Cleaning hot water tank

[phoeg]

We have a 2016 Hurricane 34F, and in our second year of RV ownership I continue to climb the steep learning curve! That said, please forgive my dumb question.

I want to clean our Atwood hot water tank and I’ve watched several YouTube videos and purchased a cleaning wand. A couple videos mention rescaling the tank with a 50/50 vinegar and water mix. The videos always show someone getting the vinegar in via some hose/tube sucking it in. Great, but I don’t know my water system particulars enough to know how to get the vinegar into the hot water tank. (Told ya it was a dumb question!) How do I do this?

Thanks for your time.

Paul

[Coveman2]

First you have to find the hose that is used to winterize your coach and find out how many gallons it is and buy enough vinegar and have a large water container to pump the water in using the water pump as if you are winterizing.
Drain tank and flush with fresh water.
Coveman2

[10scDust]

Just a suggestion.
Use a garden sprayer, the ones that you pump up pressure, and pull a trigger on the wand.
Put your vinegar/water mix into it.
On the hot water tank, there is a drain plug for winterizing the RV, and emptying the hot water tank.
Insert the wand end through there, then twist and turn the wand to get full coverage in there, then let it drain out.
I think that is what I would do.

But for us, unless there is odor coming from the water, I wouldn't bother, but that's just me.
And if there was, the holding tank would smell rotten too, then I would watch where I filled the tank from.
Some well waters can have a strong sulpher smell, I know!

[MJC62]

I have owned RV’s of one type or another for more years than I care to count and have never “cleaned” the hot water heater. I have drained and flushed the whole fresh water system when it has developed the rotten egg smell. Sanitized the whole system including HWH a couple times a year. Changed an anode rod or two, but never specifically found a need to clean the HWH. Anyway to each there own but there are enough maintenance tasks to do on an RV cleaning the HWH is not one I plan to add at this time

[The Gritz Carlton]

^^^Me2^^^ Not using the water heater can cause the water in it to go a bit funky but simply running it out will solve the smell issue. I've had 7 campers since 1984 and never cleaned a water heater tank out. If your not going to use your camper for a few weeks or a couple months, set the bypass valves and drain the tank (replace drain plug)...just put a note near the power switch reminding you it's empty.