Beware Camco Water Heater Tank Rinser

Try one of these, you'll have to be extremely patient & lucky, but it beats leaving that thing in there.


https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=mechanical+fingers+pick+up+tool&fr=mcafee&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.shopify.com%2Fs%2Ffiles%2F1%2F0203%2F6660%2Fproducts%2FK4.png%3Fv%3D1511196497#id=3&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2Fimages%2Fi%2F131737371878-0-1%2Fs-l1000.jpg&action=click

Had one of those Camco Water Filler that you attach to your hose then stick down into gravity port to fill fresh water tank

Second time I used it the Tube blew off.....been inside my fresh water tank since 2008

Plastic tube inside your Water Heater????
I can see several issues:
Getting hung up on one of the Dip Tubes
Banging around breaking one of the DIP Tubes
Getting stuck in drain hole and blocking draining of tank

If Suburban ....easy to remove the electric element and give you larger hole to retrieve it from
Same if Atwood ...access not as easy due to element being installed from backside of tank

Either way....I would remove it


CAMCO......CHEAP, JUNK and I refuse to purcahse anything from CAMCO




HINT:
In further to flush water heater
Turn water supply off
Relive System Pressure...open faucet hotside
Remove drain plug
Turn Water Supply ON...FULL
Stand back and let it BLAST out the drain hole

*Cold inlet dip tube points downward and will stir up sediment on bottom of tank

Thank you for the tip, I just bought one. I hope you get it out.

bukhrn wrote:
Try one of these, you'll have to be extremely patient & lucky, but it beats leaving that thing in there.

Thanks. I have ordered one of these. Hope it does the job. Chuck

chuckbear wrote:

bukhrn wrote:
Try one of these, you'll have to be extremely patient & lucky, but it beats leaving that thing in there.

Thanks. I have ordered one of these. Hope it does the job. Chuck

Good Luck, just remember, it's like fishing in the dark, and if it doesn't work, it's always handy around the house for other things.

I would ignore it. it's a plastic tube it's not going to hurt anything.

just leave the plug out, turn on water and plastic piece should work its way to the hole...then grab with some needle nose pliers.

If Atwood drain hole is only 1/2" opening...may be too small to use grabber and pull tube out

Suburban has 3/4" drain hole and MIGHT be able to use grabber

Personally I would remove element ...1" Opening

Plastic....Suburban WH it could get stuck between combustion/exhaust 'U' tube which is STACKED on top of each other.
Plastic up against combustion/exhaust 'U' Tube can melt
Less chance with Atwood due to diagonal 'U' Tube...
Water temps could reach 170*/180*F if T-STAT Fails which could make that cheap plastic very soft/pliable (heck 130*/140*F might also...don't know temp rating of that cheap plastic)

Remove it...be done with it....why leave it to cause problems

Why do ya feel the need to rinse your water heater ? Do you rinse the one in your house ?

Yes, I drain the one in my house every few years to get any rust or other crud out of the bottom of the tank. Have done that routine for about 60 years or so. :E

After a year of use, you would be amazed at what comes out of the water heater if you blast some water around in there. It depends on where you camp and what the quality of the water is in your rig but most campgrounds have relatively hard water which leaves white deposits behind on the heating rods and other parts of the heater.

I have had as much as a whole cup or more of the crud break loose and come out of mine after camping for the summer and then spending the winter in a campground in Florida. I would always clean and drain the water heater before we returned to Michigan in the spring.

I just use the Camco wand with the J bend at the end. It provides a lot of velocity to the water which breaks up the crud inside. Mine is probably 10 or 12 years old and will definitely look at it closely next spring when our trailer is opened up again to be sure the tube is securely fastened.

I also have one of those long wire grippers as was linked. It is used a lot to get coins out of my wifes clothes dryer here at home and have used it for many other purposes also. A must have in anyone's toolbox in my opinion. :)
Barney