6 Gal Gs/Elec Water Heater and Showers

[DenD]

Here is what is probably a dumb newby question. I am told that this water heater is quick recovery. But can you really take a shower with six gallons of water, or does the heater really heat up fast enough to keep it coming?

[HONDAMAN174]

The answer is no.

Use the on/off switch on shower head to save your water

[emoney]

You have to adjust your shower time for sure but keep in mind you’re using cold mixed in with hot usually. Conservative I’d say is about 1.5 gallons of water per minute so the 15 minute shower is out of the question.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Remember: you are going camping, not to a health spa. Take navy showers.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by HONDAMAN174

The answer is no.

Use the on/off switch on shower head to save your water

Actually, the answer is yes!

There are workarounds...

First off, dump the stock shower head and get the Oxygenics Fury RV shower head (don't get the one at Home Depot or Lowes - they are not RV heads).

These shower heads create more water pressure from the head so that you don't have to turn the water up all of the way.

I have a 6-gallon water heater in my 5'ver and I can get a 20 minute shower out of that with hot water to spare when I have both electric and gas turned on at the same time.

Now I don't take 20 minute showers...but I can if I want to and did it once just to see how long the hot water would last!

And again, I barely have to crack both the cold and hot water faucets to get a comfortable water flow for a shower.

[russhd1997]

You'll find that when using the shut off button on the shower head and being quick about showering that 6 gallons of hot water is more than enough.

[MR.M]

Yes 6 gallons is plenty for a great shower . while hooked up to full service sites then i am able to take nice shower and even soak some in the hot water stream before i'm done . if boonedocking then it's conserve water and then i do it differently .

[Ole Buzzard]

Because of hurricane Harvey we have had to shower in our rv for the last year. With an Oxygenics shower head we have no problem with running out of hot water, other than a little cramped for space.

[lacamastraveler]

I confirm what JohnD10 and Ole Buzzard wrote. With the Oxygenics and taking a Navy shower (water reduced to trickle when soaking up), There is adequate hot water for both my wife and I to shower.

[jtesta1]

Wet ,water off wash, water on rinse water off. Get dried plenty of water for multiple showers.

[cavie]

We are on a permanent site. OEM 2002 shower head. 6 gal heater on gas only. I can take a 15 min shower without shutting off the water. Heater recovery time is about 20 min. Usually get'er done faster than 25 min.

[Mark Ulmer]

Originally Posted by DenD

Here is what is probably a dumb newby question. I am told that this water heater is quick recovery. But can you really take a shower with six gallons of water, or does the heater really heat up fast enough to keep it coming?

Partly it depends on how you're heating the water. Mine WH is an Atwood and can use either gas, electric or both together. To get the quickest recovery, use them both together. Gas alone is next best, and electric alone is slowest. Of course, there are always tradeoffs: perhaps you're camping in colder weather and want to converve your propane for the furnace (which uses propane like crazy). So then you would use electric only and just have to be a little more careful how much water you use when showering, for example.

[KyDan]

Do you have a dual heat LP gas and electric WH?
Mine has a label that says the recovery rates are
6 GPH electric
12 GPH LP
18 GPH both

[rlh1957]

We have the 6 gal gas/electric. When hooked up to shore we use the electric and turn on the gas switch when we get ready to shower.
We have the Oxygenic Shower wand like many have changed to. It conserves water but yet gives great pressure. After you get wet and start to lather up you can push the button on the Oxygenic and the flow is cut down to a little trickle which is nice to still have some water. Then each time you need to rinse, and again for hair you just do the same. With both elec and gas on at the same time it will help with your water heater recovery time. Out heater puts out water on elec or gas that will probably scald you so we don't have to open the hot side much before it has to have a good cold flow to make it just a nice hot shower. My wife and I, as well as putting our 3 and 5 year olds in for a shower never run out of hot water. I think the keys are the Oxygenic and the Navy Shower routine. Each time you shut the flow down, the heater has a little more time recovering. And we are not for want of hot water ever or suffering any because we turn the flow down.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by jtesta1

Wet ,water off wash, water on rinse water off. Get dried plenty of water for multiple showers.

X 2 just takes getting use to not being at home and long showers. Later RJD

[EXPATRV]

We have a Flagstaff 26RBWS and if you want to prolong your hot water then what we do is fill our storage water tank when we get to the campsite. If you are camping in the summer the water in the storage tank heats up to outside ambient temperature or close to it. Then when you shower turn on the water pump and turn off the city water. That way the shower will draw hot water from the heater and "cold" water from the storage tank that is already lukewarm. By mixing hot and lukewarm water you have much more hot water for a shower and your hot water recovers faster being fed by the storage water tank that is already 20-30 degrees F warmer than cold city water. Make sense?

[rlh1957]

Pulling water from the FW tank and shutting off the City Water is an idea. Some of that campground cold water feels like they just pulled it up from a deep well, and probably did! It is so cold. FW tank sitting all day would be several degrees warmer. Good physics and thermos. lesson here.

[KenandCarol]

Originally Posted by lacamastraveler

I confirm what JohnD10 and Ole Buzzard wrote. With the Oxygenics and taking a Navy shower (water reduced to trickle when soaking up), There is adequate hot water for both my wife and I to shower.

X2
The wife and I can take back to back showers. And these aren't "navy" (use the head shutoff) or necessarily quick. Just no soaking!

[IsleDog]

we have the Camco rv shower head, not the stock one and using gas and electric we have more hot water than we know what to do with. has anyone used the on demand water heaters for rv's? that would get you unlimited hot water on full hookups

[DanMistyMiler]

Without hookups you can take as long as a shower as you are willing to carry. That is carry the water to and from your camper. If there is a bath house in the campground, I use it most often. DW doesn't carry water so she takes the shower she needs to in the camper.