Help! No hot water! - RV-Dreams Community Forum

TheParkers · RV-Dreams Community Member

Help! No hot water!

Howard · Host

Did you pump water from the holding tank through the pipes (by turning on water at the faucets) BEFORE turning on the water heater switch?

If not, there may not have been water in the water heater and you may have burnt out the electric heating element. Nothing to do but replace it - not an easy thing to do depending on access.

Have you tried heating the water with propane?

If the water won't heat on either electric or propane, there could be one of many other problems with the water heater and it may not be easy to diagnose if you aren't handy with those types of things.

You will likely have either an Atwood water heater or a Suburban. You can always look those up on the internet and contact support if there isn't an RV tech or an experienced RVer nearby.

The water heater (working parts) should be located behind a removable panel on the outside of the rig. You may have to remove that panel to determine the brand and walk through some troubleshooting.

I'm sure some others will chime in to try to help. Good luck!

Workinrvers · RV-Dreams Family Member

one other thing is if the unit was winterized there may be a bypass valve (or valves) closed that will not let any water into the water heater tank. You will need to locate the unit, check in lower cabinets around the kitchen area, and follow the water lines into the unit looking for the valve or valves and make sure they are open.

If there was no water in the tank prior to turning on the pump and there are no bypass vavles closed, you should here the pump run for a minute or so while it is filling the WH.

Howard is right on about the electric heating element, they blow pretty quick when they are turned on and no water to heat but don't sweat it, a lot of us have done this smile . I have replaced mine and a buddies as well, not too hard to do (depending on accessability) and we found that Home Depot, Lowes etc stock the elements as well as the large socket you'll need to change it out.

Hope this helps some

Phil

-- Edited by Phil Bob on Thursday 24th of November 2011 09:06:02 PM

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

I was able to find a couple of 1998 Vacationers on line. Both mentioned only a gas WH, 6 gallon. You may not have an electric element to worry with. From the little info I could get, it looks like the WH is under one of the dinette seats, but as has been said, you will find it outside. The cover will have a little "D" ring for a handle and the cover will say HOT. The vented area will be on the top and look like a grate. There will be one small peep hole down near the bottom, where you can look in to see if the pilot is lit. You will probably need to open the cover and turn on the gas at the regulator. With luck, it will be DSI and therefore automatic. Bad luck will give you a manual pilot, and a learning experience.
As I recall, you will first turn on the gas with a blue knob on top of the controller. Then you will depress the blue knob to allow pilot gas to flow. With your handy dandy fireplace ignitor (also useful for campfire and stoves) you will ignite the pilot light. Continue to hold down the blue knob until the pilot will remain lit. You have to get the thermocouple hot to hold the pilot open. Then you will turn the blue knob to on. No, No, not that way, the other way, turn it to ON. ?????????With any luck, the WH burner will fire and begin to heat the water.
Your water pump will have to provide at least 6 gallons of water before you ever get any water out the faucet.
If the burner comes on correctly, you should have hot water in about 30 minutes.

Workinrvers · RV-Dreams Family Member

TheParkers,

any hot water yet?

TheParkers · RV-Dreams Community Member

Howard, Phil, 53Merc... thanks a lot, guys! We've been away from it for a couple of days, dealing with things at the stix&brix. First thing I'll do is think about that 6 gallons of water that comes out before any hot water... I really appreciate it!

TheParkers · RV-Dreams Community Member

We have hot water! We've been going back and forth from the MH to the stix&brix, getting everything out and ready to close. Finally got back to the MH this evening. Fortunately, the local RV repair guy who lives here returned from his weekend away, and I grabbed him. I now owe him some serious work, but he showed me where everything is, and we got the hot water going. It's a propane heater. Access is on the street side, right outside the bathroom. The pilot light fired right up, and the tank and fill (blue handle) are inside under the bathroom sink.
Thanks again for all the responses!

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

Don't you love it when it turns out to be something simple!

TheParkers · RV-Dreams Community Member

Absolutely, Ken. I felt like a real doofus, but he was super nice about it. I've got a lot to learn.

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

Don't we all!

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Wouldn't it be nice if there would be an owner's handbook for the specific RV that would actually tell you where and how to get to something? For example, on Heartland's mpg line, the water heater is more or less in the same place relative to the tongue, but under the bed, or a cabinet, or the couch. Now that I know exactly how to get to it, and that there are THREE valves in that space, switching it from one season to the other is no big deal, but it sure took some work to find out just where and how to get to it. The manual for the hot water heater only covers the actual HW heater, not where in the trailer it is located.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

As a general rule, information such as what David spoke of should be covered when someone takes possession of a new unit during the PDI or walk-through or whatever someone calls that process. If a dealer fails to point all of that out, including an idea of how to winterize a hot water heater, then the dealer should be the first resource of information.

But, even the best of circumstances can go awry. In our case, I was either half asleep at the time or something, because I missed out on the instructions on using the bypass valve for the hot water heater. The water heater was filled and demonstrated during the walk through, but I somehow missed the part about how that valve was to be set for normal use.

Asking on the RV forums is what has educated me a lot. There is nothing like friendly and helpful people with a wealth of information.

For those that have purchased used, it isn't so easy, as a seller usually just wants to get his money and let you have the RV. Then, one has to rely on looking for themselves, RV forums, and talking to fellow RV'ers.

Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Tuesday 29th of November 2011 09:23:40 PM

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

When we purchase another RV whether used or new I plan to take a movie camera and record all operating instructions I get.At my age the only good memory is one I can go back to and witness over and over.:)