water heater

[emme54]

I just purchased a 1997 Dodge Roadtrek 190. It has a water heater but nothing I am seeing in the manuals tells about how to operate it. There is an on/off switch on the wall but I'm a little afraid of burning it up if the water is not in it. I have filled the water tank. Any suggestions as to how to check on the water heater would be helpful. Thanks,emme

[Old-Biscuit]

bsinmich wrote:
If you go to the Roadtrek website you can download the original brochure for you RV. I did that for my '95 that I got last fall and found all kinds of useful info. If you are like my 190 Versatile you will have a Suburban water heater. The water drain plug is also an anode rod that needs periodic replacement to prevent corrosion of the tank. Just filling the fresh water tank with fresh water and turning on the pump will fill the water heater. On mine I can check the water lines to and from the heater under the seat on R. Rear. I also got all of the original manuals and all bills for service since new. I got a new anode rod for $12. from Holland Motor Homes. I have an Atwood heater in my other MH and they don't use the anode rod. Both work great but one has a glass lined tank and the other uses an anode rod for corrosion protection.

Suburban has a steel glass lined tank and uses the anode rod as protection due to the steel tank.

Atwood uses an aluminum alloy tank therefore doesn't need an anode.

[bsinmich]

If you go to the Roadtrek website you can download the original brochure for you RV. I did that for my '95 that I got last fall and found all kinds of useful info. If you are like my 190 Versatile you will have a Suburban water heater. The water drain plug is also an anode rod that needs periodic replacement to prevent corrosion of the tank. Just filling the fresh water tank with fresh water and turning on the pump will fill the water heater. On mine I can check the water lines to and from the heater under the seat on R. Rear. I also got all of the original manuals and all bills for service since new. I got a new anode rod for $12. from Holland Motor Homes. I have an Atwood heater in my other MH and they don't use the anode rod. Both work great but one has a glass lined tank and the other uses an anode rod for corrosion protection.

[TinyoneRV]

The valves will be inside where the water pipes enter and leave the water tank. Mine has a three valve bypass. When the upper and lower valves are open and the center valve closed, water flows into and out of the hot water tank. When the upper and lower valves are closed and the center valve open, water bypasses the hot water tank and goes directly into the hot water lines. There are also two valve and single valve hot water systems. The bypass is used when winterizing so you don't have to pump gallons of RV antifreeze into the tank before any reaches the hot water lines. Just to confuse matters there are also two valve bypass systems and single valve systems. If you're not sure, get some help. Don't heat the water tank with no water in it.

I'm not sure what the two switches you mention do. I have a single switch on the outside of the RV on the hot water tank to turn on the electric hot water option and one inside to turn on the gas option. Since the switch for the electric option is jammed to the off position, I've only used the gas option.

[emme54]

I DO have 2 switches and a reset button....I guess the valves I should be looking for are on the outside of the van in the storage compartment

[emme54]

thank you all so much...this is really fun!

[azrving]

Like they said, be sure the valves are in the correct position, turn the hot faucet on. It may take a few minutes to fill the tank and purge the air. When water is flowing through it shut off the faucet and turn the switch on. You said it has one switch so it's probably a DSI (direct spark ignition) gas only model. If it had 120 volt electric heating ability it would have another switch for that.

When you turn the switch on it will click several times then you will possibly hear a sort of roar as it fires up. It will depend on where it's located as to hearing it or not. It's normal.

Open your bath faucets too so as to purge all the air or else your pump will be erratic because of air in the system.

[Old-Biscuit]

Open water heater outside access panel.......look at water heater
See what brand/model it is (Atwood/Suburban------propane only/pilot or spark ignitor----propane and electric)

Post back.

Otherwise..
check valving on backside of water heater
turn on water pump.......fill water heater by opening faucet hotside
tuen on water heater and see what happens

[enblethen]

Welcome to RV.net!
First thing to do is to identify what water heater you have.
Go to the outside access for the water heater. On the side of the unit, there will be make and exact model.
It will either be an Atwood or Suburban. You can then go to the appropriate website and download the owner's manual.
Post back the make and model and you will additional information here.

[rockhillmanor]

1. Make SURE your water lines are open to hot water tank and it is filled. {There are bypass valves that some people turn off to hot water tank when winterizing make sure these are in the on position.}

2. Make sure your propane tank valve is open.

3. Flip switch to on.
You will hear clicking and than it will ignite.

If it doesn't ignite the red light will come on. Shut it off and WAIT and try again. Ya I know you'd think the light should come on with its on but it doesn't it comes on when it doesn't ignite.

BTW: All your appliances are not listed in the RV manual. They have separate manuals for each appliance. Previous owners and dealerships usually put them in the drawer along side the bed. Or go on line to get them by appliance name.