Water Heater Service Life?

[billiards]

our 2005 safari water heater died...(leaky).....I would say we cleaned in at least yearly.....5 months it was our winter home....question is what have others found was the life of water heater...thanks for your input. jack

[AWCHIEF]

Mine lasted 8 years before expiring. I imagine it would still be going strong if the PO had not screwed up the winterizing. It was replaced last June just before I bought the trailer so I figure as long as I do my part it should last for many more years to come.

[Skater]

My '95 is on the original water heater, so 20 years there. We've replaced a few parts here and there (board and thermostat/ECO). Our B190 had its original 20 year old water heater when we sold the camper.

[slowmover]

Original Suburban water heater on my 1990.

Also furnace. Don't believe trailer was used all that much prior to my acquisition as A/C was also original, but TT was first sold in Seattle.

Reefer replaced at twelve year mark. Now thirteen years old and good after new Dinosaur board.

[camarobob]

Our 04 Safari still has its original water going strong.

[mandolindave]

My 1973 water heater, furnace and fridge all lasted 30 years. All on their last legs when I replaced them

[idroba]

I think the life of the water heater tank depends mostly on the quality of the water where you use it. Some water reacts with the aluminum tank and they pinhole relatively rapidly. Some water and the aluminum simply don't fight.

Burners and controls last pretty well, but electronic ignition systems are more variable. Sometimes people just get tired of fighting the electronics and replace the entire water heater, even though it might only need a good cleaning and service along with a new circuit board. That can cost a good % of a new one in many areas, unless you are able to do it yourself. A new one can seem to be a better deal in that case.

[TomKirk]

Water chemistry plays a huge role in the life expectancy of your hot water heater. Unless you use distilled water (this is unlikely), city water is gonna vary from place to place. As a consequence, I flush mine out twice each year and I use an anode to help prevent corrosion.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...ter+zinc+anode

Electrolysis eats away at the more chemically reactive anode more so than your aluminum tank.

Tom

[idroba]

Originally Posted by TomKirk

Water chemistry plays a huge role in the life expectancy of your hot water heater. Unless you use distilled water (this is unlikely), city water is gonna vary from place to place. As a consequence, I flush mine out twice each year and I use an anode to help prevent corrosion.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...ter+zinc+anode

Electrolysis eats away at the more chemically reactive anode more so than your aluminum tank.

Tom

Yet Atwood does not recommend an anode with their aluminum tanks for some reason. In fact they specifically state not to use an anode. Suburban water heaters with a glass lined steel tank do recommend them. Any idea why? I have wondered about it for a long time.

[$hide]

My current one is just 2 years old and the tank is leaking AGAIN! This is the third water heater in nine years that we have had the tank leak on. We do full time in ours but you expect the higher usage to affect the electronic and burner parts not the tank. We do have very hard water but with this tank we did use the anode rod. We also flush in the spring and fall when we connect/disconnect the heat tape. Does anyone have any experience using an RV water softener? Did it help with the water heater? Did you use one in the winter? At $500 a pop this water heater crap is getting expensive!

[slowmover]

Plenty of softener threads here and Woodalls.

[Gearheart]

They must have built them better way back then. Mine is a 73 with original Bowen water heater still working fine and no leaks. There. Now that I said it. I should get ready to replace it.

[TomKirk]

Originally Posted by idroba

Yet Atwood does not recommend an anode with their aluminum tanks for some reason. In fact they specifically state not to use an anode.

Yeah, I know what they say. And frankly, it's my humble opinion that Atwood just wants to sell more water heaters. Recommending no anodes translates into more sales. That's why they're in business.

I've been a live aboard for 17 yrs. Without an anode, I replace water heaters at 4 yr intervals. My current Atwood is 9 yrs old and I've used an anode since it was new. Granted, I have to replace thermostats from time to time. But I haven't had to replace the water heater itself due to leaks.

Maintenance wise, I flush my water heater at 6 month intervals. When I do, I replace the anode with one I've previously removed and cleaned. The anode I take out gets thoroughly brushed on a 6" wire wheel (bench grinder). That way, anodes get rotated out every 6 mos. When an anode gets too worn out (and they will), I buy a new one and put it the maintenance rotation.

Tom

[TG Twinkie]

Distilled water will eat up the tank quickly. It is the nature of things to return to their original makeup. The water will literally pick up what it needs to try to regain that natural balance. Which means it will pull the materials from the tank. Deionized water is even worse.
The sacrificial anode in Suburban tanks slows the damage. Not sure if it has the right makeup to be that effective in an aluminum tank.


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[TomKirk]

All I know is that the anodes I rotate in and out of my Atwood every 6 months sure take a beating. I can only imagine what my aluminum tank would look like without them.

Tom

[Siegmann]

I'm on my third Atwood water heater after 18 years of full-timing. The first two (tanks) lasted a total of 15 years. When I replaced the first one, I saved the (expensive) circuit board. When I replaced the second one, I saved all the removable parts. I've since learned that you can purchase just the tank, and replacing it is only a little more difficult than doing the whole unit, and quite a bit cheaper. With my stock of spare parts, I'll just be replacing the tank next time.

[mhilley]

Fifteen years old and used a lot. Still has original water heater, a/c unit, refrigerator and microwave. Hate to go new. I think new fails more often, but then wouldn't an old fart think so?

[billiards]

post update on water heater.......removed old, measured calc. opening, I found opening was ALMOST large enough to force in the new.....BUT NOT QUITE....

I would post that b-4 the mistake to try and make it work......make a small cut ( dremel drill) down the bottom support frame and bend over the lip.....giving about 1/4 inch to allow the heater access....I also cut a channel for the wiring harness (about one inch) using same process at the lower right corner. Hope this helps someone some day.