Shower hot water issue

[DanyaScavo]

I have a 2014 FR3 30DS

All sinks are running hot water normally, but in my shower, turning on only the hot water, it comes out lukewarm, at best.

Is there anything I should check to see why this is happening?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by DanyaScavo

I have a 2014 FR3 30DS

All sinks are running hot water normally, but in my shower, turning on only the hot water, it comes out lukewarm, at best.

Is there anything I should check to see why this is happening?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

Is this a new to you RV, and/or is this a new occurrence (has the shower operated normally before)?

Does your RV have an outdoor shower. Sometimes, if the outdoor shower wand is turned off at the wand head itself, but the actual taps (hot and cold) are still on...it allows cold water to mix into the hot water line. This could be happening there, especially if it is plumbed where water reaches the outdoor shower wand before it reaches your indoor shower.

Just something to check, since you stated that you are getting hot water to your other faucets. You may can check to also see if your bypass valves are correct. which I just posted some pics here in this thread:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1051613

[DanyaScavo]

Thank you so much for your input! I think we figured it out with your help! The water system has three different places that have valves to open. We do have the outside shower, and hot water was coming out lukewarm there as well. I'd never used it before and have only showered in the RV shower a handful of times (we have a great shower house at our resort we've been at since August). The hot water valve that's listed in the schematics to be for the outdoor shower is apparently also linked to the indoor shower.

We bought the RV new and had it winterized feb-may this year. Only took me 7 months to realize the water wasn't hot enough. Haha.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by DanyaScavo

Thank you so much for your input! I think we figured it out with your help! The water system has three different places that have valves to open. We do have the outside shower, and hot water was coming out lukewarm there as well. I'd never used it before and have only showered in the RV shower a handful of times (we have a great shower house at our resort we've been at since August). The hot water valve that's listed in the schematics to be for the outdoor shower is apparently also linked to the indoor shower.

We bought the RV new and had it winterized feb-may this year. Only took me 7 months to realize the water wasn't hot enough. Haha.

There is actually no valve in the schematics for the outdoor shower or indoor shower. The valves all pertain to the water heater and the hot water or cold water lines.....and being able to winterize the water lines without having to use six gallons or more of antifreeze in the water heater.

If you will look at the schematic(s), for normal use the inlet valve to the water heater is open. This allows cold water into the water heater.

Now the outlet valve is open, which allows hot water out of the heater (once it's heated to temperature), and this goes to your hot water taps when turned on. Works just like the water heater at your house.

You will notice that there is a water line before the water heater that connects the cold water line to the hot water line. This is the true bypass valve. For normal use, you have this valve closed, so that cold water will not be mixing into the hot water line. Most likely your problem, is this valve is either open or partially open...which is causing you to get cold water mixed into your hot water line while showering or using anything that requires you turning on the hot water tap. You are getting cold water into the hot water line via the bypass valve not being fully closed.

Now, you may be wondering why is there a bypass valve to start with. Well, when you go to winterize your water lines, you may want to put special RV water antifreeze in them to keep them from freezing up and bursting during the winter months.

So how do you get antifreeze into the hot water lines? What you do is use your water pump and there is a suction valve usually near it, that let's you suck antifreeze into the cold water line while the pump is running.

Now, in order for the hot water line to get antifreeze in it, it would require the water heater to first fill full of antifreeze before it could get into the hot water lines (cold water in, hot water out). That's a lot of antifreeze at $5-10 per gallon.

Here is where the bypass valve(s) work. You close the valve that allows cold water in, and you close the valve that allows hot water out of the heater. Now the water heater is closed off from antifreeze being able to get into it from the cold water inlet line, or backflowing into it from the hot water outlet line. The water heater is BYPASSED.

You now OPEN the bypass valve that connects the cold water line to the hot water line. This allows antifreeze that is being pumped into the cold water line, into the hot water lines...thus filling them with antifreeze to protect them also from freezing.....and not wasting any in filling up the water heater......which you are supposed to drain and it won't have any water in it to freeze (or very very little).

What happens when you leave the outdoor shower taps on, but shut off at the head, is real similar to the bypass valve. It allows cold water to be sucked into the hot water line via the shower wand head. once the hot water taps are turned on elsewhere. That's why you want to make sure you turn the outdoor shower taps themselves off, and not just the wand.


This schematic may help in the understanding of that.

[DanyaScavo]

Now I'm even more confused. lol
This is the set up in the one compartment I opened a valve that in the dealership "tips" schematic they said turned on and off the outdoor shower.


This is what they showed to turn on for all interior water lines.

This was shown to operate only the outside shower. So I'm assuming they were incorrect in their overview?

[DanyaScavo]

And keep in mind I'm a fashion sales consultant. I roofed a house once..that's my experience in any household maintenance.

[Ford Idaho]

In this picture you posted above, the valve with the blue and red Pex hooked to it needs to be turned the other way if you have not done so already.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

In this picture you posted above, the valve with the blue and red Pex hooked to it needs to be turned the other way if you have not done so already.

Correct, You see the cold water blue line and hot water red line are connected together at the bypass valve as I explained earlier. The valve you have pictured connecting the two lines is in the open position....allowing cold water into the hot water line. That is your problem.

Close the bypass valve by making sure the handle intersects the line (make a T).

Your blue cold water inlet line valve is in the open position (which is correct) and the red hot water outlet line valve is in the open position (which is also correct). The bypass line is open too, when it needs to be closed. Since that particular line is running vertically (and not horizontal like the cold and hot water lines), it's easy to confuse the valve position. You need to turn that valve 90 degrees. Problem fixed.

EDIT: I played with your pic and put a red arrow pointing to the bypass valve that needs to be turned 90 degrees (closed)

[DanyaScavo]

Lol. I get it now! And holy moly, did the water get hot now. I wasn't expecting that kinda hot water from this little sucker. I'm not sure it was ever set up correctly since we took ownership. I can't thank you enough for your insight.

[wmtire]

Glad you got it figured out. And just for the record, the bypass valves are probably the single most frequent problem encountered here on the forums.

Wait till springtime, when people start dewinterizing their RV's or have purchased one during the cold months that was winterized by someone else. You won't believe the sheer number of "why don't I have hot water" threads that will be asked.

[DanyaScavo]

Haha! I can imagine. I think the dealerships need to provide a "post winter checklist" for new owners. Whatever they turn off, tell us!

This forum is the best thing I've come across.

Thank you, and everyone else here for your contributions!

[rockfordroo]

And Danya, when it comes time to winterize again next year, remember these 3 valves. They ALL need to have their position changed (cold (blue) & hot (red) valves changed from open to closed, bypass valve changed from closed to open) before you pump any anti-freeze into the system. Make sure you do searches for "how to winterize" here on the forum before you try it.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by DanyaScavo

Now I'm even more confused. lol
This is the set up in the one compartment I opened a valve that in the dealership "tips" schematic they said turned on and off the outdoor shower.

This was shown to operate only the outside shower. So I'm assuming they were incorrect in their overview?
Attachment 95744

Danya, wmtire did a superb job of getting you on the correct track for hot water.
I'd like to address your photo of the white colored valve you said the dealership told you went to the outside shower. I don't believe it does.

To supply the outside shower, there needs to be two plumbing lines going to it. Hot and cold. To control flow to the outside shower, the valve would somehow have to be able to shut off both the hot and cold water supply. This valve does not do that.

The white valve in the photo is the winterizing valve. (also sometimes called the fresh water tank bypass valve). With the valve positioned as it is in the photo, your system is able to draw fresh water from the fresh water tank via the on board pump.

You would turn this valve 1/4 turn when winterizing to draw antifreeze from the antifreeze connection with the on board pump. (Refer back to wmtire's winterizing diagram post). This allows you to inject antifreeze into the plumbing system without having to pour antifreeze into the fresh water tank. (something you don't want to do)

I believe the dealership gave you incorrect information about the white valve.

[DanyaScavo]

Thank you! Yeah, our dealership seems like they may be a little incompetent regarding this model. We were the first buyer they had on it when it came in. I'm definitely going to read up on the winterizing protocol for the future. This winter we will be in warm temps with the exception of three weeks in early January visiting family in Ohio. If the temps don't drop below 30 we won't be winterizing, as we'll have power to run the Arctic system. If it does drop, we'll be winterizing for a couple weeks.

[Iplayjems]

This same thing happened to us on our trip last week. I had the bypass valve open, closed it and had plenty of hot water.