I have a 2005 Vectra 40 AD. When I turn on the hot water side ( hot or not) there is tiny black grit and dlackish water comes out. It clears after a few seconds but then after it site for a little while and you turn it on again more comes out. I’m pretty sure it is a Atwood unit. Any suggestions?
Dan
I would want to approach this with a fair amount doubt as it is possible the previous owner decided to do the quick, easy and not worry about the future. There is a school of thought which says that because one brand doesn't need a anode, the other brand doesn't either!
So that leaves a group who have trouble getting the fitting with the anode rod extending way into the tank as being a bit hard to get rethreaded correctly. Did the previous owner just leave it out and go for a plug which is real easy to put back in?
I never remember which brand does/does not need an anode but I would first check that one is needed as it is possible it was just not replaced when the old one wore down.
That "might" mean the black pieces are now parts of the tank?? Not to panic but something to research and question, perhaps? There should be one big old nut staring at you and if you are finding a plug, the question is if it should be an anode there.
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Richard
Why no RV year, make and floorplan on MY signature as we suggest for others?
I currently DO NOT have one!
It is an Atwood water heater and I thought I had read an Atwood doesn’t use an anode because they are aluminum tanks. Anyway there are two possible fittings, the drain plug which I have had out and no anode and the pressure relief valve which I have not removed.
There is no anode rod on your water heater. Unless it's been replaced, it's an Atwood and doesn't have one.
I'd suggest you remove the drain plug on the water heater, get one of those wands that attach to a hose and give it a good flushing inside until it runs clear. Remove the screens on your faucets and run until it clears, then replace the screens. I do this to mine at the start of the season and often mid-summer, depending on usage.
After I winterized my RV and picked it up 8 months later, I flushed a lot of black specs out of the hot water tank.
I don't remember who it was that told me this, but they said it was aluminum tank corrosion brought about by the RV antifreeze solution sitting in the tank. Apparently this stuff has a chemical reaction to aluminum, but I have never seen black flecks since. So I did not give it another thought, and that was 3 years ago! ...And ever since I switch over to drinking bottled water.
Dwmooney: Did you just take your RV out of storage?
But now that we are on this subject, this incident occurred too:
* My HWT check valves broke... which has a steel spring inside.
If my tank is like yours, and I think it is, I have 2 check valves. So maybe it's possible the bottom "in" water line check valve broke and the steel spring entered the tank. There is sat in the tank and rusted.
IDK what happens when a steel spring sits in an aluminum tank or how long it would take for some electrolysis to take place.
Note: Your tank will still function if the "inlet" check valve blow apart, because the lose parts enter the tank and you will probably not see any difference in your water usage.
However, when the "outlet" check valve (on top) fails there is no where for those parts to go so the check valve closes partially shut and you end up with hot water surges or momentary scalding water or very cold water after 30 seconds of showering. It's a real PITA and for 3 days I was taking cold showers.
So maybe this black spec are a precursor your bottom check valve failed, which means your upper check valve is next? TBD.
I can tell you this: If you have never changed your check valves you may want to do that at some point soon. Call it preventative maintenance that will guarantee you have reliable hot water flow for the next 10 years!
Note: I was on the road when my check valves failed and I couldn't find any RV repair shop (I tried 3 of them over a 150 mile leg) to replace them... so I was forced to DRILL OUT my check valves and this did the trick. In fact, I think this is the best course of action to take and it does not cost you any money. Plus you just reuse the old check valve now that you have turned it into a "pipe nipple," which is good... because then you don't need to find a replacement part. (You don't need these Camco cheap check valves anyway; and they are doomed to fail at some point; causing you lot of heartaches!
I drilled my check valves out over 3-years ago; and I recommend everyone get rid of these things. You don't need them! (See attached .pdf files.) ...Just don't over tighten those plastic water line connectors... and DO pick-up some new "donuts" that go inside. This is another weak spot you need to service/replace after 10+ years.
HOT WATER DELIVER UPGRADE
And this summer I plan to upgrade my hot water delivery system by adding a 1/2" shark bit check valve as close to my sink faucet as I can get. (See diagram below on where I plan to install it.)
You can read about this by downloading both .pdf files attached to this post for more information.
Linear Mode
