Getting all the water out of the water heater

[just_me]

When you drain your water heater, and get ready to winterize your rig, do you remove ALL the water out of the water heater? There is usually about 1/2 gal or so left in it. There will not be any damage to the water heater if not drained because there is room for the ice to expand. Hence the question, is it worth while to get all the water out?
Or it was never considered?

[alfredmay]

Bobbo,

Water causes rust and oxidation. Steel rusts, aluminum oxidizes. Water heater tanks fail because there is water in them. If there never was any water in a tank it would probably last 50 years. Get all the water out and your tank will last longer.

[Bobbo]

I'm with the camp that says the little bit left in the water heater won't hurt anything.

I have the kind of heater that does not have an anode rod so the earlier description does not apply.

[alfredmay]

I drain all the water out. It has nothing to do with freeze damage but everything to do with the tank rusting out.

Many years ago I went to an RV clinic put on by my local dealer. The tech kad a water heater cut in half. This heater was about 10 years old and the tank had failed. The bottom 10% of the tank was rotten...... the top 90% looked good.

Think about this. When not using the RV you have water and air in the tank for half the year. The water is below the anode rod, so the rod will not work. This is a terrible situation for the water heater tank. My best guess is that almost all of the water heater tank damage occurs at the water line. Get all the water out for this reason.

[fj12ryder]

I pull the anode rod plug and let it drain. I leave the plug out for the winter and put in a loose fitting piece of foam to keep the buts out. It's worked so far.

[dclark1946]

robsouth wrote:
Don't leave the drain plug out unless you want bugs in your hot water tank.

Been leaving our drain plug out after every camping trip for 15 years and never had a problem. I take the plug out the morning of the last planned day on the road. It helps get a little more water out when the trailer is being towed due to the road crown.

Our current trailer is seven years old. If I have to replace the WH now I figure I got my money's worth.

Dick

[SeaDog_BRR]

I drain the potable water, water heater(don't worry about the little left in there), black and gray tanks, then bypass the whtr and blow low pressure air thru the supply system with all faucets open including the toilt bowl and then poor pink RV stuff in the traps and some in the toilet and gray tank so the valves will have antifreeze against them. Haven't had a problem yet in the cold ID winters.

[tenbear]

I do as pianotuna and CloudDriver do, siphon the water out. I have, in the past, found some foreign matter suspended in the water so this takes care of that. I am always surprised at how much water is left in the heater.

[ernie1]

To get the last little bit of water out of the bottom of the water heater, I remove the anode(Suburban water heater), flush the inside with a wand, roll up a very thin towel or napkin so that it is small enough to fit through the anode hole and back into the bottom of the water heater and let it sit there with the rest of the towel or napkin hanging down and over the outside edge. Through capillary action, by the next day or so, most if not all of the water on the bottom of the heater has been removed. If there is any water left at all,it'll dry quickly.

[Jack_Diane_Free]

I like the turkey baster idea. I use one now to change the oil in my Honda 2000 generator and a different one to top up the batteries.

[tarnold]

I use a turkey baster with a short piece of hose to suck out the last bit of water. This also sucks out the bits of anode rod that don't come out with flushing. Only 1$ at dollar store.

[CloudDriver]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

I do use a plastic tube to siphon as much water out of the heater as I can.

I do this as well, although I agree that there is close to zero chance of freeze damage from the quart or so that remains in the curved bottom of the heater.

[korbe]

After I drain the water heater and with the plug still out, I pump the pink stuff toward the tank just for a second or two to fill the short section of line at the tank. I will then switch the bypass valve and I am done with the tank except I will place the drain plug back in a couple of turns to keep out things. I also tie a bit of red flagging on the exterior tank access door to remind me that the plug is not tight.

[MFL]

I use a small shop vac, with a short piece of small tubing, necked down with duct tape. It gets the last of the water, in about 2 seconds.

I put the anode back in, which will now stay dry, over the winter.

Jerry

[Jack_Diane_Free]

robsouth I guess it is the difference in where we live. No bugs in winter in the freezing north. Had -2C here last night so bugs are all gone.