RV Water heater

[jpmyers]

Our New TT (May-2020) has a Electric/Propane water heater that has become very noisy lately. If only it were not right next to the bed. But it is and the 2' proximity with a very thin wall for seperation makes it difficult to sleep until it completes it's cycle.

Am I needing to clean the water heater out or change the annode? My ony experience is with home water heaters and I'm not sure what I need to do here.

[Old-Biscuit]

kellem wrote:
Our water heater " suburban I believe " has an electric on-off switch at the WH itself, another electric on-off switch at the control panel and separate Propane switch.
I've not seen this configuration before.

Regarding the OP's concern.
We've yet to use Propane to heat water when hooked up to electricity.....family of 5 until kids moved out.

Suburban OEM electric ON/OFF Switch is in the outside compartment
Some RV MFGs install an additional on/off switch INSIDE RV for convenience of owners (OEM Switch is inconvenient but was installed in outside compartment as a safety measure when working on electric element. Propane can be disabled by disconnecting wires on gas valve solenoid)

OEM Switch and Added Switch Inside are wired in series so BOTH have to be ON for electric element to work.
Outside one can be left on and Inside Switch used for turning WH on/off

[midnightsadie]

that new of a unit should not need cleaned yet, adjust the air. and don,t use it at night.

[CA_Traveler]

jpmyers wrote:
Sorry to be a pest but what is involved in cleaning out the water heater? Open the PSV and flush?

I was referring to the cleaning and adjusting the propane to reduce the noise.

[kellem]

Our water heater " suburban I believe " has an electric on-off switch at the WH itself, another electric on-off switch at the control panel and separate Propane switch.
I've not seen this configuration before.

Regarding the OP's concern.
We've yet to use Propane to heat water when hooked up to electricity.....family of 5 until kids moved out.

[Old-Biscuit]

Dometic IS Atwood (Dometic owns Atwood)
Model Number will be listed on data sticker in outside compartment
IF 10gal model will be GC10A-4E
If 6gal model will be GC6AA-10E

If it is GAS/Electric Combo and you are in CG why do you have the Propane ON?
Propane Noisy then you can adjust the air shutter to control flame (fuel/air ratio)

Only 1/4 of slots should be open for a good BLUE Flame that is fairly quiet


YES you can turn BOTH ON for fastest recovery time
Both use the same set of T-stats so both will turn on at same time and off at same time.
At night...turn the GAS off so you don't have to listen to it fire up

[jpmyers]

The only name I can find on this WH is Domestic. I read it on gas & electric when I first pulled into this park so I could get a shower in short order. Other than that one time, it has only been on electric. I just flushed it out so we'll see if that did the trick.

[BB_TX]

2edgesword wrote:
If it's electric and propane run it on electric.

Agree. No noise on electric. If the weather is cold we run the WH on both electric and propane at the same time to improve recovery rate. And the electric keeps the water hot enough that the propane never comes on unless we are using enough hot water at the time to require propane to help reheat the water. So no noise at night.

[2edgesword]

If it's electric and propane run it on electric.

[Old-Biscuit]

What Brand AND Model????
ONLY Suburban uses an 'anode rod' ----NOT Atwood

To drain/flush
Turn water supply OFF
Relieve system pressure by opening a Faucet Hot/Cold Sides-----leave it open
Remove drain plug ---water WILL flow out emptying the WH Tank
I turn water supply back on ---turn faucet off and let water Blast out WH TANK drain hole. CAUTION: Stand Back as it will BLAST out

Turn water supply back off....install drain plug (new anode rod if Suburban) and open faucet hotside to bleed air out of plumbing system and allow WH Tank to fill.
Water flows/no air from faucet-----done


Nosey FLAME on water heater
Atwood has an adjustable air shutter
Suburban no air shutter so could be dirty orifice, dirty burner tube etc

WHAT water heater do you have????

[jdc1]

Yep. Just shut it down.

[Lwiddis]

I’m not “afraid” of my TT water heater but I’ve never left it on, propane or electric, overnight. Yes, the fridge is on however. Fill and drain twice is the only flushing I’ve done, once a year or so.

[bukhrn]

I never turn mine off when camping, but then mine isn't next to my bed, but if it were, I'd agree with the others and just turn it off before retiring.
Do I assume it's only noisey when on propane ? I've never heard mine when on electric.

[jpmyers]

Sorry to be a pest but what is involved in cleaning out the water heater? Open the PSV and flush?

[CA_Traveler]

Maybe it needs cleaning or adjusting. Otherwise just turn it off at night.

[BobsYourUncle]

Speaking for myself, I turn it off at night so I don't have to listen to it run.
Water will stay hot for quite a while, and still plenty warm in the morning.
I just flip the switch when I get up in the morning to make my first coffee and let it cycle.

The anode is not related to the sound it makes running.