How long should the hot water last?

[Rupkin2]

I'm not an expert here but this is my thought and we have no problem with hot water lasting.

How long hot water will last has a lot to do with the valve. Stating the obvious here, the more the valve is open the quicker the tank empties.

Here's something you may not realize or given any thought to, when the hot water exits the tank this is being replaced equally with cold water. The faster the hot water exits, the faster the cold water enters.

The hot water that is in the tank helps to warm the cold water. This will assist the burners that usually kick in fairly quick. It takes a lot longer to heat 6 gallons of cold water then it does to heat 6 gallons of warm or slightly hot water. What I'm getting at here is to ease up on the hot water.

What my wife and I do is turn on the hot water low and use the cold water to adjust the flow and temperature. If it's too cold turn the cold down not the hot up. You have to find that happy median where you have sufficient/desired flow without draining the hot water from the tank in 2 minutes. Using that pause button would help you out also.

We have a 6 gallon, with an 18 gph recovery tank. Many times my wife and I have taken showers one after the other (showers are small aren't they) and never have we run out of hot water, well not that I can remember, and yes flow/volume is decent, not like home but then again not like a pail overhead with pin holes either. Oh and guessing here I would say each shower maybe around 10 minutes.

Oh ya, we also have one of those Oxygenics.

Hope this idea helps, does us

John

[Hoffwmn]

We have an Oxygenics shower head. It helps limit flow and increase pressure at the same time. Great invention!

[flymhi]

Originally Posted by Rupkin2

Oh ya, we also have one of those Oxygenics.

Hope this idea helps, does us

John

Is your Oxygenics the 7 setting model or the simple spray head?

[Dave Lyon]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Do you know if your RV has a dual power source water heater? (propane and electric). If so turning both of them on when needed may help provide longer hot water, since it has a faster recovery rate.

If you have a Suburban water heater, this FAQ may help as to how to use both (if equipped)

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ore-36197.html

Yep, that's what we do as well as navy showers.

[Harkerr]

Also depends on where the water heater is in the thermostat cycle. A shower will last longer if you take it just after the heater shuts off. Shortest is just before it comes on. This can explain the 3-5 minute difference you are seeing. This is for a 10 gallon.

[ornery]

Originally Posted by FRRVR

We have a 6 gal and for the most part it lasted fairly long. I have not figured out the kid shower thing yet we have tried bribes and threats!
For a 10 gal tank you have longer hot. Those that know more than me on this topic will need to know the brand of your water heater. Maybe the thermostat is too low? Is yours electric and propane? Did you turn it off and take the shower, then all you had was the tank that was probably luke warm.

We have always had the 6 gallon heaters. When I shower, I get the water to a comfortable temperature. Wet myself down starting with my hair. Turn the water off at the shower head sprayer. Lather up, wash my hair and entire head, turn water back on, rinse. then turn back off. Wash the rest of me and then rinse again. A lot of turning on an off but I don't run out of hot water.

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by Rupkin2

I'm not an expert here but this is my thought and we have no problem with hot water lasting.



How long hot water will last has a lot to do with the valve. Stating the obvious here, the more the valve is open the quicker the tank empties.



Here's something you may not realize or given any thought to, when the hot water exits the tank this is being replaced equally with cold water. The faster the hot water exits, the faster the cold water enters.



The hot water that is in the tank helps to warm the cold water. This will assist the burners that usually kick in fairly quick. It takes a lot longer to heat 6 gallons of cold water then it does to heat 6 gallons of warm or slightly hot water. What I'm getting at here is to ease up on the hot water.



What my wife and I do is turn on the hot water low and use the cold water to adjust the flow and temperature. If it's too cold turn the cold down not the hot up. You have to find that happy median where you have sufficient/desired flow without draining the hot water from the tank in 2 minutes. Using that pause button would help you out also.



We have a 6 gallon, with an 18 gph recovery tank. Many times my wife and I have taken showers one after the other (showers are small aren't they) and never have we run out of hot water, well not that I can remember, and yes flow/volume is decent, not like home but then again not like a pail overhead with pin holes either. Oh and guessing here I would say each shower maybe around 10 minutes.



Oh ya, we also have one of those Oxygenics.



Hope this idea helps, does us



John

The other possibility I see is the thermostat on the in use fuel is short cycling and not providing fully heated water. The device in the heater is not high quality an can fail easily tested with a heat thermometer or IR gun. Check both heating mediums, one probably low.

[caper]

Are you taking "navy" showers or just letting the water run? A navy shower is getting wet, turn off water flow, lather up, rinse off. You have a 10 gal tank and are using 2gals an min the tank will last 5 min.

[youroo]

We have a Suburban 6 gal Gas/Elec W/H. We Only use the Elect. side,we take showers "One after the other",and we Never run out of Hot water! Now it might happen because we have only used this unit 6 years! Here is a Pic of water usage from a Stock head and a Oxy.head,the run time for the test was 1Min. the Oxy head used MORE! Youroo!!

[rogerkathy]

Just an additional note: if you have the propane AND electric capability, make sure you turn the electric OFF WHEN YOU EMPTY the hot water tank, otherwise the electric heater part stays on trying to heat water that isn't there and then becomes useless, needing to be replaced.

[dahagen]

It also depends upon how cold the cold water is. If the cold water is from the fresh water tank the hot water will last longer than colder water from the outside water hookup. And, I put insulation around my water heater to keep the water hot longer.

[ApexBunk]

Thanks for all the great tips. I will check when I'm at the camper this weekend.

[Kevin & Judy]

its about 1 gal per minute, 6 gallon tank about 6 minutes,

[cincia]

x3 on both oxygenetics shower head and navy showers. My sister and I both have VERY thick hair and take showers one right after the other. We don't run out of hot water but you have to conserve that hot water in order for it to last (hence - navy showers - they're not so bad once you get used to them). cincia

[ben31]

Oxygenics, navy shower, and use propane while showering. The propane is more effocient and reheats the water more quickly. These work well for both my wife and me. We tried leaving it on electric,but the water heater just doesn't seem to be able to keep up in that mode. BTW, for the navy shower, you don't have to be strict. Just don't leave it running for more than about a minute at a time.

[Tommy Joann]

Originally Posted by ornery

We have always had the 6 gallon heaters. When I shower, I get the water to a comfortable temperature. Wet myself down starting with my hair. Turn the water off at the shower head sprayer. Lather up, wash my hair and entire head, turn water back on, rinse. then turn back off. Wash the rest of me and then rinse again. A lot of turning on an off but I don't run out of hot water.

X2

[Rupkin2]

Originally Posted by flymhi

Is your Oxygenics the 7 setting model or the simple spray head?

It's called the "body spa"https://www.oxygenics.ca/products_details.php?id=3

[Rupkin2]

Originally Posted by Kevin & Judy

its about 1 gal per minute, 6 gallon tank about 6 minutes,

I understand that but the rate your mentioning is when the hot water tap only is fully open. Actually the water may not even last that long. Depends on what your pump puts out, unless you use the city connection. I don't know what the gpm would be.

Off the top of my head I think my pump is 1.2 gpm or 1.5 gpm somewhere around there.

So let's go with the 1.5 gpm (easier numbers) if you turn the hot a 1/3 of a turn and the cold 2/3 of a turn your hot should last 12 mins. Now if you turn both the hot and cold down some more your hot water should last even longer.

Now before everyone jumps on the band-wagon and crucifixes me here this is not scientific, I only used what brain cells I have left, after which I will be having a nap.

Right or wrong and assuming everything else is working properly this theory of mine seems to work just fine for us two.

You get yourself a better shower head e.g. Oxygenics and do the Navy thing as a couple have mentioned your hot water should last quite a while 6 gal or 10gal.

John

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Hoffwmn

We have an Oxygenics shower head. It helps limit flow and increase pressure at the same time. Great invention!

An oxygenics actually uses more water then the cheap one the factory installs fyi


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

[TGR]

Previous posts on similar problems with hot water not lasting long enough sometimes point to two possible causes:


1. The hot water heater bypass valve open; and
2. The outside shower faucet turned on but the shower head turned off.


Apparently, the outside faucet will allow mixing of hot and cold water and ruin a perfectly good shower. I've never experienced it but I've read other posts that say it is a possibility.