water heater problem

exscream · 10-01-2010, 07:33 PM

In our Rockwood Mini Lite trailer we cannot take a full shower before the water gets cold. I have an electric and gas water heater. The gas kicks in too late, when the water is already too cold. The manual says that the temperature setting cannot be changed. Is there a way to adjust at what temperature the gas should start?

pondlady · 10-01-2010, 07:58 PM

Our walk through tech said he lights the water heater just before he takes a shower and it works well for all 4 members of his family. He has a 12 gal tank.

Dave_Monica · 10-01-2010, 07:58 PM

Not sure what you mean when you say "having a full shower". If you mean a 10+ minute shower as you would at home, you'll soon run out of water as it's only a 6 gal tank. Most recommend getting wet, shutting it off while soaping up, then turning it on again to rinse off.

You can run the water heater in both electric and propane mode to help maintain water temperature.

You could install a separate water shut off after the mixing valves from Home Depot etc as the shut-off on the shower head is a PITA to work.

Dave

milzat · 10-01-2010, 08:04 PM

Most RV water heater tanks are only a 6 gallons capacity. It has a recovery rate of 10.2 Gallons Per Hour using 12,000 BTUH input. The recovery rate using 120 Volt AC is 6 Gallons Per Hour or 16 plus Gallons Per Hour using both Electricity and Gas.

If you're not familiar with a Navy Shower, this is what has to be done, to utilize a water heater that size.

Remember, we're not at home with the conveniance of a 40 gal. quick-recovery water heater. We're camping !!!!!!

Navy Shower: Rinse yourself, shut water OFF, soap and lather yourself, turm water ON and rinse yourself. Turn water OFF so the next person will have water for their shower.

Simple......................

exscream · 10-01-2010, 09:04 PM

Thanks all. Actually, its only my wife that has a problem, but she swears that she is easy on the hot water. maybe not....

EdJunior · 10-01-2010, 09:41 PM

Yeah, I think she may need some training. Me and my wife can take a shower one right after the other with no problems. But it is exactly as Dave_Monica says. Wet, off, lather, off, rinse, off, lather, off, rinse, off, etc. It's the only way you can do it. And you won't fill up the gray tank as quick either.

crocus · 10-01-2010, 10:51 PM

That's why there is that easy shutoff button on the showerhead, so you don't have to readjust the hot/cold knobs.

revrnd · 10-01-2010, 11:08 PM

Two of us using the shower while camping @ the races in Indy last month having showers in the norning w/ no problems. The "Navy shower" method is what I've been told to do & I passed it on to my buddy. BTW, that's just another term for what Dave described.

My Mini-Lite has the 6 gal' gas heater.

Dave, the shut offs on my inside & outside showers differ. The interior one has a simple button you push from 1 side to the other. The shower "head" for the outside shower has a "detail" that you turn 1 way or the other to start or stop water flow.

exscream · 10-02-2010, 06:42 AM

to be fair to my wife, in our previous trailer, where we had the same water heater, we could both shower one after the other with no problems. I think that the shower head was more restricted though.

**KyDan** · 10-02-2010, 06:54 AM

Many good replies here already but I notice you say the gas doesn't
start up till the water is already cool.
It should not be like that.
It's possible the gas heat thermostat is defective or not in good
contact with the tank.

You don't mention your brand and model number but some
brands you can purchase a hotter thermostat from the factory
or a well stocked parts dealer.
Mine has a totally separate thermostat for the electric and another
for the gas. This is typical for most RV water heaters.
The electric will always come on first but if we
use much water the gas will come on pretty quickly.

I gotta be honest, since we camp a lot in Kentucky state parks
and they usually have pretty decent bath houses we usually
don't shower in our trailer so this is not an issue.
While on our big adventure out west this June I did shower
in the trailer a couple times but the old "navy" shower was
the order of the day because we were dry camping with no
sewer and no water hookups. When you take a 5 gallon shower
in June you don't use a lot of hot water

milzat · 10-02-2010, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exscream

to be fair to my wife, in our previous trailer, where we had the same water heater, we could both shower one after the other with no problems. I think that the shower head was more restricted though.

Have you checked to see if (maybe) the water heater by-pass valve(s) is not fully closed ?

cbenslay · 07-22-2011, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

You could install a separate water shut off after the mixing valves from Home Depot etc as the shut-off on the shower head is a PITA to work.
Dave

I know this is an old post, but I just read it in a search... What are you referring to from Home Depot? Is it a regular plumbing item?

Thanks,

jimh · 07-22-2011, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milzat

Most RV water heater tanks are only a 6 gallons capacity. It has a recovery rate of 10.2 Gallons Per Hour using 12,000 BTUH input. The recovery rate using 120 Volt AC is 6 Gallons Per Hour or 16 plus Gallons Per Hour using both Electricity and Gas.

If you're not familiar with a Navy Shower, this is what has to be done, to utilize a water heater that size.

Remember, we're not at home with the conveniance of a 40 gal. quick-recovery water heater. We're camping !!!!!!

Navy Shower: Rinse yourself, shut water OFF, soap and lather yourself, turm water ON and rinse yourself. Turn water OFF so the next person will have water for their shower.

Simple......................

that answers one of my questions: on the home unit, a 40 gal hw heater is the amt of water it can heat in an hour. so the rv is acutally tank capacity?
in the rv, i have the larger hw heater and we have not run out of hw but it is just my wife and i.

jimh · 07-22-2011, 06:54 PM

nope, i had that wrong. gal is tank capacity. apparently i saw one one time that had the same recovery and capacaty. so there isn't a difference in the way the rv hw heater and home hw heater is rated.

shabby · 08-18-2011, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exscream

In our Rockwood Mini Lite trailer we cannot take a full shower before the water gets cold. I have an electric and gas water heater. The gas kicks in too late, when the water is already too cold. The manual says that the temperature setting cannot be changed. Is there a way to adjust at what temperature the gas should start?

I also have a water heater that will run off of propane or an electric element. When I am at a CG I always use the electric heating element and it does the job quite well, why use your own propane when I can use the CG's power. I don't take showers in the TT but my wife and kids do and they say that it is great. I know they don't take long showers but they also don't get wet and shut the water off then wash and turn water back on to rinse off. It only takes about 10 min. to heat the 6 gal. tank up when I get set up on my site and I never fire the propane water tank heater at all and I always have HOT water. Just remember if you do this you have to make sure that there is water in the tank or you can burn the electric element out very quickly(30 seconds to 1 min.).

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