Need help. Water heater

What kind of bypass do you have for the water heater.

3-valve or single valve

IF you have a single valve (Even if you have a 3 valve it might be this way) there is a check valve on the hot water outlet on the water heater.

This valve gets "Crudded up" with lime and scale and sticks closed. not letting much, if any, water through.

First step: IF YOU winterize by the DRY method. Gut the valve

Second step: (If you use the wet method of winterizing you must do it this way) Replace the valve or gut it and install a 2nd valve (Spring check type)

The one I am most familure with the owner was not able to remove the valve, but was able to gut it with a pair of needle nose pliers.

They later fixed it very well (Traded the trailer in on a new one).

Finally got the new check valve. Took the old one out, the spring was laying loose in there and the small piece that was supposed to hold it is gone. Hopefully it flushed out of the water heater the first time I drained it at the campground. So basically what was happening was the piece that the spring would normally pull back toward the water heater to stop the backflow of cold water was free to flow with the water to the fitting that connects to the check valve. Where it would block the flow of water coming out of the water heater. $10 fix.

Took the line off. Got in there with a screw driver. The check valve is loose and kind of flopping around. Hooked it back up and refilled the heater. Air pushed out fine. As soon as the water filled it stopped again. Looking like a check valve will be bought tomorrow.

Good thought on the bypass. I'll try it but with the hot water lines branching right at the water heater I'm pretty sure it is the check valve.

Do you have a hot water bypass? If so when you put it on bypass does the water get to the faucets on the hot water side?

Thanks for the help. Going to open the line and see if I can move the check valve.

All the hot faucets are affected

IF you have good flow/pressure when you open faucet cold side but little to no flow/pressure on hot side then it is probably the water heater hot outlet check valve.
Either it has failed or is plugged.

This is assuming you have only 1 or 2 valve system on water heater....they use a check valve on hot outlet. It is part of the nipple that screws into water heater tank and hot water line connects to it.

But this would affect ALL faucets/shower hot side.
If problem is only at one faucet.......then that faucet is faulty or hot side is plugged.

Deleted.

It was instant. Had water flow, was filling sink to do dishes. Suddenly dropped back to a trickle.

Is there a check valve after the water heater.