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11-10-2019, 08:41 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Iron Station NC
Posts: 64
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Refilling the hot water heater
Hey guys ,
We are every other weekend warriors..lol...
Winter is soon us here in NC...some cold overnights are starting...we boondock on our own property...we are getting power hopefully in the next 2 weeks..but still no water..which is no big deal we just bring with us or store in a tote...to prevent any damage to hot water heater from freezing is it ok to keep draining it everytime we leave and refilling it when we arrive?..draining it I know how to do (release the pressure and drain plug....but how do I refill the hot water heater?....just fresh water from fresh water tank...
Sorry for long post just wanted all to know as much as possible first..lol...
Thanks Stan..
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11-10-2019, 08:45 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,053
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The water heater will fill without you doing anything other than turning on the water pump for normal use.
Bruce
__________________
2016 Rockwood Windjammer 3029W Diamond Edition
2015 Chevy 3500HD LTZ 6.0 Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed 4.10:1 SRW
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11-10-2019, 08:45 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: x
Posts: 12,423
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When you refill it what I like to do is open the pressure relief valve and run your potable water pump until you get water then close the relief valve and open the hot faucet forest away from the WH until all the air is out.
__________________
Retired Navy
Jake my sidekick (yellow Lab) 10/04 - 05/20
2017 RAM 2500 CC 4X4 Cummins Diesel
2016 Flagstaff 26 FKWS
AF&AM & El Korah Shrine of Idaho
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11-10-2019, 08:49 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,053
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaDog
close the relief valve and open the hot faucet [farthest] away from the WH until all the air is out.
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This should suffice, but the correct way to remove air from any system is to start at the fixture closest to the source and work your way to the farthest fixture.
Bruce
__________________
2016 Rockwood Windjammer 3029W Diamond Edition
2015 Chevy 3500HD LTZ 6.0 Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed 4.10:1 SRW
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11-10-2019, 08:50 AM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Iron Station NC
Posts: 64
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Thank you guys appreciate the help as always...
__________________
2019 Forest River Salem 31KQBTS
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11-10-2019, 08:53 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: x
Posts: 12,423
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If it gets the air out its correct either it meets your correct or not but thanks.
__________________
Retired Navy
Jake my sidekick (yellow Lab) 10/04 - 05/20
2017 RAM 2500 CC 4X4 Cummins Diesel
2016 Flagstaff 26 FKWS
AF&AM & El Korah Shrine of Idaho
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11-10-2019, 08:54 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 5,712
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Just remember that the WH (water heater) will take about 6 gals of water from the FWT (fresh water tank) to fill.
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11-10-2019, 08:59 AM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Southwest Alabama
Posts: 9,850
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The practice of opening the T&P valve is insurance against leaving the bypass valve(s) set to bypass. If you accidentally leave the valve(s) in bypass you'll still get water out of the hot water faucets but you won't get anything out of the T&P valve.
__________________
Salem 29RKSS Pushing a GMC Sierra 2500HD!
Gotta go campin! 
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11-10-2019, 09:30 AM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Iron Station NC
Posts: 64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bama Rambler
The practice of opening the T&P valve is insurance against leaving the bypass valve(s) set to bypass. If you accidentally leave the valve(s) in bypass you'll still get water out of the hot water faucets but you won't get anything out of the T&P valve.
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We've never bypassed it...so its still in "summer " setup..lol
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11-10-2019, 09:31 AM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Iron Station NC
Posts: 64
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Thanks again guys....
__________________
2019 Forest River Salem 31KQBTS
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11-10-2019, 02:19 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Chardon, Ohio
Posts: 513
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Just remember, before draining be sure to turn off the electric to the hot water heater so you don’t burn out the element. Turn electric back on only when it’s refilled.
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Bill, Maura & Rosie the rescued Boston Terrier
2016 Winnebago Adventurer 38Q-26K Chassis...traded in 2015 Wildcat 282RKX
Towing 4 down 2014 CR-V EX-L w/Nav & Blue Ox & Ready Brute Elite or 2018 Colorado Crew Cab 4x4 V6 longbed
NRA Endowment Life Member, FMCA #455593, WIT #170814 & Mid-Ohio Winnies
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11-11-2019, 06:29 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,095
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Living in Colorado, most campgrounds shut off the water spigots in October and don't turn them on again until May. But there are plenty of warm days (50s-60s) in the fall, winter, and spring if you stay below 7,500ft. Which means to camp during the Oct- May season, you need to bring your own water. The water tank is only 20 gal, and the water heater is 6 gal, so having the water tank and heater both full gives us significantly more water on board. Doesn't matter whether or not I turn on the water heater - the water is still available.
While camping, we've been down to 25 degrees at night (40s during the day), and never had the water system freeze up. I do run the heat to 60 degrees at night for comfortable sleeping.
We store our A-frame (and 2 cars) in the attached garage. Even though the garage is unheated, the doors face south, and we rarely have anything freeze in the garage. So I never put in antifreeze or put the water heater in bypass.
My winterization for the very simple plumbing of the A-frame is to turn off the water pump, and open both the outside shower faucets and the fresh water tank drain when we leave camp. I close them upon arrival at home. This drains the water tank, water heater, and the piping.
When we leave on the next trip, I fill the water tank from our outside faucet, turn on the pump to fill the water heater, open the hot water valve on the outside shower until I get flow, close the hot water valve, turn off the pump, and top off the water tank. Adds about 10 min to our departure time, including disconnecting and draining the hose from the outside house faucet. Upon arrival at camp, all I have to do is turn on the water pump. When the inside sink doesn't drain, DW reminds that I forgot to attach the gray water drain hose and bucket!
just the way we camp
Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time
last trip: Chatfield SP, Nov 9 and 10 (came home yesterday)
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11-12-2019, 12:05 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SW ONTARIO
Posts: 354
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaDog
When you refill it what I like to do is open the pressure relief valve and run your potable water pump until you get water then close the relief valve and open the hot faucet forest away from the WH until all the air is out.
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I'm told that some relief valves are single use only- not designed for regular use.
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