Cold hot water

[jsrigler]

Newbee
My hot water heater only heats water to 97 degrees on electric and 106 degrees on propane. It is an Atwood 6 gal in my 2017 Mallard TT. It is still under waranty and just back from being rebuilt by the dealer when I took it in for this problem. Dealer found and corrected several problems with the propane suppy and burners but the temperature is still too low. Can I fix this myself or do I need to hook back up and take it to the dealer?

 

[jimtoo]

Hi jsrigler,

Make sure your outside shower is turned off with the knobs and not just the shower head button. Also check your water heater bypass valves to be sure they are correctly set.

Jim T

 

[danemayer]

Hi jsrigler,

There are 3 likely causes:

1. The water heater bypass valve might be partially open, allowing cold water to mix with hot, reducing temperature at the fixtures.
2. The outdoor shower faucets could be OPEN, also allowing cold water to mix with hot.
3. The thermostat on the water heater could be defective.

You can handle the first 2 yourself assuming you know how to access the bypass valves. There's one on the cold line, another on the hot line, and a third on a crossover line that connects hot and cold. If the crossover is partially open (from having been winterized), this is what you get.

You may be able to replace the thermostat yourself, but on an Atwood, I think it's located on the backside, which makes replacement more difficult.

If you have to take it back to the dealer, they should test the temperature after repairing, and you should also test it yourself when you pick up the trailer.