How to Turn Off a Water Heater
Knowing how to turn off a water heater is a beneficial skill for homeowners. There are multiple reasons why you might need to turn off your water heater, ranging from more urgent situations to preventative maintenance. Some water heaters even have an alarm that will sound and warn you of tank failure.
If you find a gas leak or water leak coming from your tank, it’s important to turn off the water heater as soon as possible while you wait for a plumber to come help you assess the situation.
If your water heater’s pilot light has gone out or your water temperature doesn’t seem to be as warm as it should be, you will need to shut down your hot water heater in order to safely examine the system’s heat source.
It also may simply be time to perform an annual flush on your tank (ONLY if the tank has been flushed within the past three years) to clear out sediment build up and ensure that your water heater lasts as long as possible.
Whatever the reason may be, you can avoid being shocked by your water heater’s alarm and prepare yourself to take the necessary steps during tank failure or at any other time you need to turn off your water heater by following these simple steps:
- Disconnect the water heater from its power source. If you have a gas water heater, find the burner control knob (usually located near the thermostat) and turn it to the off position or to the “pilot” setting to shut off the gas supply. If you have an electric water heater, you will need to unplug the unit or locate your home’s electrical panel/circuit breaker panel and shut off the water heater’s power from there.
- Turn off the water supply. Different types of water heaters may have different ways to shut off their water supply. Most water heaters have a shut off valve on the cold water line that is connected to the top of the water heater tank on the right side of the unit. If your unit doesn’t have this option or you can’t find the water supply line, you can shut down the cold water supply for the entire house from your home’s main water line. Regardless of where you shut off the water, this generally just involves turning the shut off valve handle to an off position.
- Drain the tank if needed. Certain hot water tank failure situations and maintenance procedures require you to drain the water heater tank before proceeding. If that’s the case, or if you want to drain the tank just to be safe, attach a garden hose to the drain valve located at the bottom of the tank. Make sure that the end of the hose drains into something like a bucket or another safe area such as a storm drain. To get the water flowing, you will need to let air into the tank via a pressure relief valve or by loosening the piping that connects to one of the water lines at the top of the water heater. Refer to our guide on how to drain your water heater for an in-depth look at each step in the draining process.
That’s it! You can now feel comfortable knowing that your water heater is totally shut off and prepared for any maintenance. For a visual guide of this process, we recommend this quick and easy-to-follow video from Baker Brothers.
Regardless of why you needed to shut your water heater off in the first place, we always recommend contacting a licensed plumber for further assistance.