Adjustable Thermostat for a 6 gallon RV Water Heater

[Homeless_by_Cho]

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I want to reduce the temperature of my hot water (HW) heater. I used to own a trailer with an adjustable thermostat on the LP water heater but my truck camper does not have one. The old trailer HW heater had a continuously lit pilot light that I had to manually start at the HW unit itself.

My previous house had a High Efficiency 40 gallon LP HW heater with electronic ignition and an adjustable thermostat. Is an adjustable thermostat available or adaptable for a 6 gallon RV tank?

LeRoy

[Lynnmor]

Google "water heater bacteria temperature"

A water heater not hot enough is a breeding ground for bacteria.

[RKB]

Consider wiring your own thermostat in line.

I use the following:

Inkbird Dual Stage 12V Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit Thermostat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019I3YCFS/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apap_3bZhiB31B6iNM

Wire it in series and your existing thermostat will act as a high temp safety.

[Old-Biscuit]

Homeless by Choice wrote:
DrewE

105F Warn is much better than cold. I want my LP for furnace and fridge. Water and dump sites are readily available compared to LP refill stations.


Old-Biscuit
Sorry, I should have initially included that info.

It is an Atwood, 6 gallon, LP only, model G6A-8E water heater.

Edit: It has "E.C.O." on a rubber cover where the four wire go thru.

LeRoy

The rubber cover is actually a foam insulating pad so T-stat & ECO are not exposed to outside air and only to tank wall temp
T-stat can be replaced with the Optional Adjustable T-stat (110*F - 150*F)

It comes with a bracket to hold the larger size t-stat.
Small screw adjustment on face to set temp t-stat opens at (the lower the set temp the lower the temp has to go before t-stat closes to reheat)
BROWN Wires connect to it....short pigtails are included.



Atwood Adjustable----93105

Atwood DOES have an optional Fixed 130*F T-stat -----91470
(IS a 130*F fixed but SOME packages/advertisements list it as `120*F)


ECO (Energy Cut Off...Hi Temp T-stat) remains in place. It is set to Open at 180*F and shut down ALL heating.

[Homeless_by_Cho]

wa8yxm wrote:
WHy not use one of these for the shower...

Thermostatic shower valve

Because I want to save on LP usage. Why heat six gallons of water super hot and then only use one gallon mixing it with cold water and let the rest of the hot water cool down?


Edit: fixed spelling

[wa8yxm]

WHy not use one of these for the shower...

Thermostatic shower valve

[Homeless_by_Cho]

wildtoad wrote:
From what I’ve read (sometime, somewhere) part of the reason for the higher temps was to make sure it kills bacteria. Not sure of the validity, but perhaps something to think about.

I kept my house HW heater somewhere between 105-110F for 20 years without a problem. I would be more concerned about fresh water going bad from warm temperature (because I drink it) than I am about HW.

But thank you for your comment.
LeRoy

[wildtoad]

From what I’ve read (sometime, somewhere) part of the reason for the higher temps was to make sure it kills bacteria. Not sure of the validity, but perhaps something to think about.

[Homeless_by_Cho]

DrewE

105F Warn is much better than cold. I want my LP for furnace and fridge. Water and dump sites are readily available compared to LP refill stations.


Old-Biscuit
Sorry, I should have initially included that info.

It is an Atwood, 6 gallon, LP only, model G6A-8E water heater.

Edit: It has "E.C.O." on a rubber cover where the four wire go thru.

LeRoy

[Old-Biscuit]

First off...
Suburban OEM t-stat is 130*F ....they offer an optional 140*F t-stat
Atwood OEM t-stat is 140*F....NO optional fixed temp t-stat BUT they do have an optional 110*F - 150*F adjustable style that replaces the fixed 140*F t-stat

IF you have an Atwood
If you have a Suburban then no lower temp replacement is available
BUT IF you have a Suburban GAS ONLY then an DIY mod can be done using a residential water heater adjustable t-stat. Install it in the open area to left of propane st of t-stats (place where the electric set would be installed)
The residential t-stat would have to be tied into the OEM propane set ----but it would be controlling temp and still have High temp shut off from OEM t-stat


SO which BRAND/MODEL do you have....???? (really helps with responses!)


Personally I do not like 'mixing valves'....they are problematic as it doesn't take much to clog hot in from water heater so that one does not get ANY hot water.

T-stat temps
Small volume tanks require hotter initial temps so hot water will last longer.......end user tempers it by mixing in cold water at the faucet/shower

[DrewE]

105F max? That's hardly hot water in my book, closer to warm...but I guess that's neither here nor there.

You can still get manual pilot RV water heaters, and they have a manual adjustable thermostat similar to a household water heater. Another option might be to install a thermostatic mixing valve (sometimes called a tempering valve) at the water heater output and set it for whatever temperature you deem appropriate.

I don't think there's too much of an energy use difference in the grand scheme of things. Not too much heat is radiated to the outside world from the water heater even at 140 degrees or so. That said, a lower temperature will be somewhat more efficient, as the rate of heat transfer is proportional to the difference in temperature (in this case between the water temperature and the ambient temperature), and heat thus transferred is "lost" and must be resupplied by the burner or element.

[RLS7201]

close to you requirements. Adjusts from 110° to 150°.

Richard

[Homeless_by_Cho]

donn0128 wrote:
No.
But I do believe that both brands do offer two different ranges. You might try to determine if you have a 140 or 150 degree limit.

I am aware of the two ranges but they are WAY TOO HOT, way too energy inefficient*, and way too dangerous for children use. I would prefer a 105 shut off. If McDonalds gets sued for hot coffee spilled in the lap, I would believe that the HW heater manufactures would be concerned about kids being burnt.

(I am not suggesting any lawsuits here. I am just making a comparison.)

Maybe I should have Titled this thread "How could a HW heater be modified for 105F max".

For all the workarounds that have been posted for RV items, I would think that someone come create one for HW heaters.

* I dry camp a lot and running low on LP is a major inconvenience.

Thanks,
LeRoy

[donn0128]

No.
But I do believe that both brands do offer two different ranges. You might try to determine if you have a 140 or 150 degree limit.