What to do with water heater and water softner when draining water from plumbing?

Do It Yourself (DIY) Add comments
oskeewow13 asked:


Hello! I may have a problem with water hammer or pockets of air or whatever in my plumbing system. In order to troubleshoot, I want to drain the water from the pipes for the whole house and then refill it. What should I do with the water in water heater and water softner? Do I drain the water heater and water softner? Just turn power off on my Kenmore water softner? or use bypass valve? Thanks for your time!

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3 Responses to “What to do with water heater and water softner when draining water from plumbing?”
  1. Jack the Toad Says:

    turn off the heater. shut the valve to prevent siphoning. by-pass the softener. install water hammer devices sold at your hardware store. you may need a few if four house is big. if you need to you can use compression fittings or tiger gripps.

  2. big_mustache Says:

    To correct a water hammer problem it is not necessary to drain the water heater or softener. By draining the pipes to your fixtures the problem should be solved at least temporarily.

  3. sensible_man Says:

    Turn off the power supply to the softener and water heater. I see no reason to drain the heater as the water will push out any air. If you install anti-hammer devices, do not use compression type fittings in areas where the units will not be in plain view at all times. Most codes prohibit this.

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