Winterizing Water Heater

[tgl]

Hi All-- have read previous winterizing threads. My question is about the about the HW heater, and the process in general. So, if I drain pipes as much as possible, and drain the WH heater as well, then I shut all down, attach my 6 gal Porter-Gable compressor to an outside hose bib with the adapter, set pressure at 60 lbs, then wait for pressure to build up? how long? how will I know when to open taps? is it when the compressor holds at 60 psi? how long will it take to pressurize an average-size (40-50 gal) HW heater (I have a small, one bath cottage)?

Thanks!

 

[Reach4]

I have not done it, but here is how I would imagine it.

I would open taps, including the water heater drain, using gravity first. Flush toilets. Suck/sop water from toilets and tanks.

I am pretty sure that you don't need 60 PSI. It is going to be air volume more than pressure that determines how long things take. After as much water as could be removed by gravity is gone, I would apply air, and open taps, maybe one at a time, until air comes out and no water. In the end, I would leave the taps open.

Maybe you were going to use pressure on the water heater to drive water up hill through a hose?

Where there is water that you cannot remove, add RV antifreeze per the directions. Then fill bowl bottom to the level it would normally be with water with RV antifreeze. Try to blow water out of traps, and put antifreeze there. I am not sure how the water heater will go -- how you get the anitifreeze in there.

 

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[tgl]

O guess what I'm getting at is, do I have to blow out hot and cold feeds separately (as via laundry faucets), or will enough pressure build in the HW heater, via a garden hose connection, to force water out the hot taps as well.