Water Heater Bypass Idea's

[a1parrothead]

I am about to winterize my 1996 RT Versatile 190. I bought a bypass kit for my hot water heater, only to discover there is no room to install it. The water heater takes up most of the room in the compartment, and there is just not enough room for the bypass valve kit.
Does any other 1996 Versatile owners have any solutions for bypassing the hot water heater?
Thanks, Jeff

[Gene_in_NE]

chevyman2 wrote:
If need be, you can run a line from the cold water and add a valve. (that will turn off/on the water flow to/from the water heater. Then you can place a one way "check" valve on the hot water outlet at the water heater itself. (In other words just adding 1 valve on cold side and check valve on hot will "bypass" the water heater).

Many class As are plumbed this way.

That sounds very easy and simple, but with that configuration, not sure how you would winterize the hot water lines between the check valve and the hot water faucets. Am I missing something? I don't think I would call that "bypass" of the water heater as no water would flow past the heater if the valve was shut off.

With the more traditional 3 valve arrangement, the water does "by-pass" the heater and does not get heated.

[chevyman2]

If need be, you can run a line from the cold water and add a valve. (that will turn off/on the water flow to/from the water heater. Then you can place a one way "check" valve on the hot water outlet at the water heater itself. (In other words just adding 1 valve on cold side and check valve on hot will "bypass" the water heater).

Many class As are plumbed this way.

[bobman]

I have the same problem these class B's have little space to do anything "extra"

[Peg_Leg]

It won't hurt a thing to install it a foot or two away from the heater.

[senf]

X 2.
That's what I did on our old 1996 RT Versatile. Easy plumbing.

[Old-Biscuit]

How many valves do you currently have on water heater?

Cold inlet valve
Cold inlet and hot outlet valves

What does the bypass kit include?

You could use Two 3-way valves....
1 for cold inlet/bypass and 1 for hot outlet/bypass




Also the bypass doesn't have to be right at water heater.......just needs to tie cold/hot lines together after water heater and before any other lines 'T' off