1775
NY
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Joined: 09/30/2009
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During our first year in the RV, we used the hot water heater twice in the Fall. During the summer, with the outside temps in the 80s and 90s the water coming out is warm enough. For showers we use the campground and we don't wash dishes in the sink.
As we are starting out this season I had the thought to empty the hot water tank and just keep it in bypass - should we need it in the Fall, I can always put it back on the line.
The hot water heater/tank is a Suburban 6 gallon tank. I first bypassed the hot water tank. I drained the water out as much as would pour out the drain hole and on a suggestion I was given, I hooked up a tube to a wet-vac and got what I thought was all of the water out of the floor of the tank. I left the anode rod out with the drain hole open for a couple of days to let the rest of the moisture evaporate out. Today when I went to put the anode rod back in, the little I could feel inside with my finger through the drain hole there was still some water inside. It looks like there is no way to completely dry out the inside.
Now, am I going to regret doing this because the little water and moisture inside will rust or damage the inside of the tank? This is supposed to be a steel glass lined tank, but there is an anode rod and the rod now will not be in the water at all to protect the tank with the little water that sits below it. I am thinking that the tank would just be better with water in it so that the anode rod does its job and I won't be causing a new problem.
Any thoughts?
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Alpenliter
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I wouldn't worry about that small amount of water in the bottom of the tank. It's aluminum, so it won't rust. The anode rod acts as a magnet for the minerals in the water to prevent interior corrosion. If you were to refill it and forget it, the tank could freeze and split and you would have worse problems. Good luck!
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ScottG
Bothell Wa.
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The tank on a Suburban is not aluminum, it's glass lined steel and that's why it has an anode and Atwoods (which do have aluminum tanks) don't.
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Old-Biscuit
Across the USA
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Your good.......
Just reinstall anode rod so that threads can't get damaged.
Also....if it's an electric/gas water heater, turn the AC breaker to electric element OFF.
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1775
NY
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Yes, it is steel and glass lined and not aluminum. It is gas with an electric starter switch to ignite the gas. The electric plug to the water heater is right next to the tank and looks like a circuit board connector on an electric cable running into the water heater. I pulled that plug so that there is no way it can come on if I accidentally hit the water heater switch. I can't pull the fuse as I learned last winter that it is shared with other electrical circuits that need to be on.
Thanks.
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Alpenliter
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Sorry, I stand corrected. 
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Wadcutter
IL
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When I drain my tank and am going to leave it sit for a while I built an insert to use instead of the anode rod. Went to the local plumbing store and got a plastic threaded adapter. It has a male end for attaching a rubber hose with a clamp. Took a bit of screen wire and wrapped it around the end of the male end and then held it in place with a hose clamp. What this does is allow the tank to dry and it keeps out critters and bugs.
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Kirk
Livingston, Texas.
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There is no problem at all with what you are doing. Consider what others do when they store the RV and leave the water heater tank empty? Exactly the same as you are doing. The steel tanks do not rust or deteriorate at all while sitting empty. You may want to sanitize the water system when you do refill the water heater and I would also remove the wire between the water heater circuit board and the spark probe to light the propane, just to insure that it can never be turned on while empty.
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