I have a 40 gallon GE gas water heater tank (purchased at Home Depot 2
years ago) that has a plastic drain on it. The problem is that it
drains very slow--takes 5 hours or more to fully drain. I removed the
valve to examine it and it has a tapered nylon (?) plug with two
rubber rings on it and a small hole through it where the water would
drain. The inside end does not have traditional threads. Is there a
replacement for this valve? How is the home owner supposed to flush
this tank on a regular basis? I'm in east TN where the water has a
lot of calcium in it.