About the gas/electric water heaters

[doctort44]

Last weekend, we tried the shower in our new Surveyor Sport 189 for the first time. Seems like the hot water cools down much more quickly than in our previous RV. We were running it on electric. Would it stay warmer longer if we put it on gas for showering? Could we turn on the gas and leave it on electric as well, then turn off the gas after we shower?

Thanks

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by doctort44

Last weekend, we tried the shower in our new Surveyor Sport 189 for the first time. Seems like the hot water cools down much more quickly than in our previous RV. We were running it on electric. Would it stay warmer longer if we put it on gas for showering? Could we turn on the gas and leave it on electric as well, then turn off the gas after we shower?

Thanks

Yes turn on the electric element and for showering turn on the gas too for a faster recovery. We always leave the electric side on for our general needs and then run the gas too when we shower.

Don't be alarmed if the gas doesn't light up right away as I have found that the electric element keeps the water at a point just above the thermostat for the gas burner. Therefore it won't fire off until a little water is used.

And before someone chips in and adds that the electric should be off if you drain the tank, well no duh. Obviously turn the electric element off if you plan to empty the tank to winterize it or you WILL burn out the element.

[TulsaSteve]

Originally Posted by NWJeeper

And before someone chips in and adds that the electric should be off if you drain the tank, well no duh. Obviously turn the electric element off if you plan to empty the tank to winterize it or you WILL burn out the element.

And spend the $8.99 to put an extra element in your spare parts bin since you might forget to change the valve back when you de-winterize, turn on the tank, get no hot water and realize that the only thing in your hot water tank is a burned out element.

Happened to "a friend" of mine........

[doctort44]

Originally Posted by NWJeeper

Yes turn on the electric element and for showering turn on the gas too for a faster recovery. We always leave the electric side on for our general needs and then run the gas too when we shower.

Don't be alarmed if the gas doesn't light up right away as I have found that the electric element keeps the water at a point just above the thermostat for the gas burner. Therefore it won't fire off until a little water is used.

And before someone chips in and adds that the electric should be off if you drain the tank, well no duh. Obviously turn the electric element off if you plan to empty the tank to winterize it or you WILL burn out the element.

Super! Thanks for the info.

[MtnGuy]

doctort44, make sure that the hot water heater bypass valve is compeletly shut off also. A little leak there might cause cold water to mix with the hot in your tank, and make it fell like you water heater is not hot enough.

[doctort44]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

doctort44, make sure that the hot water heater bypass valve is compeletly shut off also. A little leak there might cause cold water to mix with the hot in your tank, and make it fell like you water heater is not hot enough.

I wish I had a bypass valve. There isn't even an opening to the back side of the water heater. The outside front panel is the only access. The interior panels don't even have screws so that they could be removed. At least the water pump has a screwed-on panel above it, in case I wanted to get to it.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by doctort44

I wish I had a bypass valve. There isn't even an opening to the back side of the water heater. The outside front panel is the only access.

The factory guys had to reach the back side of your
water heater to hook it up.
There very likely is a bypass but it's probably not causing
you trouble.
Hopefully someone here with the same TT as yours will
tell you how to access the back.
It can be done!
Ask your dealer if you can't figure out how.

[MtnGuy]

Like KyDan says, there should be some way to get to the lines.

In looking at a Sport 189 up on the net, it looks like the water heater is near the back right corner of the trailer. There is wardrobe over top of that area......will the floor come up in the wardrobe ??

Or, some way to get to the back from behind the toilet ??

[doctort44]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

Like KyDan says, there should be some way to get to the lines.

In looking at a Sport 189 up on the net, it looks like the water heater is near the back right corner of the trailer. There is wardrobe over top of that area......will the floor come up in the wardrobe ??

Or, some way to get to the back from behind the toilet ??

If there is, I sure don't see it. The floor of the wardrobe as well as the front of it and the wall in the bathroom don't have any panels with screws. Whereas the access to the pump is a screwed panel in the cabinet under the sink. Maybe the floor of the wardrobe just lifts up. I haven't tried that. The RV is over at a storage place where we keep it, so I won't be able to check it for a while. I appreciate the input, though.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by doctort44

If there is, I sure don't see it. The floor of the wardrobe as well as the front of it and the wall in the bathroom don't have any panels with screws. Whereas the access to the pump is a screwed panel in the cabinet under the sink. Maybe the floor of the wardrobe just lifts up. I haven't tried that. The RV is over at a storage place where we keep it, so I won't be able to check it for a while. I appreciate the input, though.

Doctort44: My 186 sport, which is very much like yours without the slideout, has a panel just below the wardrobe doors that comes off with four screws. They are dark-colored screws and hard to see. Once the screws are removed, the entire panel comes out to reveal the bypass valve.

[milzat]

Doc,

The water heater by-pass is a standard feature on the SP189 Surveyor.



Note the dead space below the ward robe door. Access to the by-pass valves are located behind a panel. Most likely the ward robe has a false floor, or as mjones12 stated, a panel below the doors.

[doctort44]

Originally Posted by mjones12

Doctort44: My 186 sport, which is very much like yours without the slideout, has a panel just below the wardrobe doors that comes off with four screws. They are dark-colored screws and hard to see. Once the screws are removed, the entire panel comes out to reveal the bypass valve.

Thanks. I'll take another look next time Maybe I overlooked it.

[dichayer]

If there is a panel with screws, and the bypass valve is there, put velcrio on the back of the panel and then throw the screws away. After removing and replacing the screws a couple of times, the holes will be stripped out. Then buy a small knob that is similar to the ones used in your camper and install it on the panel to make it easy to take it off and on. I did this to tha panel that covers the water pump and the one for the water heater on my 192T. It saves a lot of horsing around when you winterize or get it ready in the spring.
Dick

[doctort44]

Originally Posted by dichayer

If there is a panel with screws, and the bypass valve is there, put velcrio on the back of the panel and then throw the screws away. After removing and replacing the screws a couple of times, the holes will be stripped out. Then buy a small knob that is similar to the ones used in your camper and install it on the panel to make it easy to take it off and on. I did this to tha panel that covers the water pump and the one for the water heater on my 192T. It saves a lot of horsing around when you winterize or get it ready in the spring.
Dick

Good idea. Love that Velcro!! Thanks

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by dichayer

If there is a panel with screws, and the bypass valve is there, put velcrio on the back of the panel and then throw the screws away. After removing and replacing the screws a couple of times, the holes will be stripped out. Then buy a small knob that is similar to the ones used in your camper and install it on the panel to make it easy to take it off and on. I did this to tha panel that covers the water pump and the one for the water heater on my 192T. It saves a lot of horsing around when you winterize or get it ready in the spring.
Dick

That IS a great idea. Thanks. I'm definitely going to do it.

[doctort44]

I finally had time to get over to where we store the RV. It does have screws on the panel below the wardrobe to access the bypass on the back of the water heater. Next time we take it out, I'll put on the Velcro and install a knob to make it easily removable. Thanks for all the input from everyone.

[doctort44]

Here's another update. When I took off the panel below the wardrobe, I found that, not only is the back of the water heater there with the bypass valves, but the pump is there as well. The dealer had told me that the pump was below the bathroom cabinet. I guess I need to take off that panel below the cabinet and see whats there.

[MtnGuy]

Was the bypass valve cracked open ???

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by doctort44

Here's another update. When I took off the panel below the wardrobe, I found that, not only is the back of the water heater there with the bypass valves, but the pump is there as well. The dealer had told me that the pump was below the bathroom cabinet. I guess I need to take off that panel below the cabinet and see whats there.

Just proves my point that these dealers don't know squat in most cases about the rigs they sell. At least you're getting aquainted with where everything is and thats a good thing.

[doctort44]

Originally Posted by mtnguy

Was the bypass valve cracked open ???

No it wasn't.