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When To Winterize Rv

DRAINING THE WATER HEATER

The water heater should not be hot or under pressure when it is drained, so turn the water heater off and let it cool. You don’t want to be scalded.

There may be multiple places to turn off your water heater. It’s best to turn them all off. One power switch is on the water heater itself, accessible from the outside of the RV. The other is on or near the control panel in your RV.

Next, shut off the water that is going into the water heater. There is usually a valve within a foot or two of where the pipe or hose enters the water heater.

At this point, you can open the pressure relief valve. Wait until water stops running from the PRV before moving on, and leave the valve open.

Now, get a bucket. The bucket is important. Because it’s time to drain the water heater.

Before draining, some experts recommend turning on a faucet or two so that “hot” water is flowing out of it—this reduces the pressure within the water heater tank. Slowly unscrew the drain plug to begin draining the unit. Use a bucket to catch the first few gallons of water that come out. Fully remove the plug to allow the water heater to drain completely.

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While it’s draining, check the water in the bucket for rust, sediment, or scaling. If you see these things, you might want to flush your water heater again, replace your anode rod, or start saving for a new water heater.

If your water heater is draining slowly, removing the anode rod speeds up the process. Often the anode rod is attached to the drain plug, so it gets removed either way, but if it isn’t locate it. Remove it and check it for scaling or corrosion. If the anode rod appears heavily corroded, it’s time to replace it. The anode rod is a sacrificial rod that corrodes before the interior of the water heater does. If the rod is damaged, your water heater will soon start corroding, which is irreversible.

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