water heater

[Tractorat]

Ive been thinking about replacing the water heater in my 1988 tt. I'm an hunter, fisherman, and camper. Not an rv'er like a lot of you are. So, it isnt and doesnt have to be perfect.

I dont drink the water out of my fresh water tank. The only think I use it for is to flush the toilet, shower, and wash dishes.

The hot water has a lot of sediment in it. As I say, Im think about just having the tank replaced. But the guy at the rv place sold me a wand that attaches to a hose. It is narrow with a sharp bend on the end, and is meant to blast water at the bottom of the tank where the sediment resides.

Just wondered if anyone has tried one of these gadgets with any success. Or if maybe there is some kind of solution that you might pre soak the tank with before flushing.

If it doesnt work, Ill just end up replacing the tank. But the wand is a lot cheaper.

 

[B.G. Smith]

I have made up a device which goes on the end of a garden hose and has 1/4" copper tubing on the end. It works pretty good. I usually drain my heater when I'm not using for a while. The crap that i see in mine is mostly from the anode rod that screws into the drain. bg

 

[Tractorat]

Thanks,
Yeh, evidently my hot water tank is an Atwood (or something like that) and does not have an anode. The sediment comes from the inside of the tank being slowly eaten away over the years. Your device sounds kind of like the "wand" that I bought at the rv store. Same idea anyway.

 

[mwilson]

Can you replace the standard drain plug with the anode style??? I've seen them for Atwood brand water heaters in the RV stores before.

I drain my hot water tank several times a season and wipe the anode rod down while I'm waiting for the tank to finish draining....I'm on my second anode rod / drain plug unit over the course of 10 years.

 

[Tractorat]

Dont know. But what causes the sediment in my type of water heater evidently is the lining of the tank.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Thanks,
Yeh, evidently my hot water tank is an Atwood (or something like that) and does not have an anode. The sediment comes from the inside of the tank being slowly eaten away over the years. Your device sounds kind of like the "wand" that I bought at the rv store. Same idea anyway.

According to info I have found, only Suburban water heaters use the anode rod. (because of steel tank) Atwood has aluminum tank. bg

 

[mwilson]

I knew that I had seen them, maybe Atwood has offered both steel and aluminum tanks over the years???

http://www.camco.net/Products/Item?prodID=10625#.VejWovlVg6w

 

[mwilson]

Read some of the comments below the video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKg0R9oiMP0

 

[Tractorat]

Thanks mwilson, very imformative.

 

[crispyboy]

I have one of the wands for our Atwood hot water tank. It seems to work as advertised. Two years ago my sister purchased a travel trailer and did not flush the hot water tank before hand. After getting the water system up and running the sediment clogged the faucets and I had to take them apart and clean everything. I try to flush once or twice a year.

Side note: - why don't you use the on-board water tank for drinking? Bleach does wonders for keeping things clean.

 

[mwilson]

I have one of the wands for our Atwood hot water tank. It seems to work as advertised. Two years ago my sister purchased a travel trailer and did not flush the hot water tank before hand. After getting the water system up and running the sediment clogged the faucets and I had to take them apart and clean everything. I try to flush once or twice a year.

Side note: - why don't you use the on-board water tank for drinking? Bleach does wonders for keeping things clean.

I don't know about anywhere else in the country, but up here you don't drink water when hunting.....if you could fill that water tank full of beer now we're talking Maine hunting...

 

[Tractorat]

Side note: - why don't you use the on-board water tank for drinking? Bleach does wonders for keeping things clean.

The tt is almost 30 years old and I just dont trust it. Not matter how much you flush it, it is made of plastic. And you just never know. Its probably OK. But I would just as soon not come down with a case of beaver fever if I can help it.

 

[mwilson]

Beaver Fever?? That must be what we would call the "Trotts"....?

 

[Tractorat]

Beaver Fever?? That must be what we would call the "Trotts"....? [/QUOTE

YES !!!:-laf
Back in the days when I used to back pack up in the mountains you could always get a drink of cool fresh water from the alpine lakes and mountain streams. (Just as long as a bear hadnt pooped a few yards upstream in the last 20 minutes :-laf)

But that was back in the days when you could back pack and be by yourself. But then it got popular (especially when the califorkers and new forkers started moving in). They take their dogs etc and let them pee and poop in and near the water. If you take an unfiltered drink now, you are really asking to be carried out, not walking on your own.

Anyway, that condition (in the mountains) came to be known as beaver fever.

 

[MLee]

Made my own rinse tool as mentioned, use it the same, couple times a year. Had a 87 TT for 20 yrs and used the fresh water tank also a Atwood, to drink from. Course I maintained it with Bleach as mentioned to sanitize and DE-bug, used my tap water so I new it was treated for use. But look at it this way, you wash your dishes with it,, and shower with it,,, and what ever else. Why not drink it? any way your choice.
Mike you better stay in Maine to Hunt with all that BEER!! OR have someone lock the Door, keep you in side. Thats when sound shots ring out cause your seeing double.

 

[mwilson]

My preference would be pre-mixed White Russians coming from the tap........:-laf