Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. There are several repairs that on an electric water heater that require you to partially or completely drain the water out of the tank. Electric Water Heater - Internal Parts Diagram Water Heater Heater Electric Water Heater This video from sears partsdirect shows how to correctly maintain your electric water heater by regularly draining the tank to flush out sediment. Electric water heater not working after draining . See the article on 'gas hot water heaters' if you don't have an electric heater. Hooked up the hose to the drain valve, and shut off the cold water supply, opened the drain valve and drained the tank empty. Remove the metal plate on the front of your hot water heater, if it's gas operated, and look through the glass panel to see if the pilot light is on. This usually comes as a result of sediment from inside the tank blocking the valve, or as a result of calcium buildup on or aro...