet valve on a hot water heater if you do remove it. Open hot water in building to vent. Opening and old T&P will weaken the spring even more so if hot water runs through it and may cause it to fail (drip) later with water on. Some drain valves drip later with water on have a 3/4 garden hose cap with washer for valve if it leaks as opposed to replacing drain valve.