I have a new Suburban SW6 DE water heater. It has the electric element as well as gas. I never leave the unit on unless I am about to need hot water. I control it by the breaker switch on the inside coach electric panel and only use it in electric mode. The water is extremely hot when the heater is allowed to heat up for even a little while, 30 minutes or so. It is so hot, that to take a shower you have to cut way back on the hot water and run full cold water. This not ideal when you already have poor water pressure. I also am concerned about PEX pipe plumbing connection failures when the temps are very high. I am sure I will get water intrusion soon enough, I don't want to accelerate that process. I called Suburban today. They said that none of their electric models have an adjustable thermostat. They said the water should be 130 degrees and if it is not in that range the unit is defective and should be serviced. I asked where to measure the temp and they said to hold a bowl with a thermometer in it under the pressure relief valve and open it to fill the bowl. (I guess they didn't run that one by their liability lawyers)One odd thing is that the little safety sticker attached to the unit, you know the one that shows someone burning their hand, says: "Temperature limiting valves are available, see manual". The manual has nothing about that and Suburban did not know what that was about. I will measure the temp soon, but was just curious if any of you have water hotter than you would like. Also, is there a competitor to Suburban that does offer an adjustable thermostat? thanks very much,

Check the temperature at the faucet that is closest to the water heater. If it is too hot, simply replace the thermostat. Videos available on Youtube.

Turn on some cold water with it. It's meant to be hot so that you can add a lot of cold and not drain all your hot water while taking a shower etc.

Yes, they are designed to be hot. Makes a small tank last longer. Just learn to add more cold.If you lower the temperature, you will next complain about running out of hot water.

Lynnmor wrote:Check the temperature at the faucet that is closest to the water heater. If it is too hot, simply replace the thermostat. Videos available on Youtube.Thanks,I was able to see on YouTube how to remove the thermostat.Dyers sells a 120, 130, and 140 degree model of the thermostat. I was able to determine that I had the 130. I ordered the 120 below: http://www.dyersonline.com/suburban-water-heater-520788-thermostat-limit-assembly-120-degrees-120v.htmlNow maybe I can turn the hot all the way up during a shower.

fred42 wrote:Lynnmor wrote:Check the temperature at the faucet that is closest to the water heater. If it is too hot, simply replace the thermostat. Videos available on Youtube.Thanks,I was able to see on YouTube how to remove the thermostat.Dyers sells a 120, 130, and 140 degree model of the thermostat. I was able to determine that I had the 130. I ordered the 120 below: http://www.dyersonline.com/suburban-water-heater-520788-thermostat-limit-assembly-120-degrees-120v.htmlNow maybe I can turn the hot all the way up during a shower.SMH

Water Heater Too Hot | Good Sam Community

15 Replies

itguy08
Explorer
Jun 22, 2016
Old-Biscuit wrote:

WHY is your water heater so GERMY?

Lots of organisms live in water. Even hot water.

Read up on Legionnaire's Disease:

OSHA Legionaires Disease Info
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 22, 2016
mlts22 wrote:
dewey02 wrote:
You can temper the hot water (coming out of your hot water faucet and shower/tub faucet) by slightly adjusting the winterizing by pass valve on your hot water heater. This will allow some cold water to mix with the hot water coming from the heater. You just play with the bypass valve until you get the temp you want and then leave it there.

Cheaper solution than purchasing a new thermostat. (OK, I'm cheap...I think there's a thread on this forum that can't understand us cheapos. We look for simple, inexpensive solutions to problems)

This. The advantage of tempering is that the water heater can be hot, which kills more germs, and there is less hot water that is needed, so the water inside lasts longer. Plus, it makes winterization easy, as the same few valves used for tempering can be used as a WH bypass.

WHY is your water heater so GERMY?
mlts22
Explorer II
Jun 22, 2016
dewey02 wrote:
You can temper the hot water (coming out of your hot water faucet and shower/tub faucet) by slightly adjusting the winterizing by pass valve on your hot water heater. This will allow some cold water to mix with the hot water coming from the heater. You just play with the bypass valve until you get the temp you want and then leave it there.

Cheaper solution than purchasing a new thermostat. (OK, I'm cheap...I think there's a thread on this forum that can't understand us cheapos. We look for simple, inexpensive solutions to problems)

This. The advantage of tempering is that the water heater can be hot, which kills more germs, and there is less hot water that is needed, so the water inside lasts longer. Plus, it makes winterization easy, as the same few valves used for tempering can be used as a WH bypass.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 22, 2016
tenbear wrote:
I have always thought that the water is very hot because the heater is small, 6 gallons, and to have a descent shower, 6 gallons is not much water. If you mix the hot water with cold, the hot water lasts much longer and gives you a much better shower. Even with both hot and cold mixed, navy showers may be necessary to have multiple showers.

Exactly the reasoning behind the higher temp t-stats.

Look at the Atwood XT Models

Take the SAME 6 gallon tank use a 160*F t-stat with a 'mixing valve' (cold/hot mixed right at tank) so that Hot out is 130*F---then market it as 'equivalent' to a 9 gallon tank

10 gallon XT Model.........'equivalent' to a 16 gallon

HOT water.....then 'end' user mixes cold so that the heated water lasts longer.
Either that OR take up MORE room and install larger/heavier water heaters.

RVs only have so much room to cram all the stuff into.
tenbear
Explorer
Jun 22, 2016
I have always thought that the water is very hot because the heater is small, 6 gallons, and to have a descent shower, 6 gallons is not much water. If you mix the hot water with cold, the hot water lasts much longer and gives you a much better shower. Even with both hot and cold mixed, navy showers may be necessary to have multiple showers.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jun 22, 2016
Changing to 120 deg stat on Attwood is better, but still too hot.
My current suburban is a little better at 130, but still way too hot to suit me.
I realize hot water make the heater go farther, but it is inefficient to heat water real hot, just to turn right around and cool it off w/ cold water.
I solved the whole problem by starting w/ cold heater,... running the heater just long enuff to use hot water only, which ranges from 12 to 15 minutes, depending on ambient temps. This works for me, but not for DW. But us guys always believe in KISS
tpi
Explorer
Jun 22, 2016
I don't know if you camp in winter, but when it's cold out I appreciate every degree of the hot water temperature. You use higher proportion of hot water as the cold water temperature drops. I can take far longer showers in hot weather when the "cold" water is 80 degrees. Versus cold weather when the cold water is 35-40 degrees. Personally I'd not make changes to it until you've tried it in all seasons. As some have said there is a reason the small water heaters in RVs have water on the hot side.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 22, 2016
Just remember that t-stat is only fr the electric heating........

Propane with its own set of t-stats will be OEM 130*F

And I'm surprised you found that 120*F optional set......Suburban doesn't offer them anymore. Must be Old Stock

Atwood offers an 'adjustable' t-stat (110*F - 150*F) but not compatible with Suburban Models

And swapping Atwood for a Suburban .........not same size opening so major mods needed. Hardly worth that.

ON EDIT:

Using your RV circuit breaker to turn water heater on/off.......

Probably should buy a space CB so you can swap it out when OEM CB fails. They are NOT designed to be used as a 'switch'

There ARE CBs with that rating but your OEM is not one.
dewey02
Explorer II
Jun 22, 2016
You can temper the hot water (coming out of your hot water faucet and shower/tub faucet) by slightly adjusting the winterizing by pass valve on your hot water heater. This will allow some cold water to mix with the hot water coming from the heater. You just play with the bypass valve until you get the temp you want and then leave it there.

Cheaper solution than purchasing a new thermostat. (OK, I'm cheap...I think there's a thread on this forum that can't understand us cheapos. We look for simple, inexpensive solutions to problems)
mvpmich
Explorer
Jun 22, 2016
At that high of a temp I don't think you are going to see much of a difference and are still going to have to use cold water. Also note that high or low water pressure isn't going to change the amount of cold water you will need to temper the hot water. Also agree with others that posted use cold water to get ideal temp. It's a lot cheaper. Let us know how new thermostat works, I'm interested to know if it was worth the $'s.