No hot water flow, what's up

Old-Biscuit;
Great photo
Travelzoo:
If you replace the check valve get a brass one and not the plastic one.

The plastic part inside the check valve on the hot water exit from the top of the water heater has broken and is stopping water flow from exiting the water heater. You need to remove the hot water line from the check valve and then replace the check valve.

When did you last drain and change your anode? Can be some big white chunks of stuff in there at times.....relieve pressure and drain to see....after cutting off electric element....good luck....does sound like some kind of blockage if all valves in correct positions.....

Sudden stop of hot water flow.......check valve in hot outlet (top backside of WH)
has failed.
The check valve is inside the nipple screwed into WH tank.
It is a cheapo plastic piece of junk......plastic plunger/spring/o-ring. O-ring fails, jams up-----no more hot water.

WH tank will have HOT water because none can flow out of it.
So CAUTION of you go flipping T&P Valve open......140*F water/steam will blow out of relief valve.

With water source off, WH turned off and tank cooled down
Remove hot water line and then remove internals of nipple ('C' clip)
Don't need check valve until you winterize (don't need one at all if you install shutoff valve)

Another thought:
Was the rig winterized between the time that it started not working. The valves could be in wrong position.

A quick check is to open the pressure relief valve and see if you have water flow there.
Could do this with flashlight!

Artum Snowbird wrote:
check valve

It's that guy in the first panel top left.

Looks like I need to take a look and figure out how to gain access to the back side of the heater tomorrow.

check valve

It's that guy in the first panel top left.

So, right at the top of the hot water tank where the outlet line comes out, there might be an check valve. It's only about 7/8 of an inch long, and is inline with the flow so unless you know it's there, you would not see it. Rap right there with a good solid tap. The check valve prevents water from flowing inward to the tank through the outlet line. They can either plug, or stick in either position.

A plugged check valve on the water heater outlet is a relatively common cause of hot water issues.