Water Heater Question

[midapo]

Newbie question: How can I tell if my water heater is full? I read online that I need to make sure the water heater bypass valve is not turned on. I have searched and cannot find this valve. The only valves I find are in the back for draining the water system. Water comes out of the hot water side of all faucets.

It is a 2018 KZ Connect 251RK. Thanks!

[Old-Biscuit]

midapo wrote:
I only have two valves, one on blue one on red. I would post a picture if I could figure out how!

IS there a Line that connects blue to red?

Are the 2 valves at the connection where that line is?

Something like this?



Handles 'in-line' with Blue & Red----Normal operation

[MFL]

If this is your two valve system, you need to have the handles pointing inline to allow flow to tank.

Jerry

[midapo]

I only have two valves, one on blue one on red. I would post a picture if I could figure out how!

[Old-Biscuit]

midapo wrote:
So I took the panel off and indeed the valves are there. They appear to be open as the handles are parallel to the pipes. It is a suburban water heater.

What would be a situation that I would want to bypass the water heater?

Winterizing....no need to pump gallons of rv Anti-freeze into WH Tank when you can just Bypass it and drain it

If water heater fails/tank leaks etc then you can Bypass it and still have water in the RV

How many valves do you have on WH Tank?

Bypass valve handle should be 'across' the line between cold & hot lines
Cold valve handle should be 'in-line' with the cold inlet water line
Hot valve handle should be 'in-line' with hot outlet water line
****IF you have a Hot outlet valve.....many times no shutoff valve but just a check valve inside the nipple on WH Tank

Operate the Cold Inlet and make sure it is OPEN
Operate the Bypass and make sure it is CLOSED
Operate the Hot Outlet and make sure it is OPEN
*IF you have 3 valve system

Cold Open/Bypass Closed/Hot Open......turn water on---open kitchen faucet cold side/bleed air then open hotside and bleed air (hot takes longer cause you are filling WH tank)

This is a 2 way system



This is a 3 way system (in Bypass)




The 2 examples above are just some of the valving arrangements used
there are:
*One 3-way valve (cold inlet/bypass) with check valve in hot
*Two 3-way valves (cold inlet/bypass) and (hot outlet/bypass)

[midapo]

So I took the panel off and indeed the valves are there. They appear to be open as the handles are parallel to the pipes. It is a suburban water heater.

What would be a situation that I would want to bypass the water heater?

[mr_andyj]

agree to use the relief valve to check.
It will be worth gold to get to know your valves and where on and where off is, make notes inside the compartment with a sharpie because you will forget.

[spoon059]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
You can pop open the Water Heater T&P Relief Valve (outside compartment) but should only be done to check for water in WH Tank)

Yup, this is the easiest way if you are in doubt about the bypass. Your temp and pressure relief valve is at the top of the heater, so it would have to be full of water for any to discharge from there.

I'm hesitant to use correct terminology on a water heater, for fear of insulting the easily insulted, but when you say the only valves are on the "back" of the water heater, do you mean the panel on the outside of your RV? I would refer to that as the front/exterior of the heater.

You should have a panel on the inside of your camper at the interior/back of the water heater to access it. Might be under a dinette seat, bed, couch, or might be in a closet.

Do you know if you have an Atwood or Suburban?

[wing_zealot]

The only way to know is to look at the valves. The valves are generally behind a panel, on the inside of the trailer, that have some screws holding the panel on. Wherever the back of the water heater is on the outside the trailer, the panel will be in the same place inside the trailer..

[Old-Biscuit]

Water Heater exterior is on back wall....so plumbing lines (cold in/hot out and bypass if it has one) would be directly opposite-------Under Oven/Under Kitchen Sink

That panel under oven is probably removable



If water heater is 'bypassed' you WILL get flow out of Faucet hotside
If water heater is NOT 'bypassed you will get flow out of Faucet hotside

You can pop open the Water Heater T&P Relief Valve (outside compartment) but should only be done to check for water in WH Tank
Should bleed air out of hotside using kitchen faucet so 'air pocket' in WH Tank is formed and not disrupted (which can happen using T&P to bleed air out when filling)