Should I be emptying my hot water heater?

[ricks99]

Should I be emptying my hot water heater after each trip? (We're weekenders -- one or two trips each month.)

I haven't been, but now I'm starting to think I should. Will it hurt anything to have the tank sit full, for a few weeks at a time?

If I should empty it each time, just remove the plastic drain plug, right?

[Effy]

On a serious note, you should drain your water heater annually especially if you ever fill it with well water. Our old house was on a well and I would drain and flush our RV water heater annually and you'd be surprised how much sediment it would flush out. Not only can it degrade your WH performance, it can kill the electric element as well as erode your tank. Water heaters on a well last an average of 4-6 years if they don't get flushed. I never drained my house WH and after 5 years it eroded and leaked at the bottom. Had about 25lbs of sediment in the bottom when I rolled it out.

Never mind that a full RV water heater can burst in the winter if it freezes. That reason alone it should be drained as part of winterizing.

[Effy]

troubledwaters wrote:

Effy wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:

Effy wrote:
My system must be different, I don't heat hot water. I only heat the cold water.

Really? What happens when you don't use any hot water for a while and the water in the tank falls below the low temperature set point? Do you drain all the hot water out and replace it so you only heat cold water?

Really?

Does this mean I'm never going to find out how you only heat cold water?
That's a shame cause I was also going to ask if you had propane tanks on your RV.
Cause I got both, a hot water heater and propane tanks.

What in the name of all that's holy are you talking about? It was a joke. :S

[troubledwaters]

Effy wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:

Effy wrote:
My system must be different, I don't heat hot water. I only heat the cold water.

Really? What happens when you don't use any hot water for a while and the water in the tank falls below the low temperature set point? Do you drain all the hot water out and replace it so you only heat cold water?

Really?

Does this mean I'm never going to find out how you only heat cold water?
That's a shame cause I was also going to ask if you had propane tanks on your RV.
Cause I got both, a hot water heater and propane tanks.

[Sam_Spade]

Effy wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:

Effy wrote:
My system must be different, I don't heat hot water. I only heat the cold water.

Really? What happens when you don't use any hot water for a while and the water in the tank falls below the low temperature set point? Do you drain all the hot water out and replace it so you only heat cold water?

Really?

YOU are the one who started this juvenile exchange.
It would be nice if YOU would end it instead of carrying it on.

[ricks99]

Effy wrote:
My system must be different, I don't heat hot water. I only heat the cold water.

Good point... but then again, I'm the type of person who always secures my SSN number and refuses to make deposits at the ATM machine. 😉

[Effy]

troubledwaters wrote:

Effy wrote:
My system must be different, I don't heat hot water. I only heat the cold water.

Really? What happens when you don't use any hot water for a while and the water in the tank falls below the low temperature set point? Do you drain all the hot water out and replace it so you only heat cold water?

Really?

[ktmrfs]

normally you should not need to drain your WH tank. I drain mine in the winter, but other than that it stays full. Now, if you have water with lots of minerals and it smells if sitting for a while, then draining makes sense.

[troubledwaters]

Effy wrote:
My system must be different, I don't heat hot water. I only heat the cold water.

Really? What happens when you don't use any hot water for a while and the water in the tank falls below the low temperature set point? Do you drain all the hot water out and replace it so you only heat cold water?

[Effy]

My system must be different, I don't heat hot water. I only heat the cold water.

[NYCgrrl]

Can't hurt and a good way to maintain and observe your water heater's system IMO.

[mikestock]

Trackrig wrote:
If you forget to refill it and someone turns it on you'll loose the electrical heating element in about a minute.

Bill

I am an expert on this fact. I'm sure you know what it takes to become a real expert.

They sell them (1500w) at Lowes. Mine was under $20, but that was several years ago.

[BobtheFisher]

Trackrig wrote:
No, mine is only emptied when we winterize. If you forget to refill it and someone turns it on you'll loose the electrical heating element in about a minute.

Bill

Ditto

[Lantley]

bikendan wrote:

Lantley wrote:

Get a Barker waste tote tank and you can go for weeks on an electric only site

You still have to get fresh water from somewhere.
Which means shuttling water.

We use a 6 gallon jug.

Agreed. If there is electric fresh water is generally not too far away

[bikendan]

Lantley wrote:

Get a Barker waste tote tank and you can go for weeks on an electric only site

You still have to get fresh water from somewhere.
Which means shuttling water.

We use a 6 gallon jug.