Do you drain your hot water tank?

[das]

Just wondering if you drain your hot water tank after each trip out or if you leave water in the tank when you will be using it in a couple of weeks? Does this cause any problems with water left in the tank?

[onemilmhz]

My flush tool arrived today, which was perfect because we had just gotten back from a weekend trip in the PU. So I drained, again, and used it to flush the tank out. The amount of white (lime?) deposits that came out of that thing was disturbing! So glad I got the tool seeing how this was the THIRD time in two weeks I've filled and drained the water heater. I also installed a new magnesium anode rod, as Suburban recommends, and we'll see how she does on the next trip. My only complaint about the tool is that it's so cheaply made. A metal wand would be much better and not flex so badly. Not sure how long it will last but for $7 I'm not that concerned.

[Monster9903]

Yup each time.

[diesel_man_03]

We drain ours after every camping trip, easy to do.

[coolbreeze01]

ScottG wrote:
I drain it at the end of the camping season - that's it.

Same here.

[martipr]

I am not full time but my camping season is all year. Twice a year I drain the entire system, flush the hot water heater, and do a through sanitizing. Except when at home any water that goes into my system goes thru a sediment filter and a carbon block filter. I have never had any problem with a smell.

[jbrad13]

We camp year 'round. I drain the water heater and rinse it out with the tool at least once a year when I sanitize the fresh water tank. If I have to winterize; I will drain and rinse the water heater then, too.

[allen8106]

I drain every time just before I leave the camp spot. Personally I don't care to carry around any more weight than I need to. Same goes with all black and gray water tanks. I never haul any water unnecessarily.

[thirtydaZe]

onemilmhz wrote:

What "tool" do you use for this purpose? I ask because I'm in the process of going through a NTU pop up that we've only used twice now. I haven't used the water system yet but on the next trip would like to.

i bought this on amazon yesterday based solely on this thread topic.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XL2IBS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[onemilmhz]

ncrowley wrote:
At least once per year, I drain it and use a tool to flush the sediment in the bottom of the tank. Even through we use water filters and a water softener, there is still a surprising amount of sediment at the bottom of the tank. It takes a little bit of time to flush it all out.

What "tool" do you use for this purpose? I ask because I'm in the process of going through a NTU pop up that we've only used twice now. I haven't used the water system yet but on the next trip would like to.

[ncrowley]

At least once per year, I drain it and use a tool to flush the sediment in the bottom of the tank. Even through we use water filters and a water softener, there is still a surprising amount of sediment at the bottom of the tank. It takes a little bit of time to flush it all out.

[Kittykath]

I drain at the end of the season, but I will drain it first sign of stinky water this year. Still looking for the culprit, and it's not the anode rod.

[K3WE]

wanderingbob wrote:
Been RVing 25 years and ain't never drained one . Why would you drain it , do you also empty the water tank?

Because you have water that doesn't do funny chemistry doesn't mean that other folks don't.

It's not that uncommon to get that rotten-egg, sulfur smell if you have the right minerals in your water. (RV water tank or HOME water tank...it happens in a lot of places in the USA).

...and it's pretty simple to drain the water tank or the hot water tank.

[sayoung]

I do,its one of my only OCD things that I do other than the drains.

[dave17352]

Pretty simple where I live we are on rural water. If you don't drain it and it sits for a couple weeks it will smell like rotten eggs and takes quite a while to get rid of. If my water did not have that problem I would not drain it.