Water Heater Drain Recessed

[Bladesong]

I need to drain my water heater for cold weather. First time attempt. I am looking at the plug for the anode and it is recessed behind the plate. I don’t think this is normal. I believe the water would go inside the trailer like this. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Bea]

Hope this helps. -Bea

https://youtu.be/AzIXArtmNRE

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Bladesong

I need to drain my water heater for cold weather. First time attempt. I am looking at the plug for the anode and it is recessed behind the plate. I don’t think this is normal. I believe the water would go inside the trailer like this. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I’m not sure hat you mean by “behind the plate,” but I seriously doubt your water heater is “abnormal.” Make sure it is turned off and allow it to cool overnight because when drained, the initial flow sometimes seems to be pressurized. The water heater has a metal “skirt” and when you remove the anode, water IS NOT going to get inside the trailer. First time removal may require a bit of extra torque. You can slip a piece of PVC over the ratchet, a cheater bar so to speak. Be sure to use Teflon tape or pipe dope when reinstalling, and be aware that it goes in a slight upward angle. Many users have a bit of difficulty getting it back in and not cross-threading it. Some stuff quarters or a paper towel into the socket to keep the rod from sliding so far into the socket that the threads themselves are inside the socket. Using just an extension on the socket like it were a screwdriver, get it started. Once you know it is not cross threaded, use the ratchet to snug it in, but do not apply excessive tightening torque.

[Oldtimer]

Make sure u relieve the pressure before removing the anode or one will get sprayed lol .

David

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Oldtimer

Make sure u relieve the pressure before removing the anode or one will get sprayed lol .

David

You relieve the pressure within the water heater by lifting a lever on the labelled valve a top the W.H. from vertical to a horizontal position. Return to vertical (closed) when the task is completed.

[kavm]

Here is the Escape winterization video instructions... We are getting ready to do this for the first time soon...

https://youtu.be/Eh85oc9bijE

[Bladesong]

I keep trying to post a pic to no avail.

[Oldtimer]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

You relieve the pressure within the water heater by lifting a lever on the labelled valve a top the W.H. from vertical to a horizontal position. Return to vertical (closed) when the task is completed.

Yup forgot to put that in on my reminder several peeps have not done that n gotten sprayed.


David

[davidmurphy02]

Good grief, just saw your pic and this sure does not look normal. Never heard of anything like this, possibly it was damaged either at the factory or in shipping, it would take a lot to pull the metal exterior shell away from the heater like that. How long have you had the trailer and how much have you used it? If you bought it new and have had it for a year, it's possible that a really hard bump could have bounced the hot water heater and caused it to pull away from the exterior housing at the bottom where the anode rod is. I would definitely take a good look at the water heater inside and see if it feels loose or has any play in it at all. It is also possible that it was like this when your trailer was delivered and since it still operates normally and you have not drained it previously you're only noticing this now. That will be hard to prove one way or the other on a year old trailer, though.

You probably need to email this photo to partsandservice@escapetrailer.com and ask their advice - not sure this is fixable without removing the hot water heater. And it will be difficult to impossible to get the anode rod out to drain the heater without a bunch of water going inside the trailer. Can you take another photo showing more of the exterior housing, curious to see if it shows any sign of being misshaped/deformed other than right around the anode rod.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Bladesong

I keep trying to post a pic to no avail.

Glad you posted a pic. That definitely isn’t right. If it were me I wouldn’t use the hot water heater until I got to the bottom of it with Escape/Suburban.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Bladesong

I keep trying to post a pic to no avail.

Now, having seen your photo, my earlier doubt in a previous post is questionable. That doesn’t look normal.

[cpaharley2008]

I agree, that drain plug looks almost impossible to remove......have to put that on my list now...it is getting longer by the days. I wonder if the non electric unit is simpler, that maybe an option.

[Kirt]

Hey Bladesong, I just took a picture of mine. Looks like we have the same water heater . . .

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Kirt

Hey Bladesong, I just took a picture of mine. Looks like we have the same water heater . . .

Great picture to show what one should expect it to look like normally. Bladesong definitely has an issue that I have not seen before.

[cpaharley2008]

I agree, post#13 shows what a correct set up looks like......

[DanandDaphne]

Wow yeah, that's really messed up! Ours looks like Kirt's Here's a couple of pictures of ours from a bit further back.

It's one piece of formed sheet metal and it is really well sealed around the outer edge and a press on retainer around the anode. It would take a lot of force to deform and separate it like that.
Possibly failed ignition and then an explosion when it did ignite? either way I cant see how it could be user error.

I think this should be a warranty replacement. And I wouldn't use it until it is replaced.
Dan

[Centex]

Mine outside looks like posts #13 and #16, too.

Wondering if, as David Murphy has suggested in post #9, the water heater tank has somehow shifted away from the wall and metal plate visible from the outside where it belongs, attached is a pic of mine from the inside with a tape measure dimension to perhaps assist Birdsong in determining if that's the situation.

Note, it takes some care to get the end of the measuring tape all the way up against the (~1"x~2" nominal) wood frame surrounding the outboard end of the tank/shaped foam insulation - if not careful it will be on wires or PEX tube routed back there instead of on the wood.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Centex

Mine outside looks like posts #13 and #16, too.

Wondering if, as David Murphy has suggested in post #9, the water heater tank has somehow shifted away from the wall and metal plate visible from the outside where it belongs, attached is a pic of mine from the inside with a tape measure dimension to perhaps assist Birdsong in determining if that's the situation.

Note, it takes some care to get the end of the measuring tape all the way up against the (~1"x~2" nominal) wood frame surrounding the outboard end of the tank/shaped foam insulation - if not careful it will be on wires or PEX tube routed back there instead of on the wood.

David could be correct, but looking at the two photos, specifically the one that displays how it should look, it would seem to me that it would have taken a huge amount of force to push the tank inward like that. In the past, people have posted that they had to exert a great amount of force on the initial removal of the anode, some using cheater bars, yet without resulting in deformed metal shrouds. I would tend to believe it was damaged before installation and installed anyway. I’m not suggesting it was intentional. If you install a lot of water heaters, you probably only notice the electric and plumbing connections. It would be hard to convince me that road vibration could dislodge the internal components as seen in Ronnie’s photo. IMO, this should be a warranty issue either covered by ETI or Suburban.

[EdColorado]

Originally Posted by kavm

Here is the Escape winterization video instructions... We are getting ready to do this for the first time soon...

https://youtu.be/Eh85oc9bijE

Two little suggestions when you winterize.

1) the Escape video does not address the bathroom shower. The hose will contain water if the shower was ever used. Drain the water so it doesn’t freeze.

2) If using the compressed air method, remove the aerator from each faucet first or else you will blow any crud in the water system through the aerator and clog it up. Especially if you often travel in areas with high mineral content water. Clogged aerators are a common cause of slow water flow.

Enjoy your new trailer.

Ed

[kavm]

Thanks a lot, Ed! We are indeed using the forced air method. So, both suggestions are very helpful. We probably would have got the bathroom shower but not the aerator. So, that’s something we will definitely need to watch out for.

Many thanks!