Hot water heater... Drain after every trip?

Jack_Diane_Freedom wrote:
I fill mine when I dewinterize in the spring and drain it when I winterize in the fall.

Me too!

kastagire wrote:
Sound guy, The threads on mine are aluminum and the plug is nylon, so there is very little chance of damaging the threads.... Also, what do you mean by pressureizing the system?

You bet the threads on that nylon Atwood plug will deteriorate the more times you use it, ergo the reason every RV dealer keeps a 2-plug pack of Atwood replacements in stock. Those who own a Suburban can also easily damage the threads on the anode rod AND tank, which is especially annoying because Suburban doesn't sell just replacement tanks as does Atwood. As for pressurizing I've already explained it ... filling the system with water and purging it of air pressurizes it so when the pump runs it's only pushing water through the faucets. Some do choose to empty their water heater tank after each trip but it's nothing more than a make work exercise ... your choice. ;)

rhagfo wrote:
:h :h :h

Not sure what you mean by "depressurizing" the water system.

When we go out after having drained the hot water tank, I simply open the pressure relief valve, and turn on the city water, takes about 2 to 3 minutes to fill. When water starts coming out the pressure relief valve I close it.

Use that water pressure relief valve too often and it'll leak like a sieve, the only solution being to replace it ... I never use mine. Secondly, what you do think you're doing when you refill the system with water? - displacing all the air with water and pressurizing the system so when the pump runs it's not pushing air, just water. If you're using your rig on any regular basis and the quality of water is good there's absolutely no need to empty the system after each trip. :)

Thanks for the tips and advice everyone!!!

Sound guy, The threads on mine are aluminum and the plug is nylon, so there is very little chance of damaging the threads.... Also, what do you mean by pressureizing the system? All I've done so far is hook up the city water, then open the faucets, and then turn on the water and let it run. I get a couple bursts of air, then steady water flow. Is there something else Imshould be doing?

Bionic man, thanks for the tip, that is definitely a better way than popping the water heater plug... It's located right near the electric and cable and so forth, so I'd rather avoid dumping a ton of water over those connections if I can avoid it.

So how long would be too long to let the water sit in the tank? We are going to try to go camping at least once a month and sometimes twice a month... If it sits for two or three weeks will that cause a problem or get stale?

I never used to drain mine, then I got some sulphur smelling water that coincided with my wife getting sick and bringing a premature close to our camping season.

Next camping season it smelled HORRIBLE as a result.

Now what I do is open my low point drains to drain the water out of my lines. Then I open the hot water valve in the bathroom. Then I open the pressure relief valve of my water heater. It takes 10 or 15 minutes, but it drains all the water out of my water heater without fiddling with the drain on the heater itself.

No more stinky water, no worry about old water, no extra hassle.

I drain mine same as at home, never.
But then I do not winterize either.

Lantley wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
Whenever you drain the water heater tank you're also de-pressurizing the system so obviously the next time you want to use it you have to go through the annoying routine of re-pressurizing. I long ago decided I wasn't going to do this so I fill and pressurize the trailer's water system at the beginning of the season and it remains that way until I winterize in the late fall. Another downside to draining that WH tank after each camping trip is the chances of damaging the tank threads are much more likely. Solution - just don't do it as there's no need. ;)

This^^^, If you camp regularly there is no need to drain tank,unless you are filling it from a funky source like a bad well that produces stinky water.
If the the filling source is chlorinated or known to be clean there is no need to drain each trip.
Draining each trip should not harm anything,but it's not necessarily beneficial and in the end the draining just creates more work.

:h :h :h

Not sure what you mean by "depressurizing" the water system.

When we go out after having drained the hot water tank, I simply open the pressure relief valve, and turn on the city water, takes about 2 to 3 minutes to fill. When water starts coming out the pressure relief valve I close it.

Draining after every trip will prolong the life of the anode rod, but that's about the only advantage I can think of. Anode rods aren't expensive, either. I always did it just at season's end, when winterizing.

SoundGuy wrote:
Whenever you drain the water heater tank you're also de-pressurizing the system so obviously the next time you want to use it you have to go through the annoying routine of re-pressurizing. I long ago decided I wasn't going to do this so I fill and pressurize the trailer's water system at the beginning of the season and it remains that way until I winterize in the late fall. Another downside to draining that WH tank after each camping trip is the chances of damaging the tank threads are much more likely. Solution - just don't do it as there's no need. ;)

This^^^, If you camp regularly there is no need to drain tank,unless you are filling it from a funky source like a bad well that produces stinky water.
If the the filling source is chlorinated or known to be clean there is no need to drain each trip.
Draining each trip should not harm anything,but it's not necessarily beneficial and in the end the draining just creates more work.