we've got a water heater just for our 3rd floor bathroom its a 19 gallon small one and recently it tripped the breaker and the breaker wouldn't reset. Asked my guy, he said 99% of the time its the element when that happens, turns out my multi meter doesn't work so need a new one of those so I couldn't tell for sure, but we risked it for the biscuit, and out of fear of my wife's continued cold shower induced fury (only kidding she actually hasn't really minded), I decided to run to lowes this morning, get the part and the tool and do it myself.

I have a large shower that I was going to run a hose from the drain to in order the drain. After cutting a notch in the pan so as to actually be able to accomplish this, and remember to turn off the supply, I opened the valve to the drain - and nothing. Nothing came out. So we grabbed a five gallon bucket and a couple plastic buckets and held those up at the element opening and we unscrewed that thing thinking oh most of the that water must have gone out in the sinks and shower that have been dripping for like 30 mins - well one 5 gallon bucket in and the thing still drained furiously. After shoving the old busted element back in to hold the flow I reset my containers and committed to just doing the change hot, so while I wasn't the smoothest thing and I got a hole other problem to solve now in the drain not working...

PS anyone have any idea if draining "under pressure" of the water supply being on would potentially get whatever is maybe clogging it to unclogg? I really don't wanna figure out how to get this thing outa my closet and like up to a window or into my shower to drain the dang thing I'm sure its full of buildup and that's the issue. anyone ever shot compressed air up a hose to try and unclogg it?