How often to drain and flush water heater

I drain ours after every trip and flush out the tank with a small hose attachment made for the purpose and then leave the anode out until I fill the tank again. After 11 years no odor, no sludge and the original anode lasted 8 years.

tomman58 wrote:
I don't do the one in my home or trailer. We do winterize and flush out system twice a year though.

Unless you have a self cleaning Water Heater in your house, it is smart to drain once a year to get rid of the sediment build up that stays on the bottom and corrodes the tank. THAT is what causes premature failure of Home water heaters. Doug

I don't do the one in my home or trailer. We do winterize and flush out system twice a year though.

Sagecoachdriver wrote:
I was thinking about the time we went camping with friends and their hot water stunk. What keeps the water heater from becoming a science project? Can't be chlorine for me as my MH has a filter system right next to the water pump. That's why I'm asking.

Either exchange of water or chemicals keep it in check. Mine was nasty when I bought it and couldn't get rid of the odor until I filled the water heater with vinegar for a couple days and flushed.

dclark1946 wrote:
Every time you you drain the water heater you get some of the deposits out.

And every time you drain that water heater you later have to re-pressurize it. :M Going through this nonsense once at the beginning of the season is enough for me so like many others I sanitize, fill, and pressurize the trailer's water system in the spring and it remains that way until I winterize in late fall.

I was thinking about the time we went camping with friends and their hot water stunk. What keeps the water heater from becoming a science project? Can't be chlorine for me as my MH has a filter system right next to the water pump. That's why I'm asking.

I drain ours after every camping trip. The amount of stuff on the anode rod after even a few days of camping is enough to motivate me. Every time you you drain the water heater you get some of the deposits out. Every once in a while I used the little curved hose made to help flush RV water heaters.

Dick

I drain ours after every camping trip. The amount of stuff on the anode rod after even a few days of camping is enough to motivate me. Every time you you drain the water heater you get some of the deposits out. Every once in a while I used the little curved hose made to help flush RV water heaters.

Dick

I would do it once a month. It all depends on the quality of the water that is being used. Suburbans, will tell you by the condition of the Anode rod. Atwoods will tell just by the amount of calcium/white debris that flows out. Doug

Do it once a year when I winterize.