Found in the water heater

Question

Flushing out our new-to-us 2005 Roadtrek with the 6 gallon Suburban gas/elec water heater. Today, after learning that even when dead cold and the rest of the water system is drained, that the water heater will still hold pressure (I needed a shower anyway), I noticed something loose in the bottom of the heater. Fished it out with some needle nose and now I have this:

I'm guessing it some sort of flow diverter, probably to keep the sediment stirred up off the bottom (and this one has plenty! Wondering if the previous owners bathed in sand). In fact, the piece is partially obstructed with sediment.

Is it important? Is it even part of the water heater, or some previous attempt at a flush tool? It's about 2.5 inches long overall, and plastic. It is cracked slightly.

I'm guessing that if it lives inside the tank, that if it was important, it's pretty much serviceable. I haven't been able to find it on any of the parts lists that I've checked.

Thanks!

--Travis

time2roll · Answer

I assume it is a dip tube to direct incoming water to the bottom of the tank as you draw hot water off the top.

dougrainer · Answer

You have a Suburban. The white tube goes to the cold inlet. There is a Black tube connected to the HOT outlet. IF you remove the back water cold input line and the nipple, IF the White input is still there you are OK as Suburban will sometime push one in too far at manufacture and they leave it in there and install another one. IF this is the case, you can shine a light thru the anode rod hole and see if a 2nd was installed, IF NOT, you remove the input water line and the nipple and slide the one in and have it POINT DOWN. when you get it in just use the palm of your hand to gently drive it in flush and then reinstall the threaded nipple and water line. The purpose is to direct the cold water DOWN to prevent uneven mixing of cold and hot. Doug

hondavalk · Answer

smkettner wrote:I assume it is a dip tube to direct incoming water to the bottom of the tank as you draw hot water off the top.X2

gadget_guy1 · Answer

Hondavalk wrote:smkettner wrote:I assume it is a dip tube to direct incoming water to the bottom of the tank as you draw hot water off the top.X2X3, without one it will not work properly. Hopefully you can undo the inlet water connection and refasten it to the fitting so the cold water will enter the bottom of the water heater.

travisd1000 · Answer

Is a dip tube necessary when the cold water already enters at the bottom of the tank? It's basically drum laid on it's side, with hookups at 12 and 6 o'clock. The lowest is the inlet already, so a dip tube isn't going to change much such as you would need for a household water heater where the inlets come in the top.

Or am I missing something?

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