Sanitize Hot Water Tank before winterizing?

[CDN_Taxman]

OK....long story made short.

Used my hot water tank extensively last summer as we were renovating and living in the trailer.

Stopped working right near the move in date so didn't get it fixed until this year. Winterized it last year but left the bypass switch open for a brief period meaning RV antifreeze got into the hot water tank.

Got the heater fixed in June and it still wasn't working properly. Got it fixed in September and just tested it this weekend. The heater now works, no problem.

However, as I drained the hot water tank, the smell was horrible! The water had blackish stuff coming out and the anode was all black too......almost like a greasy oil.

So, I guess I should attempt to sanitize the hot water tank but I winterized it and am guessing that I have to flush all that out, sanitize and then re-winterize it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[lynnmor]

I would flush, give it a vinegar soak, and then sanitize with bleach.  You may have a failure of the glass lining and the black is the steel corroding, so maybe the tank is near failure.  Just a wild guess, but you need to stop any microbial action now and keep a close eye for leakage going forward.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

  If it had a glass lining,, it would not need an anode rod.>>>Dan

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Dan...
Suburban brand heaters have a porcelain tank lining plus an anode.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Atwood tanks are aluminum and don't have an anode rod.

The Suburban glass lined tanks use anode rods for the same reason as glass lined home hot water tanks ... to protect the underlying steel in case of a small crack or blemish in the glass lining.

Usually the rod will dissolve if it's protecting the steel, not turn black.

 

[CDN_Taxman]

Thanks so far......I guess I'll try the vinegar and bleach (separately) and see what happens.....Still have some time before I have to winterize.....just ahead of the race for once.

Also added that the anode was almost like a greasy, oily black in my original post.