Community Forums

micd · 06-06-2011, 10:14 AM

We live in Colorado where it is really dry and we put the RV to bed months before the first freeze. Our drains in our houses dry out if we don't put water down them and use them often so I suspect no water remained in the system since we left the drains open.

We followed the manufacturers instructions to winterize and hopefully that is enough. But who knows, you may be right. Or the connection may have worked loose with the different expansion and contraction of the materials.

micd · 06-06-2011, 10:18 AM

Thanks to everyone for their input. I certainly learned alot about the water system this year.

This year we put bleach in the tank to sanitize it in hopes of using the water for more than just washing up. And after our first trip I dumped the fresh water tank. However dumping the hot water heater after each trip is problematic since the plastic screw that is for the drain is behind the venting and plumbing for the tank. The one way to remove it is to use vice grips and do it a couple of millemeters at a time both in and out. It is very time consuming so not really something I want to do after a weekend out. Do others leave their hot water tanks full or is there a different type of connector I can get that would allow me to dump this tank more easily?

Thanks!
Michelle

Gary RVRoamer · 06-07-2011, 11:39 AM

You can leave the water heater full as long as sub-freezing weather is not expected. No need to routinely dump either heater or the fresh tank.

micd · 06-07-2011, 03:45 PM

Gary,

My concern was the water getting stale or having things grow in it in between trips. Do you still think it is OK to leave it even if you don't go out except once a month?

Thanks!
Michelle

RJay · 06-07-2011, 03:58 PM

I agree with Monacoach!

dieselclacker · 06-07-2011, 05:30 PM

Except for draining and winterizing the water system on our motorhome in preparation for winter, we never drain either the water heater or the fresh water tank. It sometimes sets for 90 days or more, and we have never had a problem with any kind of growth in either tank. I believe absence of light may have something to do with no growth. At any rate, when I lived in California, we went for months on end sometime without draining tanks even in winter, with no problems.

Dieselclacker