If your camping in one place for a week or so is it necessary to shut the elect. water heater off when you go off for the day or at night.I know some people that do, I have always left it on, What is your take on it???

Mine stays on. Can't see any reason to turn it of...I'm paying for the campsite (and the power).

Being conservative, I turn it on when I need hot water and off when I don't.

If the water is heated when you leave it won't turn on much while you're gone.

Not needed to be turned off, but for me, when I leave I turn off heater and water as a "what if".

Never turn power off, even at home, plugged in 24x7x365. However, I fill my fresh water tank, and never hook up directly to the water spigot any more and run water via my on-board pump. Just as a precaution, I do flip the water pump switch off if we're going to be gone for any length of time. (if I remember to do it). Never turn water heater off (gas or electric or both) and never turn the refrigerator off either.Even when in transit, I'll turn the water pump off as we always carry a little bit of water in the fresh water tank for toilet use on the road. Refrigerator is never turned off. Of course, on the road, the water heater is turned off.

Water Heater | Good Sam Community

rrupert
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
Gray Fox wrote:
Thanks for all the replies, I have always left my water heater on. I always turn the water off at the spigot very important. When we were new at camping our first unit was a T T. coming back to the camp ground one afternoon our next door neighbor had a very nice 5th/W but the water was pouring out of the basement, I ran over an closed the water off at the spigot. I always shut the water off {when I think of it}...

That's very cheap insurance. You just have to remember to do it.
Gray_Fox
Explorer
Apr 08, 2018
Thanks for all the replies, I have always left my water heater on. I always turn the water off at the spigot very important. When we were new at camping our first unit was a T T. coming back to the camp ground one afternoon our next door neighbor had a very nice 5th/W but the water was pouring out of the basement, I ran over an closed the water off at the spigot. I always shut the water off {when I think of it}...
Roger10378
Explorer II
Apr 07, 2018
Do you turn off the WH at home? Why do it any different in an RV?
Lantley
Nomad
Apr 07, 2018
The water heater has a thermostat that allows it to turn itself on and off as needed so you don't have to.
EdTheEdge
Explorer
Apr 07, 2018
I turn it off if I remember, water too.
bluie5
Explorer
Apr 07, 2018
I do what others have said. I leave the water heater on and turn off the water at the spigot if we’re going to be gone for the day.
Jim
Explorer
Apr 07, 2018
Like DutchmenSport I Never turn the electric water heater element OFF just so hot water is available on demand. Never turn the gas flame ON unless it's really cold and I want an extra long shower. Even then I only turn on the gas 5-10 minutes in advance of a shower and off just after.

The water though, that gets shut off if I'm leaving on a several hour adventure. Like downtheroad, I have a similar setup at the shore water spigot (though not that fancy). If I'm just going to be gone a couple hours, I leave it on.
downtheroad
Explorer
Apr 07, 2018
Leave ours on but when we are away from the trailer we shut off the water supply..
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Apr 07, 2018
When I want hot water I want it now, not in 45 minutes when it has had a chance to heat up. So no, our water heater is on any time we're plugged in, but electric only.
ksbowman
Explorer II
Apr 07, 2018
After having a water heater caused fire in the night, the answer is yes. I know it is rare but, we won't take a chance especially if we have to leave a dog there for a short period. Just good insurance.