Hot water heater

kb0zke

Well-known member
Now that June has arrived, the weather has finally decided it is summer. Tonight we hooked up the hose and flushed out the water lines, or at least that's what we think we did. At any rate, we're able to get water from both hot and cold faucets using either the fresh water tank and pump or the city water connection. Tomorrow we'll finish sanitizing the fresh water tank.

Now, what about the hot water heater? How do I get it to heat water? There's a red switch inside marked "hot water heater" that I assume controls the electric side of things. What about the propane side? I didn't see anything useful in the owner's manual.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Dave, if you or someone else winterized the rig, make sure the bypass for the hot water heater is closed and the supply and return valves are open BEFORE you attempt to use the water heater. It must be full of water or things can be damaged. If in fact you do have the elec/LP water heater, there should be a red switch that looks like a residential switch. this is for the elec side of the heater. In addition, there is a switch on the outside of the water heater. Remove the outer cover and it is a black rocker switch. Remove the clip and turn this on as well. For LP operation, there is another red switch on the monitor panel that controls the LP side.
 

Jimmy

Well-known member
Small Red "Rocker" switch on the same little control box that has your tank levels on it...
 

kb0zke

Well-known member
Let me see if I have this straight. Turning on the rocker switch on the tank levels panel will light the propane side of the hot water heater (assuming that the propane is turned on). Then, when we get to the campground and hook up to shore power, I turn off that switch and turn on the larger red switch marked "Hot Water Heater." Before I do that, though, I have to turn on the small black switch on the outside of the hot water heater. I've got that much found, so if I'm correct, then I'm good there.

Now, what about these bypass valves? Where are they located? As we were flushing the lines we were able to have water coming out both the cold and hot sides of the faucets. Does that mean that we're set?
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
One thing to be sure of before you turn on the electric side of the hot water heater is to be certain it is full of water. If you turn on the electric side before it is full you will burn out the heating element in less than a minute.
 

kb0zke

Well-known member
That's my question: How do I know that the hot water tank is full of water? Several people have mentioned some valves, but where are they?
 

Rodbuster

Well-known member
If you are using the propane side of the water heater, isn't there a pilot to be lit??? If there is, where would that be located?
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
That's my question: How do I know that the hot water tank is full of water? Several people have mentioned some valves, but where are they?

If the hotwater heater has air inside and you start putting water in it, the air will be pressurized. When you open the hot water faucet it will go... Ftttttttttt and may spit some water all over the place for a few seconds. Normally less than a minute. But lets say for some reason you think air was trapped inside that was not pushed out by the water pressure you can open the high pressure valve (it has the little toggle handle on it in the outside behind the little hot water door). That has always worked on my RV hotwater heater and the HW heater in my old S&B.

This is not meant to be a smart *** remark, but just put in a simple way as I know it.

FWIW
BC
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
If you are using the propane side of the water heater, isn't there a pilot to be lit??? If there is, where would that be located?

The hotwater heater does not have a pilot. To the best of my knowledge when you turn on the switch for the HW heater to work on propane it will open the propane valve and a spark will ignite the propane. If it does not light within a specific amount of time the propane valve will close automatically. There is a small printed circuit board that is connected to the HW heater that manages this process. If the crcuit board is defective the propane valve will not open.

BC
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
David, YOU DO NOT have to turn on the black "rocker switch" everytime you go camping.....just leave it on from now on. Open all the hot water faucets and bleed all the air out either way when using propane or electric. Better safe than sorry. Now to really screw you up. Every year you should inspect and/or replace the anode rod in the HWH tank. Do a search on anode rods on the portal page.
 

kb0zke

Well-known member
I think I finally understand the hot water system. Since I attached the anode rod, which plugged the hot water heater tank, and I've flushed all the plumbing, the hot water heater is now full of water. I turned on the little black switch on the outside of the hot water heater, and I can now leave it on. When I turn on the propane, and flip the rocker switch on the panel, the propane side will ignite and soon give me hot water. When I'm at the campground, connected to shore power, I can turn the propane switch off and turn on the large red switch inside. That will start the electric side going. Thanks to those who posted pictures of the three switches.

Now, Heartland, would it be possible to put this information into the owner's manual? Maybe this is old stuff for many people, but for some of us, that mpg is the first rv, and we don't know this stuff. Yes, I'm sure that the dealer did explain it to us - the first weekend in December! We had a freeze on 15 May, so if I had gotten all of this ready to go back when it first started warming up I'd probably have had all sorts of damage. Now, six months after we bought the camper, we need the information, and it isn't in the manual.

Sorry for the rant, but the owner's manual is all but useless.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
David, try looking in the WIKI and see if someone has posted the info you need. Otherwise go the your HWH (suburban) website and you can download the users manual. You can do the same with most of the products used by HL. Get yourself a 3 ring folder and put them in it and keep it in your trailer. I did that a loooooooooooooong time ago.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
This comes up from time to time. Check out post #4.
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.ph...heater-on-a-2011-24RBS?highlight=water+heater

There is a Wiki entry for water heaters, too. //heartlandowners.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Water_Heater
 

charlie51

Active Member
Also if it is just a 6 gallon heater like most there is no need to turn it on prior to leaving your house unless you are going to need it for something before getting to the campgroun. I get where I'm going, hook up the water and I don't turn my water heater on until about 20 minutes before we get ready to use the hot water. Mine is propane only and it is nice and hot within 15-20 minutes. Have fun.
 

Rodbuster

Well-known member
I read all of these posts and also some others on another forum. I may have missed it, but I don't think so. I have read many times..."Do Not Start The Water Heater If You Don't Have Water In The Tank".
Nobody mentions how to actually put water in the hot water tank. It's probably common sense and/or knowledge to most of you, but to some first time RVers (like myself), well, we just don't know or we're not sure. I know how it works in my home but I don't think that I should take it for granted that it works the same way in an RV.
I did find out that the water heater tank fills itself from the fresh water holding tank when you open the hot water faucets in the RV.

Please understand that I'm not making these statements in a grumpy way, just trying to help someone that might have as little knowledge about RVing as I do..... hmmm, I doubt it, but maybe.

Rodbuster
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
If you have bypass valves, put them in the Normal position, not in bypass. If drawing water from the tank, like the first time for the season, open the pressure relief valve at the top of the tank and run the pump until water drips from it, then close it. From the city water connection, same thing. That will show the tank is filled and you have an air gap at the top.

I fill the water heater at the beginning of the season and don't drain it until the end of the season. When we leave our trailer for an extended period (week - 10 days), I turn off the power to the water heater, but don't drain it. When we come back, I fire it up again and it's back in business.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Rodbuster, as John said, after the 1st time you fill the tank for the season. You should be ready to go. BUT, I always hook up the water hose and turn the kitchen and BR sink HOT water side faucets on and bleed out all the air. Then and only then will I turn on the propane/electric to the HWH. If you are dry camping, then turn on the water pump and bleed out any air. If you do this you will be good to go.
 
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JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Oops, my bad. I forgot to add that when I dewinterize (at a storage yard), I use a portable air compressor to blow out the antifreeze and then the water pump (in winterize mode) to draw fresh water through the lines from a 6-gallon jerry can. When I get to the campground, that's when I fill the water heater and run an extended flush of the plumbing from the city water connection.
 
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