Camper Ken
Oregon
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Atwood water heaters do NOT use an anode rod as Suburban water heaters do. If you have a plastic drain plug, you most likely have an Atwood water heater. I remember something in the Atwood manual about the inner lining of the tank does something like an anode rod.
I use a long plastic wand nozzle to flush out the white chunks before winterizing. I was surprised how much of that gunk came out of my water heater this time.
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kottfam6wi
South Central Wisconsin
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Camper Ken wrote:Atwood water heaters do NOT use an anode rod as Suburban water heaters do. If you have a plastic drain plug, you most likely have an Atwood water heater. I remember something in the Atwood manual about the inner lining of the tank does something like an anode rod.
I use a long plastic wand nozzle to flush out the white chunks before winterizing. I was surprised how much of that gunk came out of my water heater this time.
Atwood water heater tanks are aluminum. Aluminum does not rust, so no need for an anode rod
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Dave J
N. Cent. In.
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no plastic plug in mine, takes an 1& 1/8" socket/short ext to get it out and uses/teflon thread tape!
AND tis true Aluminum does not rust ! BUT it does Corrode and can be become useless maybe even faster than steel. there is the bennifit of the weight factor. I spent 10 yrs working on Navy f4 airplanes and was also a certifyed aircraft welder. I been around aluminum.
* This post was
edited 10/28/09 06:57am by Dave J *
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mowermech
Billings, MT
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One of the local RV dealers has a Fall Special, winterizing an RV for $49.95.
Then, if it freezes and breaks, you can have them fix it, free, IF you can prove they didn't do it right!
For those who insist on anti-freeze, how do you winterize your underground sprinkler system?
I used to use clean, dry air at 50 to 60 PSI. Never had a problem with freezing.
This year, I was too lazy to move the air compressor, and didn't want to drive the RV across the muddy pasture, so I used anti-freeze.
It will be interesting in the spring to see if it worked as well as some say, and how much trouble it will be to get the taste of the anti-freeze out of the lines.
Next fall I may go back to air only, just like the underground sprinkler system in my lawn gets.
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Mrs. Mik
Abbotsford, Wisconsin
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mowermech wrote:
It will be interesting in the spring to see if it worked as well as some say, and how much trouble it will be to get the taste of the anti-freeze out of the lines.
If you used the RIGHT anti-freeze, there will be no taste in the lines come spring. However, if you used anti-freeze that contains Bitrix, yes, you will have a problem with a nasty taste.
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JJBIRISH
Butler, PA, USA
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Most of the white stuff is calcium as others of said but broken into smaller pieces it more resembles whitish crystals and I am not sure if that is calcium…
I just flush it twice a year since I use it full time…
Love my mass produced, entry level, built by Lazy American Workers, Hornet
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Dave J
N. Cent. In.
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one might drive over to Northern Indiana and try telling all those Amish workers in the RV plants they are lazy! they ride bikes to work. their hrs at the plant is 4 am to 2 THEN they ride home and take care of chores. if they can't keep up at home they can't work away from home. see JJBirish's signature.
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Vulcaneer
Northern New England
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Joined: 10/17/2007
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I always thought the white stuff was from the outer coating eroding from the anode rod.
But what ever it is, I flush the WH heater with a hose nozzle thru the hole. It all comes out.
Since it all sinks to the bottom of the tank, I figure it does not get into the pump.
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JJBIRISH
Butler, PA, USA
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Dave J wrote:one might drive over to Northern Indiana and try telling all those Amish workers in the RV plants they are lazy! they ride bikes to work. their hrs at the plant is 4 am to 2 THEN they ride home and take care of chores. if they can't keep up at home they can't work away from home. see JJBirish's signature.
Well I have learned it right here, my Hornet is entry level, always mentioned in a condescending way, and these entry level trailers are all built by lazy American workers, who often are blamed for the poor quality of our trailers…
But thanks for ASKING if you don’t understand why I adopted the line…
If you search on my name you would find I have always defended their work… even a craftsman can’t produce a masterpiece if he is not given the tools, material, and time to do the job…
We are talking a industry that has in general built units of poor quality, the only thing they have been consistent at for the last 40 years… in spite of the under-regulated, cost cutting, bottom line conscious industry, these guys do a pretty good job…
BTW I have spent a great deal of time in that area... both for RVing interest and for Notre Dame football…
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