First Time RV'r Questions

It just amazes me that in 15 yrs of RVing with 6 gal. water heaters we have never once run out. Seems like when RVing we find out about a lot of things we really don't need? A recent problem we had with out water heater, it was the check valves.

dewey02 wrote:


Why?
Let's do the math:
Say you have an efficient Oxygenics low flow showerhead. That puts out 1.5 gallons per minute. If you have a the showerhead that came standard with the travel trailer, then it probably is putting out 2.5 gallons per minute.

Oxygenics: 1.5 x 15 = 21 gallons used during a 15 minute shower.
Standard: 2.5 x 15 = 37 gallons used during a 15 minute shower.

So the hot water usage during a 15 minute shower would be:
Oxygenics: 21 x 0.75 = 15.75 gallons
Standard: 37 x 0.75 = 27.75 gallons
These are just my suggestions. You and your spouse are of course, free to shower how ever you want.

Just wanted to bump this thread because you put so much work into the math. :)


Original Poster: Can the 15 minute shower. Even if everything is working, you'll run out of hot water in 5 mins.

If you want to be in the shower for 15 minutes - turn off the water.

If you want to be in the shower for 15 mins, with hot water running - then buy a tankless water heater.

15 minutes is a very long RV shower. Mine are like 3 minutes tops. :oP Ran out.

you need a new thermocoupler

The little six gallon (Most common size) will not allow for fifteen minute hot showers. If the OP usually parks with electric hookups and doesn't like fooling with a fussy propane system, the Hott Rod heating element may be the answer.

It seems to me, on the old pilot models, that the thermocouple needs replacing, or the air mixture adjusted, when they will not stay lit. The wind can also suck the pilot out.

I used to stick a toothpick in the corner of the door, to help with the air, and wind issue. OP could try a toothpick, to hold the door corner open a little.

Jerry

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?

Well based on your further info, there is clearly something wrong with your pilot light. All pilot lights should stay lit once they are lit. That is how pilot lights should operate. But even if you get that problem fixed, taking a shower for 15 minutes with the water running constantly is far too long for anyone to expect to have continuous hot water from a Travel Trailer hot water heater. Your wife is going to need to change her shower habits, or get used to showering in cold water.

Why?
Let's do the math:
Say you have an efficient Oxygenics low flow showerhead. That puts out 1.5 gallons per minute. If you have a the showerhead that came standard with the travel trailer, then it probably is putting out 2.5 gallons per minute.

Oxygenics: 1.5 x 15 = 21 gallons used during a 15 minute shower.
Standard: 2.5 x 15 = 37 gallons used during a 15 minute shower.

Of course, your wife is probably not using JUST the hot water for her shower, but adjusting the temperature down with a bit of cold water as well, unless you have your water heater set to a pretty low temp. (120 degrees or lower). So let's figure that she mixes hot and cold together at a ratio of 75% hot water and 25% cold.

So the hot water usage during a 15 minute shower would be:
Oxygenics: 21 x 0.75 = 15.75 gallons
Standard: 37 x 0.75 = 27.75 gallons

The size of you water heater is probably 8 gallons. But that doesn't mean you can take 7 minute shower and keep the water temperature the same (7 minutes is the time it would take a Oxygenics showerhead to pump out 8 gallons of hot water when mixed at a 75/25 hot/cold mix). The reason for this is that as soon as you start drawing hot water from that 8 gallon tank, you immediately begin pumping cold water into the tank and lowering the temperature of all the water in the tank (and if it is from underground piping and a well, it is VERY cold). When the temp cools down to a certain point the gas or electric heating element will kick in and start heating the water back up to the assigned temperature. But cold water continues to flow into the tank as long as you have the shower on. Likely, the water heater cannot keep up. And your wife starts getting colder and colder water because the heater keeps falling further and further behind, even though it is on and trying to heat the water.

Taking a military style shower eliminates the problem in more than just one way.
1. You simply use much less water,so you don't exhaust the hot water in the tank.
2. As a result, less cold water comes into the tank, so the overall tank temp stays higher, and the heater can heat it more quickly back up to temp.
3. Because you turn off the water while you soap up, the heater has a chance to catch up and heat water with no additional cold continuously coming in. If she must have long showers, she should do the military shower first, do the soap up, and then spend as long as she wants rinsing off until the water gets too cold to become bearable.

These are just my suggestions. You and your spouse are of course, free to shower how ever you want.

I discovered once it gets up to temperature the pilot goes out, and won't stay lit on its own. The pilot will light and stay lit if it's cold or not up to temperature. But now that it's up to temperature it won't stay lit.

Sounds like an issue with the thermocouple. When the pilot is lit, the flame should surround the end of the thermocouple so that there is sufficient heat to send the millivolt signal to the gas valve. Without a pilot flame, the gas valve will not open to relight the water heater and supply hot water.

Since the burner was disassembled for cleaning, did the thermocouple get positioned correctly in the pilot flame path? That would be the first thing I would check. It's also possible that the pilot is not reigniting because of material in the orifice of the pilot gas tube. Removing the tube and using compressed air, blowing opposite to gas flow direction into the orifice, is the fix for that.

Hope this helps.

toedtoes wrote:
But he might just mean that he flips a switch. He appears to be unfamiliar with the system as a whole, so I think there is a chance he's saying things incorrectly. It could be that the dealer told him "flip this switch to light the pilot light", etc.

That's why I suggest he take it in and get it checked - without any kind of understanding of the system, he can do more harm than good trying to fix it himself.

I am going to talk to the dealer and find out what's going on. Plus the anode I'm sure needs replacing.