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Topic: Hot water is milky (Read 957 times) previous topic - next topic

Hot water is milky

Why does the hot water from the water heater appear like watered down milk? I have flushed the entire system and drained everything (including the water heater) several times and the water is still cloudy. the water stays cloudy until it cools.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #1 –
Most common cause I believe is air in the water.  Check by running a clear glas full of the cloudy water and letting it set for a couple of minutes.  If it starts to clear from the bottom it is air and the water should be safe.  Glass should clear in 5 minutes or so.  You can Google "milky water from hot tap" and get more info.
Bill
Bill and Joyce, The House2 and Dashboard Pig III
2000 U320 4210 CAI (The House2)
Build # 5733
2019 F150 King Ranch FX4

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #2 –
Thanks B & D. I'll check it that way next time we go out. Right now I am going to fix some other issues. My leveling board I made for the camp stove is 1" too long and I am going to route a pocket for permanently mounting a level.

The bedroom TV needs a different mounting system and I need to alter the housing a bit.
Our folding frame for the 12'x12' screen house suffered some damage in a storm and I need to repair that.

Oh, the blessings of owning a Foretravel "camper."  Always something to do.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #3 –
I agree it sounds like air.  Curious how you would continue to get air in the tank. 
Jerry
Jerry & Nanci
1999 U270 34'WTFI
2011 Malibu
A smart man knows what to say, a wise man knows when to say it.

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #4 –
For the last 18 years, we flush our propane hot water tank every couple of months into a pail where we see white pieces that accumulate on the bottom of the tank. Most of the water gravity drains out clear, but when using a flushing-wand against the bottom and sides, the water always drains out cloudy white with some odor. We assume the pieces and cloudy water comes from heating the water, causing minerals in the water do precipitate out. Maybe the aluminum tank contributes to the problem. We mostly heat our water with the tank's electric heating element, rather than propane.

When we cut open a two-year old propane water heater aluminum tank, the insides were coated with white deposits.
Water Heater Cut Open Assume an older heater will look much worse and I would think it never safe to drink this water.

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #5 –
There's a magnesium "sacrificial" anode in the water heater that will prevent the aluminum from corroding for a period of time, perhaps a few years. Magnesium is a less noble metal than aluminum so it will give up ions for the corrosion process more easily than the aluminum will. Eventually the magnesium will be used up and the aluminum will begin to corrode instead. You will sometimes detect a faint rotten egg smell from the water when this happens. Sometimes you'll detect a faint milky substance in the water also. The anode is easily replaceable. It looks like an ordinary pipe plug. I have an Atwood water heater and on mine it looks like a 1/2" galvanized pipe plug in the water tank near the gas valve. Some of the Atwood water heaters have a 3/4" instead of a 1/2" so be sure to get the right one. Instructions are printed on the package. It'll probably cost about $20 for the anode. Get a roll of teflon tape and the proper wrench or square socket to remove the anode. Shut off the water and gas. Tap on the wrench handle with a hammer to break the anode loose. Be sure to put teflon tape on the threads of the new anode or you'll never get it out next time... While you're at it check the anode in the water heater in your house too. ^.^d
Scott Cook
1991 U300 36' 6V92TA
Old Town Penobscot 16
1984 Honda VF1100C (V65 Magna)

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #6 –
Atwood doesn't recommend the use of a anode with there aluminum water heater tanks , only the nylon pug that comes with it.There manual has a procedure  for  treating the hot water system for that rotton egg smell.Bacteria can live in the hot water tank so many MFG recommend a temp at 140F to kill them, and you should never drink water from a aluminum hot water tank or a tank with an aluminum anode.In the past people where told to use the hot water tank as a source of drinking water in an emergency. Gam
joseph gambaro
1999 U295 36'

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #7 –
I just walked over to the store here in the campground I'm in and there's an Atwood water heater magnesium anode on the shelf. It's manufactured by Atwood, not an aftermarket brand... so I guess Atwood is confused or something?
Scott Cook
1991 U300 36' 6V92TA
Old Town Penobscot 16
1984 Honda VF1100C (V65 Magna)

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #8 –
...actually I just walked over to the store to look at that anode again and it's actually made by Camco but it's for Atwood water heaters, sorry about that... please disregard what I said above and continue with rotten egg / milky water per official Atwood recommendations :P
Scott Cook
1991 U300 36' 6V92TA
Old Town Penobscot 16
1984 Honda VF1100C (V65 Magna)

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #9 –
My Atwood heater in my born free came with an anode rod in it.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #10 –
Quote from: John S –
My Atwood heater in my born free came with an anode rod in it.

John,

NEVER from Atwood.  Someone else put it in there.  If Atwood thought they were even neutral, I am sure they would market them as an additional profit center.  One of the main problems with anodes is that the THREADS of the anode are a lot stronger than the aluminum tank and you can damage the tank threads.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #11 –
A magnesium anode will not stop the cloudy water or the rotten egg smell. The smell may be caused by anaerobic bacteria that live in the tank and are reaction with the aluminum tank.That's why if you have the smell with your water heater at home they will recommend that you replace the aluminum anode with a magnesium one. The bacteria may be working on the aluminum anode and that is the only aluminum in the tank. With the Atwood the whole tank is aluminum.Best think to do is turn off you pump and drain off the pressure, remove the drain plug from the water heater and drain out the water, remove the safety valve. reinstall the nylon drain plug,pour about 1 gallon of white vinegar into the tank through the safety valve hole and then fill with water through the hole. Let sit over night. In AM remove drain plug ,flush tank with clean water, install nylon drain plug and safety valve, turn on water pump and fill hot water tank, turn on hot water taps to make sure hot water tank is full. You should be good to go .Gam
joseph gambaro
1999 U295 36'

Re: Hot water is milky

Reply #12 –
Foretravel uses Atwood propane hot water heaters on coaches without AquaHot. As others mentioned, Atwood heaters are uncoated aluminum and our Atwood does not use an anode. Atwood's competitor, Suburban uses a enamel coated steel tank that requires an anode.

For the last 18 years, we have used our fresh water tank for our 24/7 source of drinking water and to make ice cubes. We use a charcoal filter on the city water hose to fill our 100-gallon tank, add an ounce of bleach for each fill and remove chlorine for drinking with Everpure undersink filter. We turn over our water tank contents about every week.