Camco ½" RV Water Heater Replacement Drain Valve - Replace Your RV Water Heater Drain Valve | Simple and Easy Installation | Durable Brass Construction - (11703)

If you drain your rv water heater frequently this is a good option. Keep it lubed though or it will corrode.

My Dometic has a tight little space for the drain plug. I wanted to replace the original plastic plug with something that would be easier to use. This fits the bill, but it didn't work out as well as I had in my mind. The drain plug was difficult to get in due to space available. I could have disconnected the gas line for more space, but I didn't want the hassle. I had to put in the 1/2" plug first, then the smaller unit with the T plug screwed all the way in to make enough room to twist it. Brass is a little marked up but no critical wounds. The drain is very slow. Opening a hot water faucet allows air in so the tank doesn't hold the water (removes vacuum). Even with the drain open, what took 30 seconds before took 15 minutes for a 6 gallon tank that was not full.Overall initial impressions it does the job and I'm satisfied. I can drain the tank without tools, without possibly breaking other things trying to fit a wrench in there or cutting my hands on sheet metal (heat deflector). It just takes more time.

Quality construction, fits perfectly,

First off, this item is made in China. It does appear to meet tolerances nicely enough but I would have preferred to buy USA.Next, I had Amazon send both the 1/2" and 1/4" versions. They sent the following:14717 11703 is the 1/2" version that comes with the 3/8" to 1/2" bushing and 3/8" standalone valve14717 11663 is the 3/8" version that is just the 3/8" standalone valve (Why didn't they send the 1/4" per the order?) (Amazon should review the item to make sure they aren't sending out 3/8" instead of 1/4")Anyway, I didn't order the 3/8" inch drain valve but it is the one that perfectly fit in my old 3/8" to 1/2" bushing (Halelujah!)Notes:1. As a tip, the 9/16" wrench is what you'll need to install the 3/8" standalone valve. Remember, turn the silver valve handle as you tighten it so you can get your wrench around the nut.2. Screw in the silver valve handle to open the valve and screw out to open the valve.3. If the wrench strips the old nut while removing the old one, tear off the silver handle and use a 9/16" deep socket to easily remove the old 3/8" drain valve

Good product. I really wish it was made of stainless steal. My RV water heater is very small (6gallons) and it’s plug is very hard to get to. Consequently, I can’t get the best grip on the wrench used to tighten. I had read the reviews about using plumber tape so I used it in both joints. I actually was going to return this and install a different plug that would have been better with no joints and one ball valve latch similar to the low point drain valve under the trailer but made of high quality stainless steel. Alas, the ball valve drain plug was just a tad too big. So I ended up using this one after all. Design could be improved (to the ball valve style with only one joint and made of stainless steal, with a bigger drain hole for faster draining) but it works and doesn’t leak as long as you tighten it real good with plumbing tape (will definitely leak without it). If it was stainless it would hold up better to imperfect wrench tightening. You can see in the pic how rigged up it is just from one tightening because it is brass. Just took it camping last week and man was it great to not have to just turn the switch and walk away. Takes a good 15 minutes to drain fully.

So far I really like the convenience of having this valve installed. Yes, it will drain slower than having a 1/2 in drain hole, After all it's 3/8 inch hole, You cant get as much water through a smaller hole. A little pre-planning and that is not an issue for me. The second aspect is a lot of people are having leak issues with this product. I did not, Could be I got lucky but I can tell you how I deal with water and threads. First I use the thread tape, (the white tape you buy at any hardware store.) I put the tape on both sets of threads and tightened the two brass threads back together. Second I installed the drain valve into the water tank tightening as much as I thought it needed to be. Filled the tank and put it under pressure. Immediately I had a leak between the tank and the 1/2 inch threads. I took my open end wrench and started tightening just until the leak stopped and then added about a 1/4 turn. Wiped it all down, left it under pressure for about 30 minutes, came back out and still no drips. Maybe I got lucky maybe it will leak in time? So far so good. As far as emptying the tank, I left it under pressure, turned off my water pump and opened the valve, Be careful as it will shoot straight out as long as its under pressure, once the pressure starts subsiding open the relief valve on the top of the tank and let it finish. Hope this helps.

Product arrived quickly and worked as advertised. Only quibbles are the toggle for draining seems to unscrew the plug, and it didn’t fully drain with the toggle wide open

more to follow put it in the camper and will see how it worked this spring.

No more removing plugs to winterize the RV just install and leave it alone!

Installing this basic fitting eliminates the need for a wrench to remove the plug

I bought this so that I could easily drain our RV water heater between trips without removing the original nylon plug. It works well enough, but after two seasons I may end up throwing it away. The brass part is fine, but the handle is steel with a thin plating that has now disappeared. I was hoping for some more durability.If you do buy one, it should be removed when winterizing. Don't open the valve first; removing the entire plug with a wrench so that any debris in the water heater is flushed out once a year.

it exactly as described