water heater winterizing question

[bobman]

I have a 93 coachman B and there no shower or anything for the hot side but the sink. I am trying to leave for Montana and temps can easily get down in the low 20s at night, should be 40s and 50s daytime.

This is a nice B bit there is no insulation under the side buck where the water heater is and its mounted on the outside wall because its propane fired.

I have a wave 6 cat heater and think I'll be able to keep it warm enough in the camper for most of the plumbing but not for that water heater on the outside wall.

so here's my question

Do you think I would be ok to just stuff a bunch of insulation inside the compartment door of the water heater or do I need to drain it??



I know there are water heater bypasses but I really don't want to get into it because I am leaving tomorrow.

I could just cap off the line going to the heater and drain it. But again I don't like screwing with 20 year old plumbing if I don't need to.

thanks

Bob

PS I don't even know if the heater works I've never used it in the 2 years I've owned this camper

[Old-Biscuit]

bobman wrote:
Well I tried that trick with lighting the range burner first and the water heater fired right up. So thanks

and the pilot light is now on so if that's all I need to keep it warm I am good to go.

After the heater started (it has piezo starter not manual) the burner was running full blast and I turned off the switch on the wall after running it for about 4-5 minutes. The pilot stayed lit.

DO these things have a thermostat on them to shut the down at 120 or whatever the set point is or must it be shut down manually? I cant imagine there's no thermostat, but I would rather ask a dumb question than find out the hard way.

Thanks for the help I don't have any documentation on the water heater to refer to.

If it's a pilot light water heater there should be a knob or lever on gas control to adjust temp
OR
there will be set of t-stats under a cover to control temp (they are pre-set normal/130*-140*F and ECO/170*-180*F (high temp)

Which Brand/Model water heater??

[Old-Biscuit]

retraite wrote:

Handbasket wrote:
Mine's easiest to light if I light a stove burner for a moment first.

I suspect that's because the propane plumbing from the tank to the stove passes by the water heater (and maybe the furnace) on the way. If that's right, ensuring that the propane plumbing line is full of propane, by lighting the furthest appliance, should make any device "upstream" light more quickly. And, it's very easy to know if the stove has "fired".

But, who am I to know?

Cheers.

Actually lighting off stove top burners establishes propane flow and places a demand on regulator.....stove top works well because you can see it and burners are high demand.

[bobman]

the propane the range burners and the furnace are all on the opposite side of the van

However I still think you are correct it probably drew gas into the system, because until it lit the range burner the water heater piezo was firing but nothing was lighting off

[retraite]

Handbasket wrote:
Mine's easiest to light if I light a stove burner for a moment first.

I suspect that's because the propane plumbing from the tank to the stove passes by the water heater (and maybe the furnace) on the way. If that's right, ensuring that the propane plumbing line is full of propane, by lighting the furthest appliance, should make any device "upstream" light more quickly. And, it's very easy to know if the stove has "fired".

But, who am I to know?

Cheers.

[bobman]

Well I tried that trick with lighting the range burner first and the water heater fired right up. So thanks

and the pilot light is now on so if that's all I need to keep it warm I am good to go.

After the heater started (it has piezo starter not manual) the burner was running full blast and I turned off the switch on the wall after running it for about 4-5 minutes. The pilot stayed lit.

DO these things have a thermostat on them to shut the down at 120 or whatever the set point is or must it be shut down manually? I cant imagine there's no thermostat, but I would rather ask a dumb question than find out the hard way.

Thanks for the help I don't have any documentation on the water heater to refer to.

[Old-Biscuit]

Just use the water heater and stop worrying

[bobman]

n7bsn wrote:
I probably would by-pass the heater and drain it.
My second choice would be run the water-heater.

I assume you are heading into the mountains, as the prairie is still above freezing

NO I will be on the prairie in the north east corner next week looks OK but I am worrying because I was looking at the " possibilities" based on what the record lows have been.

maybe I am worrying about nothing I will be there until OCT 31 then back to Georgia

[ed6713]

As suggested,the quick and easy solution is to turn on the HWH at night. Then turn it off in the morning.

[Handbasket]

My Tiger has a manually-lit 3 gallon Suburban WH. When I think there's a danger of it freezing but it's not yet winterized, I just light the pilot light. Leaving it on just 'pilot' all night gets the water plenty hot enough to shower, so I'm sure it's protected from cold.

Mine's easiest to light if I light a stove burner for a moment first.

Jim, "Neighbors... the strangers next door."

[n7bsn]

I probably would by-pass the heater and drain it.
My second choice would be run the water-heater.

I assume you are heading into the mountains, as the prairie is still above freezing