does it automatically fill up the tank of the water Heater?

Open the hot at the kitchen sink. When the air is out the tank is full.

Get to camping sight, open up hot water faucet in kitchen, then hot water faucet in bathroom then hook up water hose and turn on water, it will take a few minutes to fill the hot water tank. When water starts coming out of the faucet then we shut it off. then turn on the hot water electric switch.

When I winterize and pull the anode out, I turn the switch off. I also make sure the breaker is flipped off. Normally during the camping season..I just use the breaker. In a few it will be time to clean it out and get ready for the camping season.

dave17352 wrote:
I personally have always opened the relief valve just to make sure all the air is out. Probably not necessary though.

What Dave says. Only takes a minute, then you know for sure.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Opening the relief valve when filling CAN (not always) get rid of the air pocket that is engineered into the design of WH Tank. Air pocket allows for pressure increases due to swelling of water when heated. Loss of air pocket----weeping relief valve.

To not lose air pocket......turn on water supply and bleed air via hot/cold faucet (Cold inlet valve open/hot outlet open---if you have one/bypass closed)

Also not ALL WHs have 2 switches for electric element
Suburban has an ON/OFF switch in outside compartment----lower left corner. May have another on/off switch inside rv if mfg. adds one.

Atwood if 2003 or prior years will have an ON/OFF switch on backside of WH Tank on cover over electric element. May have another inside rv if mfg. adds one.
2004 and newer ones will only have an ON/OFF switch on panel on wall.

Mine had 2 switches, outside and inside. I always wondered why & i think the outside switch is when u want to use electric (while also switching on the inside switch), & the inside as propane.

Opening the relief valve when filling CAN (not always) get rid of the air pocket that is engineered into the design of WH Tank. Air pocket allows for pressure increases due to swelling of water when heated. Loss of air pocket----weeping relief valve.

To not lose air pocket......turn on water supply and bleed air via hot/cold faucet (Cold inlet valve open/hot outlet open---if you have one/bypass closed)

Also not ALL WHs have 2 switches for electric element
Suburban has an ON/OFF switch in outside compartment----lower left corner. May have another on/off switch inside rv if mfg. adds one.

Atwood if 2003 or prior years will have an ON/OFF switch on backside of WH Tank on cover over electric element. May have another inside rv if mfg. adds one.
2004 and newer ones will only have an ON/OFF switch on panel on wall.

dave17352 wrote:
I personally have always opened the relief valve just to make sure all the air is out. Probably not necessary though.

X2. My tank will gurgle if I don't do this.

thehippie wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
You need to bleed the air out of all the lines, all faucets hot and cold. Once the lines quit spitting and spatting air, and you have a steady stream of water, that that faucet off and go to the next one. The water heater will take longer, to replace 6 gallons of air with 6 gallons of water. If you turn the faucets all off before the tank is filled, the lines and the water tank will reach pressure and simply will not fill any longer.

Now, the electric heating element is on the bottom of the tank. As long as the heating element is covered with water, if you happen to flip the "on" switch, you're good, because the element is covered with water. But if the tank is empty, and the element is not covered, you'll burn it out in a matter of seconds.

Here's another hint. If your water heater has an outside rocker arm switch - on and off - always keep that "off" unless you are actually using the camper. Especially if you drain your water heater after every trip, make double sure that switch is off.

This way, if the switch for electric gets turned on inside the camper, nothing will come on. Because it's double switched and off AT the heater. It's REALLY too easy to hit the water heater button thinking it's a light switch, especially kids, if you are plugged into shore power, but don't have water in the tank. So, always make sure both switches are off unless you know there's water in the tank.

I installed a second switch on my water pump for the same reason. The switch for the water pump is right beside the main panel and the house lights. Several times, when parked at home, and the fresh water tank was empty, that switch would get flipped. The water pump would be running (for who knows how long) with no water in the fresh tank, no pressure ever built up to turn it off. After a few times of that happening, I installed a second switch. It's never been found running again or turned on by the "unknown ghost?"

So, check if the tank is double switched. By the way, it won't hurt anything if the gas comes on and it's empty. It will just get very, very, very hot. But nothing will get burned up if there's no water in the tank.

Thanks man.

OP, good question. That will help during my first trip out this Spring after winterizing.

Dutchman- Thanks. That was very helpful. Being a newbie, I wondered why my water heater wasn't working on electric. It worked fine with propane. Who knew there were TWO switches?!

DutchmenSport wrote:
You need to bleed the air out of all the lines, all faucets hot and cold. Once the lines quit spitting and spatting air, and you have a steady stream of water, that that faucet off and go to the next one. The water heater will take longer, to replace 6 gallons of air with 6 gallons of water. If you turn the faucets all off before the tank is filled, the lines and the water tank will reach pressure and simply will not fill any longer.

Now, the electric heating element is on the bottom of the tank. As long as the heating element is covered with water, if you happen to flip the "on" switch, you're good, because the element is covered with water. But if the tank is empty, and the element is not covered, you'll burn it out in a matter of seconds.

Here's another hint. If your water heater has an outside rocker arm switch - on and off - always keep that "off" unless you are actually using the camper. Especially if you drain your water heater after every trip, make double sure that switch is off.

This way, if the switch for electric gets turned on inside the camper, nothing will come on. Because it's double switched and off AT the heater. It's REALLY too easy to hit the water heater button thinking it's a light switch, especially kids, if you are plugged into shore power, but don't have water in the tank. So, always make sure both switches are off unless you know there's water in the tank.

I installed a second switch on my water pump for the same reason. The switch for the water pump is right beside the main panel and the house lights. Several times, when parked at home, and the fresh water tank was empty, that switch would get flipped. The water pump would be running (for who knows how long) with no water in the fresh tank, no pressure ever built up to turn it off. After a few times of that happening, I installed a second switch. It's never been found running again or turned on by the "unknown ghost?"

So, check if the tank is double switched. By the way, it won't hurt anything if the gas comes on and it's empty. It will just get very, very, very hot. But nothing will get burned up if there's no water in the tank.

Thanks man.

You need to bleed the air out of all the lines, all faucets hot and cold. Once the lines quit spitting and spatting air, and you have a steady stream of water, that that faucet off and go to the next one. The water heater will take longer, to replace 6 gallons of air with 6 gallons of water. If you turn the faucets all off before the tank is filled, the lines and the water tank will reach pressure and simply will not fill any longer.

Now, the electric heating element is on the bottom of the tank. As long as the heating element is covered with water, if you happen to flip the "on" switch, you're good, because the element is covered with water. But if the tank is empty, and the element is not covered, you'll burn it out in a matter of seconds.

Here's another hint. If your water heater has an outside rocker arm switch - on and off - always keep that "off" unless you are actually using the camper. Especially if you drain your water heater after every trip, make double sure that switch is off.

This way, if the switch for electric gets turned on inside the camper, nothing will come on. Because it's double switched and off AT the heater. It's REALLY too easy to hit the water heater button thinking it's a light switch, especially kids, if you are plugged into shore power, but don't have water in the tank. So, always make sure both switches are off unless you know there's water in the tank.

I installed a second switch on my water pump for the same reason. The switch for the water pump is right beside the main panel and the house lights. Several times, when parked at home, and the fresh water tank was empty, that switch would get flipped. The water pump would be running (for who knows how long) with no water in the fresh tank, no pressure ever built up to turn it off. After a few times of that happening, I installed a second switch. It's never been found running again or turned on by the "unknown ghost?"

So, check if the tank is double switched. By the way, it won't hurt anything if the gas comes on and it's empty. It will just get very, very, very hot. But nothing will get burned up if there's no water in the tank.