Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-27-2020, 07:49 AM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 57
Help! Keep running out of hot water and wife is not happy!

Hey everyone,


We're at a CG right now and each time we try to take a shower, the hot water runs out in no time at all. The water is piping hot at first, but quickly become lukewarm and then cold. The burner kicks on and stays on pretty quickly after starting the shower, so that is not the problem. I've checked - both inlet and outlet (hot) valves on the heater are fully open.


Before anyone suggests it, we've been RVing for decades and are pretty adept at taking Navy showers, so I know we are not burning through 6 gallons in a few minutes of on/off with the hot water knob.


As we stand there freezing in our birthday suits, the hot water will heat back up, so the heater seems to be functioning correctly, but it's almost as if there really isn't 6 gallons in there....2 gallons max if I had to make a guess. I get water out of the pressure relief valve when I open it as well, so the tank seems full.


Ideas? I figure if I call a mobile tech, he's just going to say it's functioning fine and take my $100.


Thanks!
__________________

Butch and Sharon
Goldsboro, NC
2020 Wolfpack 365Pack16
2018 Yamaha Star Venture TC in back
2020 GMC Sierra Denali 3500HD DRW
akf15e is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 07:52 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
nomad297's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,053
Check your outdoor shower to make sure the valves aren’t turned on and the button on the spray head is turned off. This will cause your hot and cold water to mix.

Bruce
__________________
2016 Rockwood Windjammer 3029W Diamond Edition
2015 Chevy 3500HD LTZ 6.0 Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed 4.10:1 SRW
nomad297 is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 07:57 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Chuck_S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Richmond VA
Posts: 4,510
What Nomad said.

If you have a second shower with the wand turned off and the faucets still on the hot and cold water in the system will mix. The outdoor shower is usually the culprit but any wand with a shutoff on the handle will do this.

-- Chuck
__________________
2006 Roo 23SS behind a 2017 Ford Expedition
Chuck_S is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:01 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
nomad297's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,053
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck_S View Post
What Nomad said.

If you have a second shower with the wand turned off and the faucets still on the hot and cold water in the system will mix. The outdoor shower is usually the culprit but any wand with a shutoff on the handle will do this.

-- Chuck
Yup! I tend to forget about those who are fortunate enough to have more than one shower inside of their RVs.

Bruce
__________________
2016 Rockwood Windjammer 3029W Diamond Edition
2015 Chevy 3500HD LTZ 6.0 Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed 4.10:1 SRW
nomad297 is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:04 AM   #5
Site Team
 
Flybob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,243
Just for giggles, make sure your bypass valve is in the correct position if you have one.
__________________

2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
Flybob is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:06 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
nomad297's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,053
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flybob View Post
Just for giggles, make sure your bypass valve is in the correct position if you have one.
Check his edit to his OP.

Bruce
__________________
2016 Rockwood Windjammer 3029W Diamond Edition
2015 Chevy 3500HD LTZ 6.0 Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed 4.10:1 SRW
nomad297 is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:15 AM   #7
Site Team
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northen IL
Posts: 8,267
I've never heard of a WH in a trailer with no bypass.. .
Iwritecode is online now  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:19 AM   #8
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 57
Sorry gang - I don't know what I was looking at under there this AM. I do have a bypass set up. PDI guy said there wasn't one and for some reason, after 5 RV PDIs during my life, I trusted him!


Outside shower is not the issue - checked the knobs. Thanks for the heads up though. Never heard of that one before. Good knowledge to have.


I am going back under to check the bypass valves.
__________________

Butch and Sharon
Goldsboro, NC
2020 Wolfpack 365Pack16
2018 Yamaha Star Venture TC in back
2020 GMC Sierra Denali 3500HD DRW
akf15e is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:21 AM   #9
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 57
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iwritecode View Post
I've never heard of a WH in a trailer with no bypass.. .

See my comment in my follow up. My first TT did not have one and I had to install. During my PDI on this the guy said there wasn't one. I found that kind of hard to believe, but in the drenching down our we were in, I decided not to look to verify.
__________________

Butch and Sharon
Goldsboro, NC
2020 Wolfpack 365Pack16
2018 Yamaha Star Venture TC in back
2020 GMC Sierra Denali 3500HD DRW
akf15e is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:30 AM   #10
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 57
Current set up. Everything looks correct. When I rotate wither valve, we get no flow from hot water faucets, so that tells me all is working correctly with the bypass, correct? No idea why pic is 90 degrees out. Click image for larger version

Name:	H2O heater.jpg
Views:	347
Size:	372.9 KB
ID:	225825
__________________

Butch and Sharon
Goldsboro, NC
2020 Wolfpack 365Pack16
2018 Yamaha Star Venture TC in back
2020 GMC Sierra Denali 3500HD DRW
akf15e is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:39 AM   #11
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 57
[QUOTE=Chuck_S;2294675]What Nomad said.

If you have a second shower with the wand turned off and the faucets still on the hot and cold water in the system will mix. The outdoor shower is usually the culprit but any wand with a shutoff on the handle will do this.

Will using the shutoff on the shower head we are using cause this? I'm use to it giving an initial blast off cool water when you hit the button back on, but this is full up no hot water, i.e., it never comes back hot until you stand there 10 minutes waiting for the it to heat back up.
__________________

Butch and Sharon
Goldsboro, NC
2020 Wolfpack 365Pack16
2018 Yamaha Star Venture TC in back
2020 GMC Sierra Denali 3500HD DRW
akf15e is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:42 AM   #12
Kanadian Kamper
 
kenandterry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 8,113
My system has the 3 valve design for bypass, but I see how yours is designed.

That said, if that’s the normal position for your valves for everything to work right in your photo, then if you were to turn BOTH valves 90 degrees from the positions shown, I believe you should then NOT get any from your hot water taps.

Have you verified that?
Also.....is this the first time you’ve ever experienced this problem with your rig?
__________________

Ken and Terry
2018 Sunseeker 2430S-CD, nicely modified and carried by a 2017 Ford E450 Sport
Former Georgetown 330TS owner for 10 years with more mods than I can count, pushed by our 2017 GMC Terrain
kenandterry is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 08:50 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 700
One test you can try; fill a 5 gallon bucket with hot water only. This will help determine how much hot water you are getting.
Until the problem is solved you have 5 gallons to wash with and you'll be able to find the recovery time for the next shower.
myxkp is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 09:00 AM   #14
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 57
Quote:
Originally Posted by kenandterry View Post
My system has the 3 valve design for bypass, but I see how yours is designed.

That said, if that’s the normal position for your valves for everything to work right in your photo, then if you were to turn BOTH valves 90 degrees from the positions shown, I believe you should then NOT get any from your hot water taps.

Have you verified that?
Also.....is this the first time you’ve ever experienced this problem with your rig?

Ken - yep. Switched the positions through hall 4 possible combos and this is the only way we get water. Only the second trip in the rig. We don't recall it happening on the first trip, but it was so darn cold in the winter, we were in and out of the shower in a flash!
__________________

Butch and Sharon
Goldsboro, NC
2020 Wolfpack 365Pack16
2018 Yamaha Star Venture TC in back
2020 GMC Sierra Denali 3500HD DRW
akf15e is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 09:01 AM   #15
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 57
Quote:
Originally Posted by myxkp View Post
One test you can try; fill a 5 gallon bucket with hot water only. This will help determine how much hot water you are getting.
Until the problem is solved you have 5 gallons to wash with and you'll be able to find the recovery time for the next shower.

Great idea. When we get back this afternoon I plan on measuring how much actually comes out of the faucet.
__________________

Butch and Sharon
Goldsboro, NC
2020 Wolfpack 365Pack16
2018 Yamaha Star Venture TC in back
2020 GMC Sierra Denali 3500HD DRW
akf15e is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 09:02 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Raleigh NC
Posts: 289
Have you tried releasing the pressure valve on the tank to make sure it is totally filled with water? Be extremely careful as hot water may come out if it is full. I'd suggest depressurizing the system first, open the valve, then turn your water (or pump) back on.
__________________
Old- 2002 21 Roo
New- 2015 Shamrock 23 IKSS
TV- 2010 Nissan Titan CC
wharfrat48 is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 09:21 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Port Charlotte Fl/Hinsdale Ma
Posts: 4,823
Quote:
Originally Posted by nomad297 View Post
Check your outdoor shower to make sure the valves aren’t turned on and the button on the spray head is turned off. This will cause your hot and cold water to mix.

Bruce
Same with the inside shower.
cavie is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 09:30 AM   #18
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 57
Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfrat48 View Post
Have you tried releasing the pressure valve on the tank to make sure it is totally filled with water? Be extremely careful as hot water may come out if it is full. I'd suggest depressurizing the system first, open the valve, then turn your water (or pump) back on.
Did that too. Water come out immediately.
__________________

Butch and Sharon
Goldsboro, NC
2020 Wolfpack 365Pack16
2018 Yamaha Star Venture TC in back
2020 GMC Sierra Denali 3500HD DRW
akf15e is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 09:36 AM   #19
Kanadian Kamper
 
kenandterry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 8,113
Quote:
Originally Posted by akf15e View Post
Great idea. When we get back this afternoon I plan on measuring how much actually comes out of the faucet.
We’re running out of ideas here.
I’m in agreement at this point. Somehow, see if you can capture a known quantity of hot water, and see when it runs out to verify your 6 gallon unit for capacity.

Am I right in assuming your heating tank is propane only, and not electric too?
__________________

Ken and Terry
2018 Sunseeker 2430S-CD, nicely modified and carried by a 2017 Ford E450 Sport
Former Georgetown 330TS owner for 10 years with more mods than I can count, pushed by our 2017 GMC Terrain
kenandterry is offline  
Old 03-27-2020, 09:57 AM   #20
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 10,907
If you have a Shower Miser, have you turned it off while showering? If not, you may be sending a lot of your water to the FW tank.
__________________
1988 Coleman Sequoia - popup (1987-2009) - outlasted 3 Dodge Grand Caravans!
2012 Roo19 - hybrid (2012-2015)

2016 Mini Lite 2503S - tt (2015 - ???)
2011 Traverse LT, 3.6L, FWD
2009 Silverado 1500 Ext Cab, 5.3L, 4x4, 3.73
2016 Silverado 2500HD Dbl Cab, 6.0L 4x4, 4.10
rockfordroo is offline  
Closed Thread

Tags
hot water, water

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:10 AM.