Filling water tank-again.

[HABBERDABBER]

Yeah

I’ve always been confused as to how to get the hot tank to fill when dewinterizing & filling tank for the 1st time. Sounds like the faucets should be open & pump on. Is that correct?

If filling the fresh water from a hose not city water, do that.
Check your by-pass valves if you winterized.
RTFM, as they say.

 

[Bobbie54]

That wasn't the problem- the problem was I didn't look because I distinctly remembered (misremembered) not bypassing it and I definitely remember blowing the hot water tank out. Or maybe I decided that was effective enough? I don't know. I didn't fill with antifreeze so blowing it out should have been enough.

 

[Donna D.]

You don't blow out the hot water tank. You pull the anode to drain it. Then put it on by pass to blow out the lines. You fill the hot water tank, by taking it off by pass, hooking up to city water and turn the hose bib on. The hot water tank will fill.

 

[Doug & Betty]

Do open the hot water faucet(s) to fill the hot water tank. Either using city water or run the pump. DO NOT vent the hot water tank with the pressure relief valve to fill the tank. The faucets leave an air cushion in the tank that allows for expansion of the water as it heats.

You can also look at the position of the bypass valve levers to see if they are in bypass position or not. The lever will point in the direction of the water flow.

Doug

 

[MyronL]

Is it the hot water tank that is first to get filled when manually filling with a hose? I need to fill it with vinegar to dissolve salt deposits.

 

[vermilye]

Do open the hot water faucet(s) to fill the hot water tank. Either using city water or run the pump. DO NOT vent the hot water tank with the pressure relief valve to fill the tank. The faucets leave an air cushion in the tank that allows for expansion of the water as it heats.

You can also look at the position of the bypass valve levers to see if they are in bypass position or not. The lever will point in the direction of the water flow.

Doug

You may find the air cushion created by filling the hot water tank with the faucets closed only lasts until the first rough road. Installing an accumulator will provide an air cushion that is more permanent.

 

[Bobbie54]

Q. If you have an air cushion, and then open the vent to make sure you have water before turning on electric heat, why does (unheated) water come out?

 

[rubicon327]

You may find the air cushion created by filling the hot water tank with the faucets closed only lasts until the first rough road. Installing an accumulator will provide an air cushion that is more permanent.

There are instructions in the Suburban HWH manual about developing an air cushion if lost. Not sure how well it really works in practice as I haven’t tried it.

 

[MyronL]

After ignoring it all for several years I just finished running a full test of the plumbing/hot water systems/etc in ET19. Happy to report tanks all full, no leaks, got hot water on demand, all is A-OK. Must report however, there is so much about doing all that which I have totally forgotten. It quickly became apparent I didn’t have a clue to what needed to be done, in which order. This memory failure was serious. My original trailer systems documentation didn’t help. But scouring this thread, and especially your early explanations, Rubicon, made it all make sense to me. Thanks, you came to my rescue.

 

[MyronL]

Made this homeboy power wand (3/8ths inch flexible tube connecting to the garden hose) so to power-blast out of the black tank any and all undesireable attachments, etc. When waters ran clear knew tank was cleared. Tanks then get filled up, Pine Sol gets added, and I took a nice drive on the interstate east to Moriarty, to shake 'em all up.

 

[Rockhead]

After every trip, I get out my power washer, put on the wand that I put a 45 degree bend on it n let it rip. Cleans out the black tank completely. Hasn’t affected the tank monitors at all which was my only concern using a power washer. Doesn’t take long at all