Do you drain Hot Water heater after every trip?

[SteveTN]

Drain when we winterize. Have not had any issues but I also sanitize the system every spring.

[Keebler]

I only drain when I winterize. I am getting two years out of an anode rod; even then, I feel like i am changing it sooner than I need.

[ultramafic]

I drain after every trip to minimize galvanic corrosion.

Fred

We too drain it out after every trip. it doesnt take long to drain or fill up and i give it a good flush before every trip this way. Ours does not have an anode so i installed a drain valve on it to make the process easier. Do I have to drain it who knows but I always do. Also for winterize drain for sure.

Mike

[Gstepp22]

We've only drained ours twice in 3 years. Once when we had the water heater serviced, and one other time.

We've never had a rotten egg smell. In looking up "why does my RV smell like rotten eggs?" the answer was "it's bacteria reacting with magnesium or aluminum anode rods" The article says to use an aluminum-zinc anode. From an article in Truck Camper magazine.

We travel (well, we used to) about once a month. Sometimes for long trips (over 2 weeks up to 2 months).

Funny that I don't have any anode to change or install, but still had the rotten egg smell. It must depend on the water quality. I do use a camco filter each time but probably not good enough to filter out everything. Anyway, I don't mind draining it after each trip. It sure beats the embarrassment of getting to the campground and realizing your camper stinks. I have had some neighbors at the campground pretty upset that I was draining rotten egg smelling water. I'm surprised I didn't get kicked out. [emoji2957]

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[Spartacus]

I don't we use ours about 4 to 5 times and year and I drain it when I winterized.

[huntr70]

Yes, I do.

[Canyonlight]

Saddest day of the year today. Winterized the camper and got it ready for winter storage. My neighbor was doing the same and we got to comparing notes about our processes.

Our winterizing processes were pretty much the same but I found we treat our hot water heaters differently through the season. When I get the camper ready for summer and sanitize the water system, the hot water heater stays full all season long. My neighbor drains his hot water heater after every trip.

In 11 seasons with our previous camper and 2 seasons with the 303RLS, I only drained the water heater at the end of the season. I never noticed that the water smelled bad or anything like that.

Is it better to drain after every use?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Mark

Mark - we have always drained the water heater (with rare exceptions) in all our RVs over the decades. It is quick and easy and a good preventative measure just in case. If one never gets into a sulfur/bacteria water situation, there may not be any issues. However, for us as with many folks, we travel to different locations with differing water quality and have experienced "stinky" water a few times over the years.

Carol is not a real fan of stinky water when washing her face or brushing her teeth !

Dan

[WhittleBurner]

Absolutely not. After 14 years of ownership of my previous mh, flushed it out maybe every 5 years. Drained it once for a repair. If you winterize, you have to drain it.

Your mileage may vary.

Sold.my.mh in Aug, WH going strong, no smells or corrosion.

It's good practice to flush out and use the water heater wand to dislodge sediments that collect at least once a year.

[Unlimitedmatt]

Saddest day of the year today. Winterized the camper and got it ready for winter storage. My neighbor was doing the same and we got to comparing notes about our processes.

Our winterizing processes were pretty much the same but I found we treat our hot water heaters differently through the season. When I get the camper ready for summer and sanitize the water system, the hot water heater stays full all season long. My neighbor drains his hot water heater after every trip.

In 11 seasons with our previous camper and 2 seasons with the 303RLS, I only drained the water heater at the end of the season. I never noticed that the water smelled bad or anything like that.

Is it better to drain after every use?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Mark

I drain mine after every trip. I did install a flexible hose with on/off valve at the end so draining the tank is simple.

[ckreef]

I have a three stage water filter for all water coming into the trailer. I go camping once a month. I do not drain between trips.