Locate the drain valve on your water heater, which is placed at the bottom of the tank. Yours may look different than what's pictured, sometimes looking like a traditional garden hose spigot

There may already be a drain hose attached to the drain valve that leads to a nearby drain. If not, you can connect a garden hose to the drain valve and drain the water to a nearby floor drain or sink.

To begin draining your water heater, open up the drain valve by rotating the knob counter-clockwise.

If you're just performing maintenance, simply let the water drain for five minutes or so to flush out any sediment buildup.