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06-14-2019, 06:30 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 108
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Draining fresh water tank
Is there another way to completely drain the fresh water tank the low point drain still leaves a couple of inches of water in the tank
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06-14-2019, 06:34 AM
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#2
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankie D
Is there another way to completely drain the fresh water tank the low point drain still leaves a couple of inches of water in the tank
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I think my hubby would leave it open a bit like we drove around to dump etc..to let it jostle around
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06-14-2019, 06:55 AM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,265
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Unfortunately not normally. I had access to the top of the water tank in a previous TT and cut a hole and added a marine deck plate ( see photo). If I needed to drain the tank completely, I would open the deck plate and use a wet/dry vac. Other than this there is not really a way.
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06-14-2019, 06:59 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Payson, AZ
Posts: 3,862
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankie D
Is there another way to completely drain the fresh water tank the low point drain still leaves a couple of inches of water in the tank
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just for clarification, are you trying to drain it with the low point drain or the fresh water tank drain?
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2015 cardinal model 3825fl
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06-14-2019, 07:12 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Albany, GA.
Posts: 1,359
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I don't use my fresh water tank, I'm not a boondocker, nor have I needed to use the FW tank. Twice a year I do add about ten (10) gallons of water to the tank with a bottle (16 oz. ?) of Hydrogen Peroxide just before going out on a trip. This solution sloshed around while going down the road to help keep the tank clean. Before dumping the tank I fill it completely and let it sit a couple of days before draining. Clorox, being hydrochloric acid, is not good for plastics. Not that a diluted solution will eat a hole in your tank. I prefer TO as a disinfectent.
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06-14-2019, 07:42 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Irma, Wisconsin
Posts: 174
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thurman
I don't use my fresh water tank, I'm not a boondocker, nor have I needed to use the FW tank. Twice a year I do add about ten (10) gallons of water to the tank with a bottle (16 oz. ?) of Hydrogen Peroxide just before going out on a trip. This solution sloshed around while going down the road to help keep the tank clean. Before dumping the tank I fill it completely and let it sit a couple of days before draining. Clorox, being hydrochloric acid, is not good for plastics. Not that a diluted solution will eat a hole in your tank. I prefer TO as a disinfectent.
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I'm not sure that Clorox is hydrochloric acid.
I believe it is sodium hydroxide a base, not an acid.
That said, it can be hard on plastics if not correctly diluted for sanitizing.
It seems to me the recommended dilution is something like 1 cup bleach to 25 gals water.
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06-14-2019, 08:06 AM
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#7
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,074
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CHICKDOE
just for clarification, are you trying to drain it with the low point drain or the fresh water tank drain?
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X2.
You simply CAN NOT drain the fresh water tank with the low point drains.
The fresh water tank should have its own drain.
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06-14-2019, 08:20 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: N. Illinois
Posts: 2,371
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Bleach is commonly, sodium hypochlorite but can be hydrogen peroxide. I gotten into the habit of draining everything when I leave the dump station. I have ball valves on the low point drains and the Camco WH anode with petcock drain. Must take all of 30 seconds to open all the drains. By the time I get home, everything is empty. Especially if I'm not going out for a few weeks.
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06-14-2019, 12:37 PM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XenoRev
I'm not sure that Clorox is hydrochloric acid.
I believe it is sodium hydroxide a base, not an acid.
That said, it can be hard on plastics if not correctly diluted for sanitizing.
It seems to me the recommended dilution is something like 1 cup bleach to 25 gals water.
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Agreed a dilution of something like 1:200 is going to create no problems, but how hard can bleach be on plastic? It comes in plastic bottles. I'll bet some of it stays on shelves for years. Same for drain cleaner and a lot of other caustic agents. We treat our water with bleach a few times during the year and have never had a problem.
As far as not needing fresh water, I guess we are weird, because one of the bonuses of owning an RV is having your own clean toilet available at all times while traveling. I always keep at least 5 gallons for just that purpose. Having the ability to wash your hands at any point is nice too.
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06-14-2019, 12:51 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Brownsville
Posts: 1,166
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My old camper had a plug I replace it with a street l and a shut off value
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06-14-2019, 02:14 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 108
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If there’s another drain for the tank where would it be
I have a 2018 30ds
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06-14-2019, 02:29 PM
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#12
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Grayson County, Texas
Posts: 21,502
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankie D
If there’s another drain for the tank where would it be
I have a 2018 30ds
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What do you mean "another drain"?
Conversations seem to imply more than one fresh water tank can't be drained completely. The references to "low point drain" concerned a semantics issue. Generally in the RV world, "low point drains" refer to 'typically' a single red and a single blue drain the two of which drain the water out of hot and cold water lines. The term "fresh water tank drain" usually refers to the drain for which you are concerned. My unit has it fresh water tank drain spun into the very bottom of the tank - and it does a fair job of completely draining the tank. Some units have the fresh water drain on the side of the tank which leads to your problem. Have you pulled down the bottom covering (if you have one) to see if your drain is on the tank's side OR is your tank under a bed, etc.?
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06-14-2019, 06:52 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 9,458
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Plug or sacrificial anode.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyBass
My old camper had a plug I replace it with a street l and a shut off value
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If that "old camper" had a Suburban water heater, the "plug" would have been about 5" long. Most of the length (excepting the threaded portion and head) would have been an aluminum or magnesium sacrificial anode. The notion is tht it corrodes first, before the inside of the tank. The principle is the same as the zinc coating on galvanized pipes or garbage cans. If you replace that plug with something else with no aluminum or magnesium,you are risking corrosion of the tank.
Of course, if your "old camper" had an Atwood water heater with aluminum tank, the plug is just a plug and there is no sacrificial anode.
Larry
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06-14-2019, 07:05 PM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Grayson County, Texas
Posts: 21,502
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry-NC
If that "old camper" had a Suburban water heater, the "plug" would have been about 5" long. Most of the length (excepting the threaded portion and head) would have been an aluminum or magnesium sacrificial anode. The notion is tht it corrodes first, before the inside of the tank. The principle is the same as the zinc coating on galvanized pipes or garbage cans. If you replace that plug with something else with no aluminum or magnesium,you are risking corrosion of the tank.
Of course, if your "old camper" had an Atwood water heater with aluminum tank, the plug is just a plug and there is no sacrificial anode.
Larry
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I don't think Billy is talking about anything to do with the water heater. I think he's talking about the fresh water tank drain.
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2015 FR Wildcat 295RSX / GMC Sierra
Nights Camped: '13 = 49/'14 = 74/'15 = 74/'16 = 85/'17 = 110/'18 = 111/'19 = 86/'20 =108/'21 = 115/'22 = 135/'23 = 78; Booked for 2024 = 69
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06-15-2019, 01:12 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: British Columbia Canada
Posts: 556
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankie D
Is there another way to completely drain the fresh water tank the low point drain still leaves a couple of inches of water in the tank
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My FR3 has the drain on the side and leaves water in the tank also. Try using the levelling jacks to lift the side up and most will drain out but not all. Driving around with low point drain plug open works fairly well also.
Poor design for sure and really the only fix is to add fresh water and drain occasionally.
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2017 FR3 28 DS
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06-15-2019, 01:22 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: British Columbia Canada
Posts: 556
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankie D
If there’s another drain for the tank where would it be
I have a 2018 30ds
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No there is not. Low point drains will drain both water pipes and fresh water tank. On my 28DS low point drains are directly under water pump bay.
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2017 FR3 28 DS
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06-19-2019, 07:50 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Alaska
Posts: 1,827
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankie D
If there’s another drain for the tank where would it be
I have a 2018 30ds
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This is my low point outlet of my fresh water tank. Sorry about the focus. It has a Tee at the water pump before the low point drain.
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06-19-2019, 10:35 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 108
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Looks like you need to tilt the RV in order to drain the tank
Not the best design
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11-01-2019, 04:47 PM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Killarney, Ontario
Posts: 1
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Fresh Water Tank Drain
Where you able to drain the tank by tilting the motor home? I ask because I have the same problem.
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11-01-2019, 05:33 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Alaska
Posts: 1,827
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rosanne
Where you able to drain the tank by tilting the motor home? I ask because I have the same problem.
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I never worried about the last couple of gallons of water. If it freezes, it will do no damage.
An inch of water in the tank is okay. A little water needed for the tank heaters.
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