Hi guys!So we have started camping and rving and we are having a wonderful time in our new (to us) camper. I do have some questions about some things that I don't know that much about. My main question is our water heater......I have lit the water heater and waited for hot water. It was on for about 30 minutes doing fine, my wife goes to shower and as she is showering, it apparently goes out. Water then gets cold. I'm stumped as to what the problem could be. Pilot lights just fine, it stays on for roughly 30 minutes and we have hot water during that time, then shuts off. Can anybody shed some light for me? Full tank of propane also. It's a Suburban water heater on a 05 AmeriLite, thanks in advance!Trent

Wife was showering? How long was she in there before the hot ran out? They are usually only 6 gallons.

my previous post was in error. Please ignore what it said!

That would be my first question too. Even though we have a 12 gallon water heater, we still take "Navy" showers.

Texasrvman1987 wrote:...I have lit the water heater and waited for hot water. It was on for about 30 minutes doing fine, my wife goes to shower and as she is showering, it apparently goes out. Water then gets cold. I'm stumped as to what the problem could be. Pilot lights just fine, it stays on for roughly 30 minutes and we have hot water during that time, then shuts off. Can anybody shed some light for me? Full tank of propane also. It's a Suburban water heater on a 05 AmeriLite,TrentFirst off, I'm surprised you have a pilot light on a 2005 coach.30 minutes should be plenty of time for the water to heat, then the flame shuts down. It's difficult to explain how water could suddenly get cold given a full tank of hot water, unless you don't have a tank, you have an on-demand heater, and I don't see that as likely. Or your wife is taking really long showers and perhaps the water isn't that hot in the first place, and she's essentially using 100% hot water.Have you checked the position of your hot water bypass (winterization) valves?2 Retired wrote:RV hot water heaters do not "stay on" like the ones at home. Water is heated, and then heater does not come back on until tank is emptied (at least that's how ours works!). RV hot water works exactly like home heaters. The element comes on when the thermostat tells it to. The tank is never emptied!

2 Retired wrote:RV hot water heaters do not "stay on" like the ones at home. Water is heated, and then heater does not come back on until tank is emptied (at least that's how ours works!). Have to take quick showers in most RVs. Like 5 minutes! Just get wet, lather up, rinse off and get out!Then you also have a problem. Once lit a RV HWH should work exactly like the one in your home. IE, light it, it heats water. Once the water is hot, it will depending on model either shut down to a pilot flame, or shut off completely until heat is called for. To the OP, you need to A, be sure the tank is full, and B, ensure the by pass valves in the correct position. You also need to learn to conserve hot water. With a 6 or 10 gallon tank of hot water you can run out of hot water rather quickly. You need to learn and prectice The term GI showers.

First Time RV'r Questions | Good Sam Community

Slate_CM
Explorer II
Mar 08, 2016
Wife was showering? How long was she in there before the hot ran out? They are usually only 6 gallons.
2_Retired
Explorer
Mar 08, 2016
my previous post was in error. Please ignore what it said!
ReneeG
Explorer
Mar 08, 2016
That would be my first question too. Even though we have a 12 gallon water heater, we still take "Navy" showers.
2oldman
Explorer II
Mar 08, 2016
Texasrvman1987 wrote:
...I have lit the water heater and waited for hot water. It was on for about 30 minutes doing fine, my wife goes to shower and as she is showering, it apparently goes out. Water then gets cold. I'm stumped as to what the problem could be. Pilot lights just fine, it stays on for roughly 30 minutes and we have hot water during that time, then shuts off. Can anybody shed some light for me? Full tank of propane also. It's a Suburban water heater on a 05 AmeriLite,
Trent
First off, I'm surprised you have a pilot light on a 2005 coach.

30 minutes should be plenty of time for the water to heat, then the flame shuts down. It's difficult to explain how water could suddenly get cold given a full tank of hot water, unless you don't have a tank, you have an on-demand heater, and I don't see that as likely. Or your wife is taking really long showers and perhaps the water isn't that hot in the first place, and she's essentially using 100% hot water.

Have you checked the position of your hot water bypass (winterization) valves?
2 Retired wrote:
RV hot water heaters do not "stay on" like the ones at home. Water is heated, and then heater does not come back on until tank is emptied (at least that's how ours works!).
RV hot water works exactly like home heaters. The element comes on when the thermostat tells it to.

The tank is never emptied!
donn0128
Explorer II
Mar 08, 2016
2 Retired wrote:
RV hot water heaters do not "stay on" like the ones at home. Water is heated, and then heater does not come back on until tank is emptied (at least that's how ours works!). Have to take quick showers in most RVs. Like 5 minutes! Just get wet, lather up, rinse off and get out!

Then you also have a problem. Once lit a RV HWH should work exactly like the one in your home. IE, light it, it heats water. Once the water is hot, it will depending on model either shut down to a pilot flame, or shut off completely until heat is called for.

To the OP, you need to A, be sure the tank is full, and B, ensure the by pass valves in the correct position. You also need to learn to conserve hot water. With a 6 or 10 gallon tank of hot water you can run out of hot water rather quickly. You need to learn and prectice The term GI showers.
Texasrvman1987
Explorer
Mar 08, 2016
She was only in the shower for max 15 minutes. When I noticed that it went out, the pilot was even out. Which is what I don't understand. I get that once it gets hot it goes out, but the pilot should stay on. But then again I would also think that as she's showering and using the water, the burner would stay on too. Am I wrong?
2oldman
Explorer II
Mar 08, 2016
Texasrvman1987 wrote:
She was only in the shower for max 15 minutes. When I noticed that it went out, the pilot was even out. Which is what I don't understand. I get that once it gets hot it goes out, but the pilot should stay on. But then again I would also think that as she's showering and using the water, the burner would stay on too. Am I wrong?
15 minutes?? That's a very long shower. No wonder she ran out.

Do you really have a pilot??

The burner will come on when the thermostat says to, and yes, it should come on during that exhorbitant 15 minute shower. The burner heats water slowly, so don't expect that to help.
ford_truck_guy
Nomad
Mar 08, 2016
ReneeG wrote:
That would be my first question too. Even though we have a 12 gallon water heater, we still take "Navy" showers.

us too . . .

You may be able to run it on BOTH electric AND LP for quicker recovery . .
Texasrvman1987
Explorer
Mar 08, 2016
Ok so if I'm getting hot water to the sinks and showers, that tells me the bypass valves are open correct?
toedtoes
Explorer III
Mar 08, 2016
donn0128 wrote:
2 Retired wrote:
RV hot water heaters do not "stay on" like the ones at home. Water is heated, and then heater does not come back on until tank is emptied (at least that's how ours works!). Have to take quick showers in most RVs. Like 5 minutes! Just get wet, lather up, rinse off and get out!

Then you also have a problem. Once lit a RV HWH should work exactly like the one in your home. IE, light it, it heats water. Once the water is hot, it will depending on model either shut down to a pilot flame, or shut off completely until heat is called for.

To the OP, you need to A, be sure the tank is full, and B, ensure the by pass valves in the correct position. You also need to learn to conserve hot water. With a 6 or 10 gallon tank of hot water you can run out of hot water rather quickly. You need to learn and prectice The term GI showers.

I think he's meaning the same thing just getting the wording off.

The heater goes on at first and heats the tank water to a set temperature. When the water drops below that temperature, the heater kicks in to re-heat it.

If you use some of the hot water, the tank "refills" what was used with cold water. Because there is hot water still in the tank, the temperature doesn't drop as much, so the heater doesn't have to work as hard to get it back up to temperature. If you use all the hot water, then you have essentially "emptied" the tank and it is "refilled" with cold water - and the heater has to work longer to heat the entire tank of water up.