|
04-28-2014, 07:12 AM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Berkley
Posts: 751
|
New question about water...what do you do AFTER a trip?
So we went on our first trip this weekend. Everything went well and had a great time despite the crappy weather.
The question is do you drain your HW tank after each trip? I drained the FW tank of whatever was left in there and put the cap back on to keep critters out, but I left the HW tank alone as well as the other low point drains.
Should I have opened all the low point drains and the HW tank as well? We will be going back out again end of next month, but is there any reason good or bad to drain or keep water in the HW tank while its in storage?
I have an atwood HW tank so it has a plastic drain plug not an anode rod. I am not even sure if I could get an anode rod in there due to the other stuff around the drain plug itself.
__________________
2022 Ford F150 3.5 Ecoboost SCrew 4x4 MaxTow
2020 Salem Hemisphere Hyper-Lyte 25RBHL
|
|
|
04-28-2014, 07:20 AM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 798
|
I've read that the Atwood's don't need an anode rod - the tank somehow takes care of it. The one thing you shouldn't do is turn it on until it's full as it can destroy the heating element.
I drained my tank and my lines since it would be at least 2 weeks in-between trips. I opened the low point drains after the water had cooled enough and then opened the heater drain at home while I was doing my recovery cleaning. I put the drain plug and low-point caps back on before stowing the camper until the next trip.
__________________
Current:
'17 Winnebago Vista 31BE / Wife, pesky Eski and loco Toto dog
Former:
'15 Open Range 256BHS / '05 F350 CCLB RWD V10
'14 Keystone Passport 238ML / '13 GC Trailhawk Hemi
RIP Birch (pitbull)
|
|
|
04-28-2014, 08:16 AM
|
#3
|
Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Fraser Valley BC Canada
Posts: 7,015
|
I usually drain the FW tank and that is it. The low point drains are left closed and the HW tank untouched. Your Atwood HW heater does not require an anode since the tank lining is made from a different material than a Suburban. I'd leave the plastic drain plug in. I don't like leaving the tank empty because there is always the possibility of me plugging into shore power and my forgetting to turn off the electricity at the tank. Now who would do such a dumb thing?
__________________
2008 Cougar 5th Wheel 27RKS
2005 2500 GMC Duramax
|
|
|
04-28-2014, 08:35 AM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 1,910
|
I open my low point drains, but I'm not sure why I even do that. We always camp where there are HUs, so my FW tank is never used and the HW tank has never been drained. I never thought about it but Festus makes a good point. Sometimes DW forgets to turn off he WH when we are packing up, and I have plugged the trailer in at the storage yard not thinking about the tank. We always carry water for drinking and cooking, so I'm not even really concerned about sanitizing the lines. I figure the next time we hook up, the water lines will be cleaned well enough to shower and I have never noticed any smell coming from the water through the pipes.
__________________
2011 Outback 277RL
2013 F250 XLT Crew Cab 6.2L
Bitter Gun Owner
Bitter Clinger
Armed Infidel
|
|
|
04-28-2014, 08:55 AM
|
#5
|
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Central Texas Hill Country
Posts: 95
|
I was out looking at my trailer in the storage lot last season, when I heard a noise and walked over to another stored trailer to find they had left the hot water heater running. They were most grateful when they were alerted to this. I've never, however, emptied my HW heater unless I'm putting the trailer up for the winter, or I'm not going to use it for several months. I can see the WH red light through the front window in case I forgot.
__________________
2011 F250 6.7 Powerstroke Diesel
2013 Keystone Cougar Xlite 30fkv
Holding steady with a Hensley Arrow Hitch
wife, son, new dog, me
|
|
|
04-28-2014, 07:18 PM
|
#6
|
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Milwaukee'ish, WI
Posts: 54
|
I'm new to this as well and was told to put a little water in the FW tank so after dumping the Black & Grey tanks I have a little something to add (via toilet) when adding the treatment to the black tank. Then I was told open FW drain before pulling out & always leave it open.
I'm still wondering about any required treatment to Grey and FW tanks though
__________________
2003 FORD EXCURSION 7.3L
2012 FORD F-250 LARIAT 6.7L
2007 JAYCO 1207
2009 LOFT -HOPEFULLY-
|
|
|
04-28-2014, 07:54 PM
|
#7
|
Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Fraser Valley BC Canada
Posts: 7,015
|
I pour a couple of gallons of water mixed with Calgon into both Grey tanks. While there isn't much likelihood of any "crud" building up in the shower/bathroom sink grey tank there are tiny food particles that may get left behind in the kitchen galley grey tank even after dumping. To ensure that the these two tanks are "clean and fresh", add water and a bit of chemical if you use that. Water softener and a bit of detergent do the same thing.
If you pull the plug on your FW tank leaving it empty I am wondering why it would need treating? The only way of "treating" it would be to fill it with water and add a bleach solution to the tank and let it sit. Then you would have to drain this and flush it out again. I don't think that this sanitizing is necessary between every trip.
__________________
2008 Cougar 5th Wheel 27RKS
2005 2500 GMC Duramax
|
|
|
04-29-2014, 08:18 PM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Green Valley, AZ
Posts: 782
|
I only drain the hot water tank when I'm going to winterize. Otherwise I don't touch it. Nor do I drain the FW tank unless it is to winterize it. Never have had a problem with it.
__________________
Earl
2007 33.5' Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel used for full-timing for several years--now sold
2011 Hideout 23RKSWE that we now use for poking around local parks
2007 Chevy 3/4 ton diesel with Prodigy Brake Control
|
|
|
04-30-2014, 08:21 AM
|
#9
|
Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
|
Water is "stored" in pools in the ground for days, weeks and months with no ill effect. If you think about it, when you go on a 2 week vacation, the water in your home HWH, water softener, toilets, plumbing lines sits "stagnant" for the duration. None of us drain our home appliances before leaving, an RV is essentially a "small home" and other than the "holding tanks" has much the same service systems.
That being said, we drain at the end of the season when we winterize, empty the holding tanks at the end of each trip (so we don't tow waste water home) and leave the water in the fresh water tank and just top it off when leaving for another trip. I suppose if we were to not use it for over 30 days or so, I'd probably drain the FWT, but not the HWH.
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
|
|
|
04-30-2014, 09:49 AM
|
#10
|
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 45
|
I have always drained every tank possible just to make sure all water is fresh on the next trip. Also..no water on board..no extra weight...I know 6 gallons isn't much...but every little bit adds up.
__________________
https://www.keystonerv.org/forums/pic...pictureid=2777
2014 Keystone Passport 2920BH
2005 GMC Yukon 5.3L 3.42 ratio with trans cool and
Heavy Duty Tow Package
Pro Series WD Hitch with Dual Sway Bars.
Previous trailer was 2006 Fleetwood Orbit hybrid 20'
|
|
|
05-03-2014, 06:07 PM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: MA
Posts: 3,153
|
We do not use FW tank, we dump black and grey at the site. Leave hooked up to water until tanks are flushed and hands washed. HW tank stays full from April to Nov.
__________________
2013 Premier 31BHPR
2014 F350 6.2L
Soon to be just DW and I
|
|
|
05-06-2014, 12:06 PM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Shelby Twp
Posts: 235
|
We always empty our HWT. We encountered an evil smell one year in our older trailer and found it to be from the HWT. It was an Atwood with just the plug (this was a 1999 Mallard) the smell was awful so since then we drain the HWT.
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|