Winterize Suburban Water Heater Questions

[jfbritt]

I have a Suburban SF-30 Water Heater in my Montana. When I winterize I place the 'Water Heater Bypass' Valve to 'On' and remove the anode rod to drain the tank. After draining the tank there is a small amount of water left in the bottom of the tank, maybe 1/4 inch or a little more.

Should I be concerned about this? Should it be removed? If so, does anyone know a way to remove this residual water? Is there a tool to do this?

Also, I will assume that the anode rod should be replaced after draining. Since the threads on the water heater to screw in the anode rod are steel, I am concerned about rust on the threads if the rod is left out during the winter. Is this an issue?

[DutchmenSport]

You are correct about re-inserting the anode rod over the winter. Yes, the threads will rust up if left out, making it near impossible in the spring to re-insert.

The small amount of water remaining in the bottom of the tank is a non issue. There is plenty of room for the water to expand when turning to ice. Water turning to ice is not the problem at all, for any winter plumbing. It's the expansion that happens when there is no room to expand. As long as there is room for expansion where nothing will break, ice will hurt nothing. That 1/2 inch or less will not hurt anything.

[mlh]

That amount of water is not a problem. When it freezes it has a place to expand and will cause no problem.
Lynwood