178 Water Heater Access

dsmiths - I remove the small batteries, too, and make sure the big battery is disconnected.  I'll add that to the list, thanks for the reminder.

The low point drains, one for hot and one for cold, are usually almost behind the street-side wheel, directly under the kitchen sink/water pump area.  You should drain then before putting the antifreeze in.  If you didn't you will probably be okay.  Some people never open the low point drains. They are like little appendices on the water system.  Little dead ends.  If you don't open them they will have water in them, but antifreeze will mix in and they are okay.  In addition, they are made out of PEX, and probably won't break anyway.

If you open them now most of your antifreeze will run out on the ground.

TT

Yup, just open them up when you find them and the little bit of water left will run out and you'll be ok.

Oh, and you may want to open the sink valves first to be sure there is no residual pressure in the lines.  The water system in my Salem is so well sealed it will literally hold full pressure for weeks... and you don't want to be sprayed by that sticky pink stuff.

Open the outside hot water panel. I drain the hw tank by unscrewing the large plug in lower center. Doing that will also let you check the condition of the sacrificial anode. They may only last two seasons.