Re: [VACList] hw heater drain 65 safari

["Mr. Joy H. Hansen" <joytbrew@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Bruce,

Bet you have a plug outside of the water heater.  Mine had a valve and a
short length of hose for the purpose.  The newer water heaters have a plug,
but I think it was intended for another purpose, like a "hot shot" or other
auxiliary heater.

I used the pressure relief valve to vent the water heater, then allowed the
water heater to drain back through the cold water drains.  You don't get all
the water out of the tank, but there's so little and not really confined
where there could be damage to the tank from freezing.

So, if you really need to empty the tank, I suppose you could remove the
plug.  The new Atwood I just purchased has a nylon plug.  By removing it, I
could siphon the remaining water out of the tank.

Do you have a bypass for the water heater?  I think this is a critical
plumbing feature and very easy to install.  If I needed to use my Argosy for
a few nice days this winter/spring, I could keep the water heater bypassed,
fill the water tank, and go ahead and  use the trailer.  At home,
winterizing consists of draining the water tank and the water lines.  When
empty, or mostly so, I'll connect a hose from the water pump inlet to a
gallon of RV antifreeze and flood the plumbing.  The purge antifreeze
entering the traps should suffice for freeze damage prevention.  What excess
I pour into the traps will help prevent the gate valves in the tanks from
freezing and causing seal damage.

This is my first real winter, but this is what I've learned so far.  Of
course, I don't really worry about freeze damage to my plumbing as I have
PEX.  The only fixture is the flush valve on the toilet.  It's so fragile
that it hardly survives the treaded plumbing! :(

More than you asked, but .  .  .

                           '69 Safari, Joy