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Old 03-31-2022, 08:37 PM   #21
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The cold tank supplies ALL the water FOR the hot tank. The cold tank water is required for anything to come out of the hot water tank. Always.

It is the cold tank that always gets emptied first. Then, NOTHING can come out of the hot water heater, even if it full of water.
Well, not always. The fresh water tank isn't used at all if the trailer is hooked up to the city water bib.
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Old 03-31-2022, 09:05 PM   #22
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Correct

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Well, not always. The fresh water tank isn't used at all if the trailer is hooked up to the city water bib.
I stand corrected.
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Old 03-31-2022, 09:31 PM   #23
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I stand corrected.
I'm sitting.
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Old 03-31-2022, 10:25 PM   #24
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Your understanding is correct. And no, there's no way to use the water heater's contents as additional fresh water, unless you drain it, close its bypass valves, and pour the drained water into the fresh water tank.

That six US gallons of water is just part of the trailer's equipment, not usable water capacity.
But many (if not most) trailer manufacturers include the 6 gals as "freshwater capacity" to make the numbers look bigger. If they list "freshwater TANK 50 gals" they mean exactly that, but if they say "freshwater capacity 50 gals" then they mean the TANK holds 44 gals and the water heater holds 6 gals. Its just like tongue weights given for an empty, just off the production line trailer.

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Old 04-01-2022, 02:45 AM   #25
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I didn't think my water heater was more than 2-3 gallons.

the two of us seem to be able to go about 5-6 days on our tanks before needing to dump/refill. we probably could stretch it longer. when I'm alone I certainly can.

we also go through about a 5G carboy of filtered drinking water a week. I carry two 5G in my truck, and try to find a water store when the first one is empty. I use a flat rectangular 2G water tank in the trailer, refilled from those 5G carboys. the bottled water is used for drinking, coffee, ice, and cooking. the RV tank water for washing, and flushing.



(the trailer was supposed to be in that selfie but I suck at those)
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Old 04-01-2022, 07:49 AM   #26
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As my dog taught me....

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I'm sitting.
As my dog taught me....

Why stand if you can sit?

Why sit if you can lie down?

Smart dog.
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Old 04-03-2022, 05:47 AM   #27
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A old friend of mine, also named John, had Johns Three Rules of Drinking. At least one of them was, You Can't Fall off the Ground.
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Old 04-03-2022, 09:38 PM   #28
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I didn't think my water heater was more than 2-3 gallons.
RV tank type water heaters, either Dometic (Atwood) or Suburban, are either 6 gal or 10 gal tanks. I think Escape uses Suburban, do they not?

Both of them are supposed to have a pocket of air trapped at the top of them, so the actual amount of water may be somewhat less, but still 5+ gals. on the 6 gal unit.

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Old 04-03-2022, 10:16 PM   #29
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If it was necessary to empty the hot Water tank and save the water a person could take an old anode. Cut it Off just below the the threads, center drill and tap in a small piece
Of pipe with pipe threads attach a piece of plastic tubing . Make a quick switch and get the remains of the water in the hot water tank. If you were desperate for that five of six gallons of water having the adapter plug/pipe on hand could be a lifesaver. Otherwise, pull the anode and with a stiff piece of Flexible plastic like a food cutting mat, water coming out and directed to a bucket could be directing the flow.
Where there is a will, there is a way.
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Old 04-04-2022, 07:04 AM   #30
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If it was necessary to empty the hot Water tank and save the water a person could take an old anode. Cut it Off just below the the threads, center drill and tap in a small piece
Of pipe with pipe threads attach a piece of plastic tubing . Make a quick switch and get the remains of the water in the hot water tank. If you were desperate for that five of six gallons of water having the adapter plug/pipe on hand could be a lifesaver. Otherwise, pull the anode and with a stiff piece of Flexible plastic like a food cutting mat, water coming out and directed to a bucket could be directing the flow.
Where there is a will, there is a way.
Camco and RV Leisure both make an anode with a drain. I thought it might be handy for those that prefer to drain the water heater after every trip. Easier than removing the anode every time. Perhaps this would be a solution for those wanting to drain and save the water in the heater. Just add a hose on the end.
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Old 04-04-2022, 07:48 AM   #31
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Quote:
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RV tank type water heaters, either Dometic (Atwood) or Suburban, are either 6 gal or 10 gal tanks. I think Escape uses Suburban, do they not?
Escape uses the 6 gallon Suburban SW6D(E) hot water heater. The E is for electric if it is a dual mode unit.
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Old 04-04-2022, 08:40 AM   #32
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Thanks Donna

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Camco and RV Leisure both make an anode with a drain. I thought it might be handy for those that prefer to drain the water heater after every trip. Easier than removing the anode every time. Perhaps this would be a solution for those wanting to drain and save the water in the heater. Just add a hose on the end.
I figured that if I could come up with a revolutionary system to access the hot water heater water, someone had already invented it and was making money from it. I often pull the anode when I’m not going to go camping for a while. The plug with the petcock is pretty slick.
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Old 04-04-2022, 08:51 AM   #33
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I figured that if I could come up with a revolutionary system to access the hot water heater water, someone had already invented it and was making money from it. I often pull the anode when I’m not going to go camping for a while. The plug with the petcock is pretty slick.
Iowa Dave
I have had one sitting here on my desk for 6 years, never installed. I always remove the entire plug for thorough draining, draining from the petcock does not remove debris, in fact it will clog....
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Old 04-04-2022, 09:05 AM   #34
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I have had one sitting here on my desk for 6 years, never installed. I always remove the entire plug for thorough draining, draining from the petcock does not remove debris, in fact it will clog....
But that wasn't what the OP was asking. It didn't have anything to do with cleaning the water heater. Whether it would clog, I don't know. I don't have one. Doesn't sound like you could be sure either since you've never installed it. Conjecture?
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Old 04-04-2022, 09:25 AM   #35
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I leave the anode out for the winter after a thorough flushing in the fall when I winterize. I fill and drain the tank a couple times after I pull the anode in the fall. In the spring the tank is dry inside. I can put my little finger in the tank and just where the tank curves down to the bottom there’s some grit that I can scrape loose with my finger. Then I flush the tank a couple times and use the camco wand to give the tank some cleaning. It is eye opening to see how much calcium and whatever deposits flush out of the tank and not at all unbelievable that the petcock would get plugged. I’m pretty fussy about the water just as our previous owner was. I have the blue filter at the water hookup source and another filter that’s like a refrigerator filter in line on the cold water under the sink. I have done some dumb things in my life including drinking questionable water. I never got sick but when I got older I got smarter and don’t take chances now.
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Old 04-04-2022, 09:30 AM   #36
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Yeah, I wouldn't drink water out of a water heater. Any water heater unless it's the only option and better than a mud puddle.
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Old 04-04-2022, 10:06 AM   #37
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My basis for my comment is the size of the opening. a smaller size would clog easier than removing the entire plug, sometimes a lot of "junk" accumulates, based upon the water source.....
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Old 04-07-2022, 09:31 AM   #38
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Little off topic but water heater related. I was considering pulling the anoid and draining the water heater tank for storage periods, letting it dry out. Never did that on our Casita which had the same water heater, but had to do it anyway to check the anoid before trips. Thinking on the new trailer why not just pull it, drain the tank, and let it dry out in our garage.
Does anyone do this for a month or two storage period or longer?
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Old 04-07-2022, 10:31 AM   #39
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I do it after every trip.

Drain & dry, Water will have some biological growth just sitting. My rig will sit a month during the season. No reason to save the water. Plus, I typically road travel with it empty, along with an empty fresh water tank. Just my style.
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Old 04-07-2022, 10:38 AM   #40
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I pretty much know when I’ll be on the road again after returning home from camping. If it’s only going to be a week or two, I may not drain the tank. Three weeks or better, I pull the anode after relieving the pressure in the tank and letting the water cool. Then I let it set open, usually with a piece of toweling stuck in the anode hole to wick away leftover water.

Mid season I also often resanitize the fresh water (cold) system.

As an aside, I fortunately still have pretty strong fingers and can tilt the anode to the proper angle to restart it in the tank threads. I know some folks may have trouble with this and that may govern their desire to pull the anode often. Put a few quarters that you keep in your console for times when you run into pay showers and put them in the 1 1/16 socket to adjust the angle to reseat the anode after you have put a few wraps of Teflon tape on the anode threads ( in the right direction).

If you use loonies, you’ll have to add 20 degrees to the angle due to the exchange rate. JK
Hope this helps, YMMV
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