Nope not the issue. Keep it up. Usually, it is used when you are winterizing your RV or storing it away. Also be aware that if the battery voltage is too low the controller will not allow the device to start. The switch can trip, and simply pushing the button back in can reset it and have you on your way to a nice hot shower. Sometimes we find that some part of the system has failed, but other times we find that weve simply made a mistake. Fortunately, there are easy ways to check your propane level. If you use this method, however, be sure not to leave your stove running for too long just long enough to perform this check. Each model may be different, and some will have a bypass valve right next to the water heater, behind it, or outside where you have to go through an access panel to operate it. Hi Kevin. To tighten properly, just go one half turn past finger tight. Wait a minute or so and retry. Double-check your list to make sure everything has been done to have a little peace of mind during those long cold months you are not using your RV. 4. Next, we checked to see if the water heater circuit breaker was tripped. (Hey we were newbies once, too!). Locate your hot water heater access panel, typically on the outside of your RV, and remove it. I got it figured out. If they are not already marked. (You may have two one for propane and one for electrical as we do.). When you have this valve open, you need to close the cold and hot water valves. Other Forest River models have those valves placed on a manifold that can be accessed from the outside. Ensure their is water in the hot water tank before proceeding. Again, it is all super easy to do. Once you see the system, you should know what to do as it is a basic system used in all cases. When you get ready to use your RV, you just flush out the anti-freeze first, then close the bypass valve and open the other two valves so you can get hot water again. There are a number of informative RV water heater tips that are important to know about, and that will almost certainly be helpful to you in some way. If it is a 6WD water heater it should have to reset buttons on the front of the water heater behind the door to those two black buttons the reset button did you try pressing them? You are using an out of date browser. It has to be turned in such a way to allow water to pass through without entering the water heater. That may be cheaper to buy and easier to install, but it is also a very weak way to bypass your water pump. This is like any other valve that handles water or other liquids. This is an independent, unofficial site. The bypass valve stops water from entering the heater allowing you to drain it and protect the component from that possible damage. We feel your pain, Jere! They are a simple screw-in type of valves and make sure you get them tight enough. Those are two very good reasons why you should install a bypass system when your RV does not have one. RVs are like homes they have a multitude of systems to tend to, such as plumbing and electrical systems. If you have an electric water heater, check the electric heating element. (Atwood, Dometic), RV Hot Water Tank Plug Size (Dometic, Atwood). Sometimes, the bypass valve is located on the cold water line where it meets the bypass hose. We noticed that when the propane heating was turned on the ignition light didnt illuminate. When winterizing time comes, just shut the valves off and open the bypass valve, and you save. (Well touch on this one later.). One person suggested learning how to crawl under your RV, have long arms and plenty of light to access those valves. Another easy troubleshooting step if theres no hot water in your RV is to check your propane levels. There should be instructions on the kit package so read those carefully to make sure you know exactly where to place the old fittings. 5 Best Apps to Find Cheap Gas for Your RV & Car, How to Refill Your Motorhome Propane Tank. If you have low pressure or no pressure flowing from your hot water faucets, thats a fair indication that you may have a problem with the check valve. For some models, the water heater bypass valve is located under your stove. The lower grommet is melted too. Unplug the wire bundle and check it out. Cobra motor home, mini home and van owners manual. That will save you a lot of replacement work down the line. You have to remove the panel by removing the screws to get to it. 2. The first, of course, is to simply read your tanks gauge. That can be in front of the unit, behind the unit, or outside of the RV. There are a couple of different ways you can do this. Can't do that. The thermostat(s) and their hi-limit/emergency cut-off switches sit under a cover that looks like this one, located behind the outside cover to the water heater itself. Great article by the way. If your thermostat needs to be replaced, this is generally something you can do yourself, should you feel so inclined. Press the reset button on the unit, which is typically located on the control panel near the on/off water heater switch. What the valve does is help re-route the water supply and make sure the parts of the water heater are also protected from damage caused by ice. Being a FR product I'm assuming this is a Suburban heater, so look for the control board. In this quick guide, youll learn how to turn on an electric water heater in an RV step-by-step. I've seen the same on an older TT when ladybugs hibernated in the flue over winter. You should make a checklist for when you are going to winterize or store your RV. For engaging and disengaging the valve, the position for each one may be different. You must log in or register to reply here. Every manufacturer has its special place to put these valves, and they are not universal. Check the circuit breaker for the water heater. The check valve exists to ensure that hot water only flows in one direction (out of the water heater) and prevents the backflow of cold water. Related: Should I Leave My RV Water Heater on All the Time? Going to a higher-flow faucet/showerhead could definitely be a solution, though we don't have a recommendation for you as we're constantly looking for LOWER flow to conserve water! Check around for the best price. Any task you perform or product you purchase based on any information we provide is strictly at your own risk. Next, wrap Teflon tape around the male end of the fittings. That could be a problem, or you could possibly have an electrode gone bad (or misaligned). There are so many of these extra tasks you need to do that you do not normally have to do with a house water heater or other parts. Don't know why it's lighting with the switch off. If the element ohms open, use this onehttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JLVC6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Camper FAQs is reader-supported. We checked to make sure the propane was turned on and there was plenty of propane in the tank. Went without hot water several days on recent trip-- thought it was the mixing valve but it ended up just being the open valves on the outside shower -- never thought to look there. What Else Could Be Wrong With Your RVs Water Heater? Seems like all the gas items are working individually, but not "getting along" with each other. Check to see if your hi-limit/emergency cut-off switch (which is the fail-safe to shut the water heater off if the thermostat fails to keep the temperature below a set high limit point) needs to be reset. Your 5-year-old should be able to handle the job without any trouble. If you dont have your owners manual, you can tell whether its gas, electric, or a combination water heater by looking at the model number (which you can find on the access panel). Ensure the circuit breaker is not tripped in the motorhome. There is no need to place Teflon tape on those bypass male ends. In electric/gas combination water heaters, you can use one or the other, or both gas and electric at the same time, to heat your water. So common sense told me that wasnt it. Having been a HVAC service tech for 28 years I can unequivocally state that your HWH has been experiencing repeated flame roll out. Installing the plate requires the unscrewing of the housing and placing the filter and gasket inside, and screwing the housing back on. Upgrade Your Motorhome With RV Step Covers, https://www.forestriverforums.com/fodo=file&id=210, https://www.forestriverforums.com/foml#post2173570, https://www.forestriverforums.com/foml#post1827312, Removed stovetop for new counter stove works find no propane going to water heater or. As donn says, it must be getting 12v somewhere, so it apparently is direct wired to battery and/or converter/charger somewhere. If not it may be in fail safe mode due to several failed attempts to light. You can see how to check for a faulty thermostat using a multimeter in this video, and if you find you need to replace your thermostat, its one of the easiest DIY projects you can do, especially if youwatch our step-by-step tutorial video, below. Like a house, an RV has a water heater. Watch This Video First! Yep, what jdc1 said.. That's how mine is too. To replace the check valve, youll need to drain your hot water tank, unscrew and pull off the old check valve (which youll do from behind the water heater where all the water connections are located depending on your RVs construction, you may have access to this from inside your RV), and replace it with a new one. You must have at least 12VDC to the control board for the w/H to work. However, if the switch trips repeatedly, then your thermostat needs to be replaced. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Copyright 2022 TheRVgeeks | Trellis Framework by Mediavine. Look at this picture for location of outside switch. If you feel the reset button click back into place, that was your trouble. Does your health insurance travel with you? That valve might be adjustable so you could lower it which would mean you wouldn't need to mix in as much cold water at the shower and the hot flow might stay up high enough to keep the heater running. That is a good question. The companies have little space left to work with. But even if you dont have a gauge, checking the level of propane in your tank is easy. Brand new ones don't even look like that! It is a suburban water heater so its a suburban problem. But lets take a look at what happened to us back when we were newbies, in hopes of sparing you a similar fate! We cannot be specific here because the designs are not universal and the same for every RV. Perfect. switch(es), just like that. Once that is done, you are ready to go. It is a great game that RV makers put their customers through. On our Suburban, its under the outside cover in the very lower left corner, as shown here. So after reading your post i looked at my wife and said no way that is it.right? First, we checked the main power switch on the water heater and it was on. The first step would be to close the bypass valve and stop the water from running around the water heater. Check out our: Watch us every Saturday morning at 8AM Eastern/Pacific, 7AM Central, 9AM Mountain on Discovery in the USA. With upgrades to RV manufacturing, the newer versions may have new locations. switch. Hmmm. You may have closed your bypass valves when you winterized your RV or sanitized your water system. That is something that you should consider. Lastly, check the heating element for continuity with a voltage meter. One of the best perks of camping in an RV is having the comforts of home right at your fingertips with one of the main comforts being hot water! They will have the tools and the experience to guide you through it and make sure you get the right parts installed the right way. Very early on in our tenure as RVers, we experienced the problem of no hot water in our RV. All you would have to do is remove the access panel and manipulate the valves. Brand new Season Four episodes of The RVersairing now. take a few minutes to see if the upcoming data will help you solve your game of hide and seek. Suburban has/does have a problem with their module boards going bad. Hadn't even considered the issue of the drop in flow when mixing temps! The fact you said the rubber boot is burned/cracked at the electrode (assuming you have the DSI model) gives me pause as to what happened there on a new water heater. Then if you do not use your water filter, you can install this plate and forget about it. So, we set about troubleshooting the issue of no hot water in our RV by checking all of the obvious possible issues. Once the valve is engaged, you can drain the tank and place your RV in storage for the winter. Re-install your old water heater fittings and reconnect the water lines. These kits are designed to give you the hose and valves you need to skirt your water pump when you need to. Typically, its located on the bottom left-hand side (see image above). Replace the element if defective. These install easy enough and block the flow of anti-freeze, ensuring that liquid goes along your intended route. Again, you can likely pick up a replacement thermostat for your RVs water heater at a local RV parts supply shop or you can get them online: Suburban 12V/Propane Thermostat (#232282): Atwood ECO Thermostat Assembly (#91447 for gas/electric water heaters): If youve got low pressure at your hot water sources if your water is flowing at a trickle, for example you may have a water heater check valve malfunction. Those frustrations can come when looking for key components when you want to store or use your RV. When something isnt working properly, for example when theres no hot water in your RV, the troubleshooting process begins. We had run the outside shower using both the hot and cold water, and while using it, we had turned the water off using the control on the showerhead, but wed left the hot and cold faucets turned on. You may also have forgotten to re-open them! Even our new-to-us 2019 Momentum still has the manual switch out in water heater enclosure. It's one of the things that has always concerned us with that style that when dry camping, and using very low flow, it wouldn't trigger and we wouldn't have hot water. Generally, though, the water valves are near the water heater. And as always, never walk away from a stove thats lit! The flow of gasses (combustion gas and atmospheric gas and products of combustion) is not proper, the gasses are in an area of the combustion chamber far too long. Join our newsletter to learn about all things RV-related. To install is not too difficult if you are handy with tools and know-how to work with plumbing. In one model, those valves may be located at the rear of the water heater. (Guide), Cheap Monthly Parks: RV Parks Under $500 a Month in Florida, What Is a Rebuilt RV Title? In our scenario, we found that the propane ignition light didnt illuminate when we turned on the propane heat. It's getting that time of year. Unfortnately I didn't have time to stick around to see if the electric side worked. Thanks guys posts like this really help the newbies like us. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Fired up today, heated to temp, shut down, fault light is on, would not refire to reheat. We checked the propane level as well. But there is a dirty trick that can be played on you as well. We checked to make sure the propane was turned all the way on at the tank. These can corrode over time and can even melt if the water heater is left on with no water in it. You get to go places you always dreamed of going and save money by not paying hotel bills. All electronic stuff everywhere, but some still manual also. Sorry we don't have a more concrete solution for you! 10 Best Outer Banks Campgrounds For RVers. Buying through links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission. Its possible the control module is toast. The answer to this question is a common-sense answer. Turning on an electric water heater in an RV is a fairly simple task, with most of the confusion coming from where to find the on/off switch or figuring out whether you have a gas or electric (or both) water heater which well get into below. 5. Thanks for the kind words! Resetting the inside switch will not clear the fault. once you do that, the water heater is removed from the plumbing system in your RV and does not get any water sent to it. that way you will not forget or overlook all the key components that need special attention, like your water heater. Owning and traveling in an RV is a lot of fun. If youve sanitized your water system, or if youve winterized your RV for the season, youve likely closed the water heater bypass valves to allow the water heater to be bypassed during the process. switch looks like under the cover. The heater will fire as soon as power is restored with the inside switch on or off. Do You Grease a Trailer Hitch Ball? When your RVs hot water system is working properly, you have all the hot water you desire, within the limits of the water heater tank size. LOL, Anthony! But the following RV water heater troubleshooting tips offer some great steps to follow when youre investigating the issue of no hot water in an RV. if you do not remove the water from the water heater during the winter and do not have proper insulation, the water will freeze, expand and damage the unit. When you do, mark it so you can find it faster the next time you have to use the bypass valve. So, whether this is your first time on the road or youre a seasoned expert, wed love for you to geek out with us! Make sure the bypass male ends on each valve are facing each other when you are done. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. What I meant was I disconnected all power to reset the lockout, and reconnected power to fire it up. You can find these kits in most places where RV parts and accessories are sold. Easy to replace. In that vein, we always suggest printing/downloading a copy of owners manuals that you dont have for any appliances or equipment in your RV so that if youre in a remote location and cant access the internet, youll have what you need on hand (and, of course, youll have trouble and need the manual when youre in a remote location without access to the internet late on a Friday of a holiday weekend ). The camper is stored outside, in a campground. You can tell if your RV water heater is gas or electric by consulting the owners manual for your specific brand and model of heater. Lets now learn how to turn on your electric RV water heater. You should hear the igniter clicking. Best RV Pet Screen Door Protectors: Pet-Proof Your RVs Door, Package Dimensions: 6.35 H x 0.508 L x 2.286 W (cm), Water heater repair parts for RV, Motor, Home,etc.Easy installation, if follow our installation instructions. What makes the game worse is that sometimes the company and the owners manual do not tell you where those components are. It fires up (even with switch off) as soon as power is connected (battery or shore). Wrong i left my outdoor shower valves on. This is one of the things you have to be careful of when you buy an RV. The valve may be a push-button style where you have to push in to engage it or push a second time to disengage it. For other models, you may have to remove two drawers next to the stove to get access. Can't you use the electric side of the water heater? But with both faucets open, the temperature of the water was lukewarm, at around 102 degrees. To reset control board, pull the 12V fuse for the device. I turned them off and now i can take a hot shower after 3 days of warm ones. All you need to do is press the circular, rubber button(s) on the cover to reset each of your hi-limit/E.C.O. Some Forest River and other manufacturers RVs do not have a bypass valve. If the heater still fails to operate properly after following all of the above, cut the power and check all wire connections (refer to your owners manual for the wiring diagram if needed).
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