Likes to tow
Huntington WV
Senior Member
Joined: 01/13/2006
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
I have the 10 gal Atwood hot water tank in my 5th wheel and all of a sudden on the trip last week we noticed a substantial decrease in the hot water temperature. Normally it will scald your hand under full hot water with no cold mix. Now you can hold your hand under the faucet with no discomfort.
I tried swithing to gas but the same results are experienced on both gas and electric.
When I arrived home I placed my thermometer under the faucet and the temperature was 110. Internet research has led me to believe the water temp should be in the 130/140 range. I ordered a replacement thermostat and hope this corrects my problem. It's very easy to replace on my unit from the outside access panel. An adjustable thermostat was available but I opted to go with a standard replacement.........
Anyone ever experience problems with the non adjustable units like mine??
|
harold1946
Surprise Arizona
Senior Member
Joined: 06/20/2009
View Profile
 Offline
|
Its very possible that calcium deposits are causing the problem, not the thermostat. I would drain and flush the tank.
Harold and Linda
2009 CT Coachworks siena 35V
W-22 Workhorse 8.1L
Explorer toad
|
Likes to tow
Huntington WV
Senior Member
Joined: 01/13/2006
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
I drain the tank after each trip so the water does not become stagnet. However I wonder if some deposits are built up inside the tank anyway. If I drain and flush the tank again should I put something in the water to bust up the deposits??
|
botts12
Tallahassee, FL
Senior Member
Joined: 09/20/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Check the outside shower faucet handles. If you leave the handles on it will still mix water into the lines even though you have the switch on the shower head off.
|
Likes to tow
Huntington WV
Senior Member
Joined: 01/13/2006
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
I guess that would circulate fresh water and prevent stagnation. However I park my 5th wheel in my back yard for weeks at a time with no fresh water connection. So drainig the fresh water holding tank and hot water tank is my only option to prevent smelly water.
|
|
|
jetcare
RV Repairman - South Fork, CO in the summer
Senior Member
Joined: 05/02/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
botts12 wrote:Check the outside shower faucet handles. If you leave the handles on it will still mix water into the lines even though you have the switch on the shower head off.
x2
2007 Coachman 32 foot Travel Trailer
2010 Ford F350 Super Duty 4X2, SRW, 6.4L
|
rockhillmanor
On the Road
Senior Member
Joined: 12/06/2003
View Profile
|
My temp started creeping up also. I like hot water and didn't think much of it....that is until a couple of weeks ago when water started gushing out the side of my MH. Don't know how long it was doing it before a fellow camper told me.
It was pouring out the relief valve. Which I was glad it did it's job but the scary part was the side of my MH above the HWH was 'extremely' hot to the touch. I shut the HWH off but it would not cool down, so I opened all the faucets to drain the hot water faster, scalding doesn't even come close to describing just how hot that water was.
The side of my MH was NOT cooling down though, Making wonder if it could have caught fire.
Everyone told me its easy to replace the thermostat, if in fact that is the problem, but after that experience I am going to have a repair tech come out and check the 'entire' hot water heat out.....almost burning down the side of my MH was just too close for comfort for me.
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us".
|
Clay L
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Senior Member
Joined: 07/01/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
You might want to check the temperature of the water in the tank by carefully releasing a little water from the relief valve into a cup. It should be about 140 degrees. If not then you may have a leaky diverter valve, a cross feed from open shower valves as already stated, or a bad mixing/tempering valve if you have one.
I needlessly replaced the thermostat and ECO combination when my problem was a leaky diverter (winterizing) valve because I didn't check the water temperature first.
Clay (WA5NMR), Lee (Wife), Katie (cat).
Full Timing in a 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N, Workhorse chassis, Honda Accord toad
|
harold1946
Surprise Arizona
Senior Member
Joined: 06/20/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
The method I use is to drain the tank, remove the heating element, use a funnel and pour in some white vinegar. Then scrubb it with a good stiff bottle brush. Put everything back together and flush.
|
MPD56
Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 12/30/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Just my opinion. I’d check the outside shower like suggested, first. I have a 2008 Jayco with a 10 gal Atwood hot water tank and was having the same problem. To check the true hot water temperature in the tank, you should try carefully opening the pressure relief valve and see if it is 110 degrees like at the faucet. If it is 110 degrees then I would suspect the thermostat. If it is around the 140 plus range then I would suspect that the tempering (Mixing) valve on the outlet of the HWT might be your problem. I changed my mixing valve a few years ago with a new version and no problems since. I wouldn’t think that build up in the tank would stop the tank to reaching maximum temperature setting, might just take a little longer.
|
|
|
