Tool and method for cleaning and draining a water heater

A system for cleaning and draining a hot water heater, the system comprising a hot water heater and a tool, wherein the hot water heater comprises:

• a tank with an interior space having a bottom end and a bottom surface, the tank holding water in the interior space and a sediment bed at the bottom end of the interior space, a cold water port adapted to connect to a cold water inlet to deliver cold water into the interior space, a hot water port adapted to connect to a hot water outlet to deliver hot water out from the interior space to a user, and a heat source for heating the water in the interior space;
• and
• the tool comprising:
• a dip-tube that extends, when the hot water outlet is disconnected from the hot water port, through the hot water port and down through the interior space to be within one inch of the bottom surface;
• a fitting system comprising an adapter attached to the dip-tube, a connector that connects a top end of the adapter to an elbow that has an elbow top end that is a garden hose connection, and a coupling that attaches and seals to the hot water port;
• a garden hose connected at a top end to the fitting system garden hose connection and extending from the fitting system and along an outside surface of the tank, to place a bottom end of the hose at a bottom end level outside the hot water heater that is lower than said bottom surface;
• wherein, when the tank is pressurized by cold water being added to the tank through the cold water inlet, the tool is primed by water and sediment flowing up the dip-tube, through the fitting system, through the garden hose to the bottom end level for draining to a drain or container;
• wherein, when the cold water inlet is closed and disconnected to vent the tank to the atmosphere, water and sediment continue flowing by siphon action up the dip-tube, through the fitting system, through the garden hose to the bottom end level for draining to a drain or container, to drain and clean the tank.

An insert dip-tube drain tool for a hot water heater tank with a top and a bottom, the drain tool comprising:

• a bottom dip-tube with a top end and a bottom end;
• a drain tool top fitting system having a fitting system top end and a fitting system bottom end, wherein the dip-tube top end is adapted to connect to the fitting system bottom end and the dip-tube bottom end is adapted to extend through a port in the top of the tank and down inside the tank to near the bottom of the tank;
• and
• wherein the drain tool top fitting system is adapted for connection to the port in the top of the tank;
• wherein the drain tool top fitting system comprises, from the fitting system top end to the fitting system bottom end:
• an outlet having an outlet top end and an outlet bottom end, wherein the outlet top end is adapted to be connected to a garden hose for a drain;
• a coupling having a coupling top end adapted to receive and be connected to the outlet bottom end, and the coupling having a coupling bottom end that is adapted to connect to said port in the top of the tank for said connection of the fitting system to the port;
• wherein the dip-tube top end extends into a center of the coupling and threadably connects to the outlet bottom end that is received in the coupling top end, so that the dip-tube is in fluid communication with the coupling and the outlet bottom end.

An insert dip-tube drain tool for a tank with a top and bottom, comprising:

• a dip-tube with a top end and a bottom end, a drain tool fitting having a fitting top end and a fitting bottom end, the dip-tube top end being adapted to be connected to the fitting bottom end;
• the dip-tube bottom end being adapted to be inserted and extend into a port in the top of the tank and down inside the tank to near its bottom;
• the drain tool fitting being adapted to be connected to the port in the top of the tank;
• an outlet connected to the top end of the drain tool fitting, and the outlet being adapted to being connected to a garden hose for a drain;
• a coupling connected to the bottom end of the drain tool fitting, said coupling being adapted to be connected to the top end of the dip-tube and to be connected to the port in the top of the tank.