how often do you drain

After e

very trip

wa8yxm wrote:
Well my current RV trip has lasted five years or more so.......

When I'm on water pump (Which is normal in the winter in SC but alas, i'm not in SC) I go by how the water pump runs.. With a fresh drained and refilled heater the pump will run twice when the ice maker cycles.

3 is normal

4 is time to drain the tank.

NOTE this is on mine, yours may be different.

you're running hot water into your icemaker?

what would you attribute the difference in the number of times the water pump runs?

sullivanclan wrote:
Any suggestions on dealing with that water heater smell, almost acidic smell after we just purchased a used class C motorhome? Any help appreciated, I did a search and didn't find anything other than this post. My thought was to remove the drain plug, use of those thin tools attached to a garden house and hose out, and then bleach....

To answer your question --> clicky

noplace2 wrote:
Wow. Nearly 15 years fulltime and 2 rigs. We've NEVER drained the WH. Oh, the shame!

I would assume that if you fulltime then the water is constantly being used, hence no need to drain it. The issue is for people that don't constantly use the water heater and potentially have stagnant water sitting for weeks or months at a time.

Wow. Nearly 15 years fulltime and 2 rigs. We've NEVER drained the WH. Oh, the shame!

My WH doesn't have check valves. If I open the cold low point drain and one of the hot side faucets the WH will drain. Slowly, but it will drain.

spoon059 wrote:


Something interesting about my new Jayco, I guess it has some type of one way valve on the water heater and the tank won't open just by opening the hot water line. If I open the pressure relief valve, the water comes dumping out though.

Same here, I need to pull open the valve for a strong flow out.

... Eric

Well my current RV trip has lasted five years or more so.......

When I'm on water pump (Which is normal in the winter in SC but alas, i'm not in SC) I go by how the water pump runs.. With a fresh drained and refilled heater the pump will run twice when the ice maker cycles.

3 is normal

4 is time to drain the tank.

NOTE this is on mine, yours may be different.

Halibut214 wrote:
For anyone reading this don't get the idea that opening your hot and cold water drains will drain your tank. If may work for one but unless you have water than runs uphill it does NOT work. Hot water comes out of the top of the tank, not the bottom.

I think you mis-understood his post. Open your low point drains to drain the water. Vacuum will hold the water in the lines. If you open your hot and cold lines, that breaks the vacuum and the water will successfully drain out your low point drains. I do this on every trip home and completely clear out my water lines.

Something interesting about my new Jayco, I guess it has some type of one way valve on the water heater and the tank won't open just by opening the hot water line. If I open the pressure relief valve, the water comes dumping out though.

Halibut214 wrote:

PackerBacker wrote:

chrizg wrote:

cbshoestring wrote:
I open both hot and cold drains as I am packing up. Doesn't completely drain the tank (I am not pulling the drain plug) but it takes most of the water out of the system. I frequently forget to close them, then I leave a trail on the way out of the CG.

Opening the hot/cold drains doesn't take any water out of your water heater..

Yes it does. That's how I drained mine for years with both the Suburban and Atwood units that I have owned.

For anyone reading this don't get the idea that opening your hot and cold water drains will drain your tank. If may work for one but unless you have water than runs uphill it does NOT work. Hot water comes out of the top of the tank, not the bottom.

Actually it is the syphoning effect that does it. Liquids move up and out by atmospheric pressure; just make sure your bypass is not set.