Well me being the smart guy that I am I thought I would drain the hot water heater, to get all the calcium and stuff out right. So I hook up the garden hose and turn it on go out side and see how much junk I am getting out of it.
Cold water, I go back inside and test the hot water in the kitchen and its hot. Go back outside and its cold, I never clamed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer but you cant tell me the hot water heater is draining with cold water coming out. Like a idiot I crawl around and look and there is no other place to drain the tank WTH

That's a weird one...

 

Two hot water heaters? Is there another one somewhere else?

 

Pics of the current "hot water heater"?

You are draining the tank from the bottom where the cold water come In at.  So you are draining the tank, however, there will be no hot water coming out.  You should get the calcium out by doing this though.

Why are you guys running "hot water heaters????

 

I just run a "water heater" as my water is cold coming from my well and I like it to be heated before showering etc.  I don't see the need to heat hot water!!    

Correct, hot water rises. Thats why the cold inlet pipe goes to the bottom. I found that out when I installed mine and failed to notice cold and hot on the lines of the heater. Wife wasnt happy with only 3-4 minutes of hot water for her shower. Had one of those here's your sign moments

I'm due to flush both water heaters out here. I've normally get a bit of mud from the well from spring runoff. But MoparTech is right the cold water flows into the bottom of the tank so the hot water is rising to the top and still feeding the house. But the drain is at the bottom so it will nearly always run cold water. I typically cut the water supply to it and drain it completely out and the turn the water on to allow the force of the water hopefully to stir the junk in the bottom up and drain out.

Hot water does rise, but they heat from the bottom. There shouldn't be but a few degrees difference, and IIRC the thermostat is in the bottom too.

Hot water does rise, but they heat from the bottom. There shouldn't be but a few degrees difference, and IIRC the thermostat is in the bottom too.

That is true, but there is a dip tube on the cold inlet side that forces the cold water to the bottom of the tank and the heated water outlet has no dip tube.

That is true, but there is a dip tube on the cold inlet side that forces the cold water to the bottom of the tank and the heated water outlet has no dip tube.

Just had to replace my dip tube.

 

A broken dip tube makes it so you will only get about a third the hot water you used to get.

 

It's so the cold water does not get near the outlet side/ goes to the bottom of the tank.

 

I think quite a few people may not even know their dip tube is broken. Thinking the WH has always been that way.

 

A new tube costs very little, but need a nice set of channel locks to get at it inside the inlet nipple. WH factory gets those pretty tight.

 

It's always best to get a new  longer nipple anyway because the WH manufacturers can make putting in a new dip tube  almost impossible on their nipple. Some have a bit of water restriction inside the nipple. So all new is best.

Edited April 10, 201411 yr by JAG1

I have used the spigot on my hot water heater in winter and the water is indeed hot.

only time you'll get  'hot'  out of the   bottom of the tank is  to     put your  'hose' on the  drain bib,  and   shut off  the  cold  intake, 

 

THEN   go upstairs and  open  a hot water faucet... (lets  air  in,  water out)    Turn off the electricity  before  draining.

 

 

You won't be able to   push  water  up and  outside  like you did..  but  if you have  a  basement  drain   it  will  drain out.

 

I   always figured  the  cold  went clear to the bottom of the tank,  so   it had a chance to  temper a little  before  'hitting' the  heating element.

 

I'd bet  the first  couple gallons  that came out was hot,  but  by the time you got outside,  it  was  long gone... and  the cold  water  that  came in  the bottom of the tank  was  going  right  out the  drain bib.

Edited April 11, 201411 yr by rancherman

only time you'll get  'hot'  out of the   bottom of the tank is  to     put your  'hose' on the  drain bib,  and   shut off  the  cold  intake, 

 

THEN   go upstairs and  open  a hot water faucet... (lets  air  in,  water out)    Turn off the electricity  before  draining.

 

 

You won't be able to   push  water  up and  outside  like you did..  but  if you have  a  basement  drain   it  will  drain out.

 

I   always figured  the  cold  went clear to the bottom of the tank,  so   it had a chance to  temper a little  before  'hitting' the  heating element.

 

I'd bet  the first  couple gallons  that came out was hot,  but  by the time you got outside,  it  was  long gone... and  the cold  water  that  came in  the bottom of the tank  was  going  right  out the  drain bib.

 

I am going to respectfully disagree, based 100% on experience. I have used the spigot for washing road ice off of cars and even in 30° weather it's still too hot to touch after many minutes of operation.

 

There is no cold water in the bottom of the tank, even the cold water that enters the bottom of the tank mixes with the hot water instantly (hot and cold water are not like oil/water).

 

The thermostat is in the bottom of the tank, as is the heating apparatus. The water coming out the bottom will be hot (not quite as hot as the top, but still hot).

 

I have done this on at least 3 different hot water heaters with the same results, hot water out the bottom.. not cold.

No problem John!   I    had  a  couple of   heaters    where  I  tried to tap  a  garden hose  into for  a  quick  hot  wash...  and  only got  cold... or  barely warm at  the  best...   I  figured  at the time  the   intake  down pipe  was  really close to the   drain bib, and    the  intake  water was  running  out the  drain bib   in  a  straight  line  shot....   very little mixing.    I  figured  most  WH's  were  typical.

 

 

Geez,   thinking back,   they  were  propane heaters  to boot...    I'm not sure if  those  would have different  configurations  on the  inlets...    I do remember  hearing about  electric's  having an  anode/cathode  for  sacrificial  corrosion..     (When I lived in  eastern Iowa,   our  well water  ate  WH's  for lunch)

 

LOL<   If  I could  'trust'  my  plastic  hose  drain,   I'd  run downstairs  right now  and see if  my  50 gallon  electric  will  give me  hot or cold!   (I've  had   a  bad  experience  with  those  things!!   don't ask!)

I went out to see how much hot water I could get out before it went cold and then remembered my 2nd chest freezer still blocks it.

 

I am guessing, like you mentioned, it depends completely on design/brand. I have had it work well with 2 Natural Gas heaters and 1 Propane.