Hot Water Heater

[Lauren]

Have a friend with a motor home who said one should not turn the hot water heater on until you are ready to use hot water and then turn it off afterward.

Never heard of such a thing. They are newer RVers and we have been doing this part time for 16 years.

Any thoughts?

Just curious.

[happybooker1]

I just wish I could turn my HOUSE water heater off & on so easily as in flipping a switch!

[JJBIRISH]

I don’t think there are any rules, or a right or wrong answers…

I can turn mine on and in 5 to 10 min max it is hot enough for a nice shower… the water continues to heat even while showering and by the time I am done with the shower it is very hot and I have to adjust the temp with cold for rinsing, and the water is hot enough to last most of the day with light use… that serves me well and has for many years now…

I doubt mine ever gets to its full turn off temp which is scalding hot (dangerously so for children) in these little and inefficient heaters…

I don’t do it this way to save cost on electric or propane although IMHO it does, I don’t like to waste energy needlessly be it my propane or the CG electric… the advantage of DSI…

[Old-Biscuit]

Did you ask that friend.........WHY :H

[rhagfo]

TXiceman wrote:
Turn it on on arrival and leave it on until you leave. I like hot water when I need it. Unless you are boon docking, it is not worth the effort to save a few pennies on propane.

Oh and it is a water heater. Why would you want to heat water that is already hot.

Ken

When I feel broke, I will sleep in a tent and heat water as needed in a pot. Until then the Water Heater is on at arrival and off at departure.

[2oldman]

down home wrote:
I thought most cold water heaters were both electric and propane..

You'd think so, but it seems many Class A's do not have electric. For a $200,000 coach it saves maybe $30.

[down_home]

I thought most cold water heaters were both electric and propane. It uses little propane to keep it hot when you're plugged in. occasionally I hear ours kick in. The atwood Rep adjust flame to make it quieter. I don't know about soot. I've been wondering if the electric side is working properly, seems the propane should not have to kick in at all when plugged in. Have to get around to checking it. Some units are not supposed to use electric and propane, at the same time but our 05 says ok. The switches are confusing. The one for electric only glows if the propane goes out or vice verse.

[Dutch_12078]

When left on, my water heater kicks on at 120 deg F and off at 140 deg F. That 120 deg water is sure hot enough in my opinion, to make it a "hot water heater" at that point, since it's making hot water hotter. :R

[TXiceman]

Turn it on on arrival and leave it on until you leave. I like hot water when I need it. Unless you are boon docking, it is not worth the effort to save a few pennies on propane.

Oh and it is a water heater. Why would you want to heat water that is already hot.

Ken

[tenbear]

I guess if you leave it on all the time, it really is a "hot water heater".

[fla-gypsy]

If I am in a park with good electric supply I may leave mine on elec all the time and use the LP when shower time comes for quicker recovery and then sometimes I only turn it on when needed. It makes no difference IMO.

[noplace2]

Chris Bryant wrote:
Entropy always wins.

All water is hot, unless it is at absolute zero.

It really will not matter one way or the other.

You forgot to add, "to me".

[2oldman]

Chris Bryant wrote:
All water is hot, unless it is at absolute zero.

I could live with 'mildly hot water heater.'

As long as we're getting into semantics, my favorite is "income coming in."

[Chris_Bryant]

Entropy always wins.

All water is hot, unless it is at absolute zero.

It really will not matter one way or the other.

[tenbear]

From a Physicist's point of view, the amount of heat that must be replaced, if you ignore the hot water that is removed from the tank, is dependent on the difference in temperature of the water and the temperature of the surrounding air.

If the heater is left on, the heat loss over time stays pretty well constant. If the heater is turned off when not in use, the water cools and the heat loss is less.

So, the amount of propane used to replace the heat loss is less when the water is allowed to cool for a period of time, even counting the propane necessary to reheat the cooler water.

[Veebyes]

Have to smile everytime somebody talks about a hot water heater.

What is the point of having something that heats hot water? The appliance is a WATER HEATER. It takes in cold water & makes it HOT. It does not heat water that is already HOT.

Look on the box of any of these appliances. It will be lableled WATER HEATER.