How to Drain an Immersion Heater

Immersion heaters are typically placed inside a container, appliance or tank in order to heat a liquid inside the vessel. Immersion heaters are typically available in a variety of different styles and can be made from different metals, such as copper, iron, titanium or stainless steel, and many contain built-in thermostat controls. Draining an immersion heater may be necessary to clean the heater or to perform basic troubleshooting or maintenance.

• 1

  Turn off the immersion heater and unplug from the power supply.

• 2

  Open the drain valve on the bottom of the immersion heater and open the hot water tap at a nearby sink.

• 3

  Wait for the immersion heater to drain completely.

• 4

  Close the drain valve and allow the tank to fill completely with water when maintenance, replacement or troubleshooting is complete.

• 5

  Restore power to the immersion heater.