Last month we showed up for a water heater removal in Boise, in a garage off Five Mile Road. The homeowner told us the tank was already empty because they'd opened the drain valve the night before. About two gallons came out, then nothing.

When we tipped it, it sloshed. Close to 30 gallons were still in there, sitting on a thick layer of mineral gunk that had plugged the valve solid.

That happens a lot around here. Our water is hard, tanks fill up with sediment, and draining one usually takes more than hooking up a hose and walking away. Here's what to know before the old one comes out.

Why water heater removal in Boise gets messy

Treasure Valley water carries a lot of calcium and magnesium. When it heats up, those minerals drop out and settle at the bottom of the tank. Give it 10 or 12 years and you can end up with several inches of crusty sediment.

That buildup causes two problems. It clogs the drain valve, and it adds real weight. We've pulled 50-gallon tanks out of homes in Nampa and Kuna that felt closer to 200 pounds empty because of what was caked in the bottom.

The other thing people forget? A lot of older tanks have cheap plastic drain valves. Crank on one too hard and it snaps off, and now water is pouring out and you can't shut it off.

How much does an old water heater weigh?

This part surprises people. A tank that's still full of water is a completely different animal than one that's been drained.

Tank type	Roughly empty	Roughly full of water
40-gallon tank	100-130 lbs	430-460 lbs
50-gallon tank	120-150 lbs	540-570 lbs
80-gallon electric tank	180-220 lbs	850+ lbs
Tankless unit	20-40 lbs	About the same

Those empty weights don't count sediment, either. On an old tank, that can add a surprising amount.

So no, you're not walking a half-full 50-gallon tank out of a utility closet. Nobody is. It has to be drained first, or at least drained as far as it'll go.

Draining the tank before it gets hauled

If you're comfortable doing it yourself, draining the tank ahead of time makes the job go faster. Here's the order we'd follow:

Shut off the power. Flip the breaker on an electric tank, or turn the gas control knob to off.
Close the cold water supply valve at the top of the tank.
Let it cool for a few hours, or overnight if you can. That water will burn you.
Hook a garden hose to the drain valve and run it to a floor drain or somewhere outside that can handle it.
Open a hot water faucet in the house so air can get in and the tank actually drains.
Open the drain valve slowly.

If it trickles and quits, sediment is probably blocking the valve. Try opening the cold supply for a few seconds to stir things up, then close it again.

Sometimes that knocks the clog loose. Sometimes it doesn't.

Heads up: On a gas water heater, the gas line has to be shut off and properly capped before anyone disconnects the tank. Don't just unscrew the flex line and hope it's fine. If you're not sure how to do that safely, have a licensed plumber handle it, and call Intermountain Gas right away if you ever smell gas.

People ask us all the time who's supposed to unhook what. For water heaters it's simple: we haul, we don't plumb.

And if yours just won't drain? Mention it when you call. A tank with a snapped or plugged valve can still come out, but it takes more time and some planning about where the water goes, so the price may be a bit higher.

What water heater removal in Boise costs

First, doesn't the plumber take the old one? Often, yes. If a plumber is putting in your new water heater, hauling off the old tank is usually part of the quote or a small add-on, so ask before they leave.

But plenty of times it doesn't work out that way. Maybe you swapped it yourself over the weekend and the old one's sitting in the garage. Maybe you went tankless and the installer left the old 50-gallon behind.

Or maybe you bought a house in Meridian and there's a dead spare tank in the side yard that the last owner never dealt with. We see all three a lot, and that's when calling a crew for appliance removal makes sense.

For a single drained tank that's easy to get to, like one in a garage or a ground-floor closet, you're usually looking at around $85 to $150 in the Boise area.

Basement installs, tight closets, oversized tanks, and tanks that won't drain all cost more. If other stuff is going too, like the old washer or a pile of boxes, bundling it into one trip usually brings the per-item price down.

Can you haul it yourself? Sure. Yes, we'd love the job, but honestly, with a truck and a strong friend it's very doable.

The Ada County Landfill out at Hidden Hollow takes appliances, and since the tank is mostly steel, a scrap yard like Western Recycling will take it too. You'll need a dolly, a second person, and a couple of ratchet straps.

Just don't expect much from the scrap yard. A 120-pound steel tank is worth a few bucks at best, which barely covers your gas.

When we pick one up, the tank goes to metal recycling with the rest of our scrap. It doesn't just get buried at the landfill.

The bottom line

Water heater removal isn't complicated, but it's heavy and it's wet. Get the power or gas shut off, drain it as far as you can, and don't be surprised if Boise's hard water fights you on that last bit.

If you'd rather not wrestle it out yourself, give us a call at (208) 593-2877 or take a look at our appliance removal service. Tell us the tank size and where it's sitting, and we'll give you a straight price. No pressure either way.