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Goldencrazy's avatar
Goldencrazy
Explorer
Jul 04, 2013

hot water won't heat

My coach had sat for a few months. I have atwood hot water heater in 2012 Winnebago Vista 30T. Neither gas or electric will work. I get water out of spigot when hot water valve is turned on but it is cold. My gas does not show pilot out but I doubt it is lightning as I used to be able to hear it. I do have propane as I turned stove burner on. The idiot light on electric turns on. Any thoughts.
  • I blew out the area around the igniter and it kicked in when I flicked the switch. I laughed when I keyed the hot water won't heat line too, Dennis. Thanks to all. I think I have all systems functioning. The motorhome serves as our guest cottage at our Lake Michigan cottage during the summer and makes a few trips to UP of Michigan to enjoy the lovely summers their. The winter it takes us to warmer climates in either Florida or California.
  • Hot water won't heat??? Why would your try to heat hot water?...it's already hot....:h:h:h......:B....gotta luv those cheap fixes....Dennis
  • But it still sounds as if your gas part of the heater isn't working. You should be able to hear it when it fires up. And you won't have a pilot light on it, it should be an igniter. Sometimes it's just as simple as getting in there and cleaning it out. You may have something blocking the igniter from sparking.
  • You are absolutely correct. It is not true. I thought I had it in bypass so I switched the valve that is buried down deep after I remove a drawer so do it by feel. Well I had filled the tank and then switched it. When I switched it back I had a lot of air and then some very hot water. Dumb me. Well glad it was operator error and nothing serious. Thanks to all for helping me out.
  • Goldencrazy wrote:
    No water heater is not bypassed. I am getting water out of the hot water spigots but it is cold. When the by pass is on there is no water from the hot water spigots.


    I don't think that's true. You should still get water when bypassed. It just bypasses the water heater, not the plumbing.
  • No water heater is not bypassed. I am getting water out of the hot water spigots but it is cold. When the by pass is on there is no water from the hot water spigots.
  • either one will take awhile to heat, but electric takes longer, especially on mine.
    Gas burners are favorite hangouts for cobwebs and the critters that make them. make sure the gas tube is clean and then see why the gas burner isn't igniting.

    If you have a meter and know how to use it, you can shut power off and disconnect the wire on one side of the electric element. If you put your meter on Ohms and measure the resistance of the element, it should be ZERO. If it's infinity, then the element is shot (easy fix) but propane should still work.

    Jim