Strange hot water experience

[Steadfast]

We had the strangest thing happen this last weekend. While setting up our 2011 3670RL, I hooked up the water hose to the campground spigot and I turned on the electric switch for hot water. After several hours, I tested the water just to be sure and no hot water. I went out and pulled the panel off and felt the safety valve. It was hot. I verified that the water heater bypass valve was in normal mode and it was.
After removing the panel in the basement looking for ideas, I turned on the water pump out of desperation. I then had hot water. Unless one of you have a better explanation, I think that the water pump created more pressure which is what was needed to move the internals in the water heater bypass valve. I could not repeat the situation by cycling the valve. Any better ideas? Thanks.
Craig

 

[cookie]

Hello Craig and welcome to the forum. I am not sure I am understanding the entire post so I will ask. Is it working normally right now? You turned on the pump and had hot water, then you turned it off and still have hot water? If that is the case I suspect you may have a bad check valve somewhere. Dunno, just a thought.

Peace
Dave

 

[newbie]

I had a similar experience on our maiden voyage a few years ago. I figured I must have had an air lock either in the water heater bypass or at the pump. Once I got it going, the problem has not happened since.

Glad you got it working. Cold showers really suck.

John

 

[rebootsemi]

We had the strangest thing happen this last weekend. While setting up our 2011 3670RL, I hooked up the water hose to the campground spigot and I turned on the electric switch for hot water. After several hours, I tested the water just to be sure and no hot water. I went out and pulled the panel off and felt the safety valve. It was hot. I verified that the water heater bypass valve was in normal mode and it was.
After removing the panel in the basement looking for ideas, I turned on the water pump out of desperation. I then had hot water. Unless one of you have a better explanation, I think that the water pump created more pressure which is what was needed to move the internals in the water heater bypass valve. I could not repeat the situation by cycling the valve. Any better ideas? Thanks.
Craig

When you connected to the campground spigot did you make sure that the WH was full of water before turning on the electric heater?
You stated that when you tested the water there was not hot water, did you get cold water out of the faucet?
If the check valve in the outlet of the WH was stuck shut you would not get any water cold or hot.
Did you check your outside shower to make sure the valves were shut? You inside shower will do the same thing if the valves are open and the wand shut off.

 

[Bobby A]

This probably is not related, but, before I turn on the water heater I come inside and bleed all the lines of air, when all water lines, hot & cold are flowing nicely in all faucets, I then turn on the water heater. Just a thought !!

 

[Steadfast]

Hello Craig and welcome to the forum. I am not sure I am understanding the entire post so I will ask. Is it working normally right now? You turned on the pump and had hot water, then you turned it off and still have hot water? If that is the case I suspect you may have a bad check valve somewhere. Dunno, just a thought.

Peace
Dave

Dave,
Yes, the pump seemed to fix the problem. With the pump off we still had hot water for the entire weekend. To satisfy others that are concerned that I may not have water in the hot water heater, I run water through the hot water tap to verify, before turning on the hot water switch. Is there some other checks that I should be doing first? Thanks.
Craig

 

[cookie]

Might be one of those mysterious phenomenons that will never pop up again. Hope not.
As was mentioned above, be sure that the outside shower faucet handles are off and the inside shower handles are off. If they are left on then the cold water can bypass and cool your hot water.
There should be no prep necessary for using your water. Plug and play.

Peace
Dave

 

[phix]

We had the strangest thing happen this last weekend. While setting up our 2011 3670RL, I hooked up the water hose to the campground spigot and I turned on the electric switch for hot water. After several hours, I tested the water just to be sure and no hot water. I went out and pulled the panel off and felt the safety valve. It was hot. I verified that the water heater bypass valve was in normal mode and it was.
After removing the panel in the basement looking for ideas, I turned on the water pump out of desperation. I then had hot water. Unless one of you have a better explanation, I think that the water pump created more pressure which is what was needed to move the internals in the water heater bypass valve. I could not repeat the situation by cycling the valve. Any better ideas? Thanks.
Craig

Thanks so much for posting this. After picking up from the service center, we are camping for a couple of days. They had replaced the bathroom sink and hardware. At first I got a little hot water in the kitchen sink. Then was washing hands in bathroom, and no hot water. I told DH who started checking it out, and did not know what the problem could be. I was going to call the service center to see what they may have done and how we could correct, when I decided to check out the forum to see if anyone else had this problem. I read your post to DH. He turned the pump on and then back off and voila! We are camping with hot water. Problem fixed!!!

 

[RollingHome]

We had a similiar situation a couple weeks ago. After camping (OOPs RV'ing) a couple of weeks ago for a few days our shower stopped working (the hot water). It was Sunday morning and check out day, the clock was ticking. The park was full of leaf peepers and I/we assumed others were doing the same thing, showering and checking out. So we deduced the parks water pressure had dropped a lot. We were on an outside loop and the pressure was in fact awful. We also had 1/3 water in our potable water tank so I asked Patti to turn on the water pump. Presto, the problem disappeared. Afterwards the park water pressure was sufficient. In my case it was low park water pressure. I completed my shower and drove home in a non-oderferous way