Don't Understand Value Of 3-Valve Hot Water Bypass

[ron_dittmer]

A recent hot water tank discussion inspired me to ask this question. What value is there in having the 3-valve hot water bypass? I have never used ours. When I winterize our rig, I drain everything including the hot water tank. When I use the rig, I use the hot water tank. Why would I ever want to bypass it? I suppose if it sprung a leak on a trip, then I would quickly bypass it until I get to the next RV repair center. But that is a scenario that may never come up in life.

I don't see any value in having the 3 values in place to bypass the hot water tank. To me they only offer potential for water leaks. I have never touched my 3 valves and don't ever plan to.

[gotsmart]

This is the 3 valve HWH bypass on my 28R. The top and bottom valves close the inlet and outlet to the water heater and the middle valve opens/closes the bypass.

[jeffengle]

If you just blow out your lines & do not bypass the water heater,on some models there is still water in the top line to the heater that can freeze.

[snowdance]

Always intresting to see what different people do to winterize their water lines. We have been doing the RV (one kind or other) thing for about 50 years and wintered in most states. I now blow the lines on our motorhome, bypass and drain the water heater for light or short term freezes. I use antifreeze if its getting real cool (zero F or lower) and bypass and drain the water heater. So I love the bypass valve on our rigs. The only lines I have froze in our travels are the P traps on the sinks. No matter what you do, you need to protect them. RV antifreeze works but so does windshield washer fluid. We use -50. Its limited fun to clean up the mess after you find a P trap frozen and broke.

[Hiking_Hunter]

pnichols wrote:
I'm curious ... if one is able to store their Class C in cold weather near a power outlet ... has anyone done the math on about what the monthly electric bill would be to keep an electric heater turned ON inside 24/7 to hold the inside above freezing at, say, 40 degrees?

We have (relatively) inexpensive power in the Southeast - $.1269/KWHr.

I did a test on a fifth wheel several years ago, and found to keep my camper at approx 42 degrees, after it was up to temp, the heater (1KW) had to run approx 60% of the time. I also had a fan to circulate the heat better, and a 60 watt light bulb in the storage area. The total power consumption was 1100 watts. This was in 20 degree weather, but inside a closed unheated building.
By my calculation, (((24 hr/day * 1.1KW)* $.1269)* .6)* 30 days = $60.30.

I have never run it for a full month, but have for a few days until I have a chance to blow out the lines. We camp all year and our very cold spells usually only last a few days. Using a heater for a short period of time instead of using antifreeze or even blowing out the lines keeps the camper ready to go.

A class C would be easier to heat, so it would cost less. By the SWAG method (Systematic Wild A** Guess), you could probably keep it at 40 degrees for $40-50/month if your power rates are about the same as ours.

[EMD360]

So I have a one valve system and a bad check valve that I'm going to replace. I have already taken one apart and then reassembled. That is when I bought another one. I was not clever enough to think of taking out the spring mechanism and just adding another valve. So next time it goes bad I won't buy another but will just add a valve and make a note in the owners manual!
Since I moved to Colorado I have both emptied the lines and pumped the pink stuff through. I even pumped it through before I closed the low point drains, leaving lots of antifreeze in my driveway and little in the pipes. At least I knew to close the water heater by pass valve.
I found that snow and ice can leak through seams in the coach that hard rains do not seem to penetrate. So I re-caulked and also bought a cover for the RV, but leaving heaters on inside actually seemed to make the problem worse in the overhead and cost plenty in electricity.
I bought more eternabond to cover the front seams entirely and put in new stainless screws and trim vinyl, but it became another project that went on the back burner when the leak went away after I re-caulked the seams. In the winter maybe because of the cover, in the summer nothing even in the wildest of winds and downpours.
In Arizona the very hot temps inside are probably as bad as the very cold temps in Colorado--if not worse. I don't have to remove anything that will melt in the heat now, just anything that will freeze in the cold!

[pnichols]

I'm curious ... if one is able to store their Class C in cold weather near a power outlet ... has anyone done the math on about what the monthly electric bill would be to keep an electric heater turned ON inside 24/7 to hold the inside above freezing at, say, 40 degrees?

Doing this while leaving all cabinet doors open, along with leaving the grey, black, and freshwater tanks empty ... it seems would be an easy and (maybe) not to expensive of a way to keep the motorhome always ready to go without any de-winterizing.

FWIW, I have a problem leaving an RV sitting around in freezing weather with it's entire coach interior at way below freezing temperatures. Of course keeping on RV inside a slightly heated building during cold outside temperatures is the ultimate ... but next best would be to keep it's interior warmed to above freezing with a heater set to a temperature above freezing. I even keep an electric heater turned ON inside our Class C here in CA where our outside temps rarely get below freezing at all, or if they do - not for very long.

[GMandJM]

mlts22 wrote:
I've blown out the lines and still have had water in low spots, so that is why I bypass the water heater. Instead of RV antifreeze, I pour cheap vodka in, run that through the lines, then blow all that out with the air compressor. The alcohol inhibits mold growth, and any water that is in low parts will have enough booze in it so it doesn't freeze at 32 degrees.

Now there's an excellent excuse for me to buy cheap vodka!

[ronfisherman]

It does not take much water to freeze and destroy a pump, toilet valve or seal. It's amazing what -20*F will do to toilet valve that do not get antifreeze. Some will cause a flood before it is found. Every winter a help replace couple of them.

[Old-Biscuit]

Do a search for water heater problems with 3 valves........might find a few with broken handle or inoperative valve

Do a search for water heater problems with check valves.....100's maybe 1000's of stuck check valve, failed check valve, nosiey check valve etc.

Be glad you have 3 valves...even IF you don't ever use them

[RoyB]

mits22 - I know khow that story would end with me... One shot for me two shots for the trailer etc...

Roy Ken...

[mlts22]

I've blown out the lines and still have had water in low spots, so that is why I bypass the water heater. Instead of RV antifreeze, I pour cheap vodka in, run that through the lines, then blow all that out with the air compressor. The alcohol inhibits mold growth, and any water that is in low parts will have enough booze in it so it doesn't freeze at 32 degrees.

[RoyB]

It is just a matter of choice on winterizing. Here in Northern Neck Virginia it really doesn't do the long cold snaps so I can really put the draining water at the their low points to good use for use. Then I can do the BLOW-OUT method by pump air into the city water port. After the water has drained out then I just add a little bit of pink antifreeze to the P-TRAPS...

We do a lot of short trip camping off the power grid and sometimes find ourselves facing a very cold night up in the mountain off-road sites here on the East side. Doing the blow-out of the lines is great for us during these short trip camping times. My portable air compressor connects up at the city water port and does it thing real quick. Then all I have to do is drain the fresh water at the low point valves...

For us using the blow-out method is real quick and can be done usually in five minutes or so...

I too never use the three winterizing values much as well ... Great to have some choice's to do your things your way...

I double think I would be much a fan having the pink stuff in the water lines. Have never tasted the pink stuff but doubt if I would like it...

Roy Ken

[Ozlander]

I've got a three valve system. No bypass valves to go bad, which they do.
I can do the whole winterize thing in less than 5 minutes using less then 1 gallon of antifreeze.
I don't worry about if I got all the water out and don't mess with the low point drains or if they really work.

[RoyB]

It is just a matter of choice on winterizing. Here in Northern Neck Virginia it really doesn't do the long cold snaps so I can really put the draining water at the their low points to good use for use. After the water has drained out then I just add a little bit of pink antifreeze to the P-TRAPS...

We do a lot of short trip camping off the power grid and sometimes find ourselves facing a very cold night up in the mountain off-road sites here on the East side. Doing the blow-out of the lines is great for us during these short trip camping times. My portable air compressor connects up at the city water port and does it thing real quick. Then all I have to do is drain the fresh water at the low point valves...

For us using the blow-out method is real quick and can be done usually in five minutes or so...

I too never use three winterizing values much ... Great to have some choice's to do your things your way... Have never tasted the pink stuff but doubt if I would like it...

Roy Ken