Water heater only hot water for a few seconds then cold

[Ryan9102]

Let me preface this by saying I have read a lot of post of here about bypass valves in the wrong position but my bypass valves don't look anything like any other post please see the attached picture the trailer is new. After I have turned on the water heater and let the water get hot the water starts coming out hot but after a few seconds gets cold again. All of my shower valves are off not just on the head but at the knobs as well. I do have both switches inside the trailer and outside on the heater turned on and I know the tank is heating up. I have narrowed it down to this bypass valves situation. I have a feeling this should have 3 way valves installed inline to the water heater input and output connections however my valves are located before the water heater. Am I missing something? Or do I need to take th
it in and have them install the bypass differently?

[JohnD10]

I've never seen a setup like that...

To bypass the water heater with that setup I would guess that both of those needs to be closed.

Maybe that is the new fangled way they are doing it now since a lot of people can't seem to figure out the 'old' way.

[Ryan9102]

Well if I shut both valves off then no antifreeze would get in to the hot water lines and if I leave even just one open it would fill the water heater with antifreeze. So my best guess is they installed the bypass valves incorrectly from factory it looks like a combination of a 2 valve bypass and a 3 valve bypass to me.

[JohnD10]

I would just buy a valve and put it in myself.

If you take it in to the dealer...maybe you'll get it back by next summer!

[Ryan9102]

This is what I think was meant to be installed notice the 2 valves divert the flow past the water heater but are installed inline with the water heater connections

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1826511

[Ryan9102]

If I install a valve on the white hose it would solve my no hot water problem but i still would not have an effective bypass. Plus getting to that hose is nearly impossible. I took one of my drawers out to take that picture.

[XenoRev]

FWIW, #5 is right. An immediate and temp fix would be a locking plier to clamp the white hose. If your under warranty I'd see about taking back to dealer or calling an onsite servicer.
But ultimately you need different valving.

[Flybob]

Looks like the incorrect valve was installed. For a two valve setup, one needs to be a two way. Easiest solution might be replace both valves with a 2 way with the second position being the bypass.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Ryan9102

Let me preface this by saying I have read a lot of post of here about bypass valves in the wrong position but my bypass valves don't look anything like any other post please see the attached picture the trailer is new. After I have turned on the water heater and let the water get hot the water starts coming out hot but after a few seconds gets cold again. All of my shower valves are off not just on the head but at the knobs as well. I do have both switches inside the trailer and outside on the heater turned on and I know the tank is heating up. I have narrowed it down to this bypass valves situation. I have a feeling this should have 3 way valves installed inline to the water heater input and output connections however my valves are located before the water heater. Am I missing something? Or do I need to take th
it in and have them install the bypass differently?

I agree that this looks extremely incorrect. If you have the bottom (blue) valve open to allow water into the tank, it's at the same time also allowing water into the white bypass line.....which then flows into the red hot water and the outlet line from the tank.

You have to have the outlet (red) valve open to allow hot water from the tank, but this at the same time is allowing cold water from the bypass line in too...so you will always have cold water mixing in the hot water.

Looks like a trip to the dealer is going to be necessitated.

[Kaadk]

I agree, the setup is completely wrong, and it needs to be fixed. Since it's under warranty, I'd take it to the dealer, but then again, I know my dealer will get stuff like this done in a timely manner. As John mentioned, a lousy dealer (actually, their service dept) might end up keeping your rig for a while.

The fix itself is fairly straight forward, and should only take, say, an afternoon, but I'd still prefer to have the dealer deal with it, since you want to make sure it's documented as a warranty item.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Flybob

Looks like the incorrect valve was installed. For a two valve setup, one needs to be a two way. Easiest solution might be replace both valves with a 2 way with the second position being the bypass.

I HUMBLY DISAGREE! This is a perfectly legitimate setup.

The lower valve (on the cold, blue tubing) is simply an on-off valve. It is mounted BEFORE the tee to the cold WH input.

The upper valve (on the hot, red tubing) is a two-way valve. It is mounted ON the tee to the hot WH output.

For normal operation, would say that the handle for the cold line needs to be inline with the tubing, as it currently is.

The handle for the hot line needs to be across the tubing (in line with the stem of the T) so water flows out of the WH into the hot water line and blocks the white bypass line.

(Bet most of you didn't notice that the hot valve is located ON its tee and the cold valve is located NEXT TO its tee.)

Larry

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

I HUMBLY DISAGREE! This is a perfectly legitimate setup.

The lower valve (on the cold, blue tubing) is simply an on-off valve. It is mounted BEFORE the tee to the cold WH input.

The upper valve (on the hot, red tubing) is a two-way valve. It is mounted ON the tee to the hot WH output.

For normal operation, would say that the handle for the cold line needs to be inline with the tubing, as it currently is.

The handle for the hot line needs to be across the tubing (in line with the stem of the T) so water flows out of the WH into the hot water line and blocks the white bypass line.

(Bet most of you didn't notice that the hot valve is located ON its tee and the cold valve is located NEXT TO its tee.)

Larry

Not what I see. I can clearly see a piece of red PEX between the T on the output and where the valve is.

[Awilson]

I am trying to attach a photo of the correct plumbing of a bypass.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

(Bet most of you didn't notice that the hot valve is located ON its tee and the cold valve is located NEXT TO its tee.)

Larry

Unless I'm looking at a different picture, I don't see that at all.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

I HUMBLY DISAGREE! This is a perfectly legitimate setup.

The lower valve (on the cold, blue tubing) is simply an on-off valve. It is mounted BEFORE the tee to the cold WH input.

The upper valve (on the hot, red tubing) is a two-way valve. It is mounted ON the tee to the hot WH output.

For normal operation, would say that the handle for the cold line needs to be inline with the tubing, as it currently is.

The handle for the hot line needs to be across the tubing (in line with the stem of the T) so water flows out of the WH into the hot water line and blocks the white bypass line.

(Bet most of you didn't notice that the hot valve is located ON its tee and the cold valve is located NEXT TO its tee.)

Larry

I also am not seeing what you are describing in the least. The cold water inlet and hot water outlet appear to be plumbed exactly the same.

If you close the cold water valve, you are shutting water off to the tank AND the bypass line.... So there is no way to actually get antifreeze into the hot water line via the bypass.

Here is a closer up view so you can see the hot water valve is plumbed just like the cold water valve.

As others noted, there is a piece of vertical pex connected to the hot water outlet.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Kaadk

Not what I see. I can clearly see a piece of red PEX between the T on the output and where the valve is.

You're right, Kaadk. I couldn't believe they would have done something like that and was trying to think of a two-valve scheme that would work in that setup. I didn't look carefully enough. Ready, fire, aim!

Given the situation that's there, the easiest fix would be to add a third valve in the middle of the white bypass, as several have responded.

Larry

[HerveVR]

This setup of your WH plumbing needs to be redone from alpha to omega.

1 It is not, actually, working properly: no hot water.

2 The setup does not allow the proper bypassing function.

3 If you intend to winterize with antifreeze, you will fill the tank with AF or the 《hot portion》 of the plumbing won't be protected.

So...

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

You're right, Kaadk. I couldn't believe they would have done something like that and was trying to think of a two-valve scheme that would work in that setup. I didn't look carefully enough. Ready, fire, aim!

Given the situation that's there, the easiest fix would be to add a third valve in the middle of the white bypass, as several have responded.

Larry

Adding a valve in the bypass line would not correct this scenario.

You would need the bypass line to be plumbed before the cold/hot line tank valves... Not after them for it to work by putting a valve in the bypass line.

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Adding a valve in the bypass line would not correct this scenario.

You would need the bypass line to be plumbed before the cold/hot line tank valves... Not after them for it to work by putting a valve in the bypass line.

Actually, to be fair, just putting a valve on the bypass does solve the OP's original problem of their hot water going cold.

However, what it doesn't solve is the ability to winterize, so if you're fixing it anyways, yes, might as well fix it right.

[FORKLIFMAN]

I agree, the plumbing is in a bypass situation , shut off the bypass you will then go though the water heater. as Homer Simpson would say Dote!