Hot/Cold shower

[thankdog]

Hi everyone - hoping you can offer some insight to this ongoing issue(s) -

we have a 2012 Fleetwood Discovery 40X

Two things maybe unrelated -

Most importantly when we take showers (if not hooked up to city water) the water fluctuates from hot to cold to hot and back again - we replaced the pump as was suggested and no real improvement.

Second issue the ice maker doesnt work. There is nothing wrong with the ice maker that anyone can find. We replaced the filter but that made no difference. Oddly - from time to time with no rhyme or reason it will make a tray of ice. I know, not a super important problem to have in the big picture but still we would love to be using the ice maker instead of simply using it to hold store bought ice.

Thanks! Preparing for a X country trip and wanting to get everything done.

Lynn

[mtd]

thank dog: I had the same issue. Fleetwood uses a "mixing" valve. It is a safety feature due to some hot tanks making very hot water. I replaced mine to times. The third time my repairman suggested we eliminate the valve. Now the hot water comes to the faucet very hot, just like in a home setting. My problem solved. Just remember that your hot water can be very hot at the faucet.

[thankdog]

Ice maker issue resolved - thanks to all the suggestions and fixes here!

Working on hot/cold issue this week using suggestions here. I will post an update! Thanks to all!

[malexander]

I have an 07 Fleetwood Bounder. The mixing valve went bad in it. It just stopped up completely. I removed it, and replumbed the entire water heater compartment. I "built" a bypass valve set-up just like my old Class c Jayco, and my 5ers had. I've had plenty of hot water and no issues since.

[tinkerer]

Not saying this the answer, but is your water filter new? Is the water turned on to your ice maker?

[-Gramps-]

I have heard that this kind of problem can be caused by your outside shower. Make sure hot and cold are turned off using the handles, not just the shut off valve on the shower head. If the water is turned off using just the shower head, it will mix hot and cold.

[Lwiddis]

I'm not camping with anyone who can't provide me with backup ice.

[dougrainer]

Ernest wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

Bill.Satellite wrote:
It it were the mixing valve, wouldn't he get the same effect whether connected to city water or using water pumps?

IF you have a On Demand RV water heater, you will get wide variations of Hot and Cold when on water pump versus City water. IF the pump cycles at all when you have a On Demand, the Water heater will turn on and off due to that pressure/volume fluctuation. Same principle with the EXT mixing valve. Especially when the mixing valve is clogged and bad. Doug

This isn't an on demand water heater. It has a 10 gallon tank that operates at a higher temperature than a normal 10 gal only unit. The mixing valve lowers the temperature and adds volume. When you done and exhausted all 16 gallons you have no more hot water. An on demand unit will supply unlimited hot water as long as you have fuel and water. In a true boiler system they call this a tempering valve.
If this fellows mixer was bad as in block or restricted he would just have to add a lot of cold water at the faucet. Also if it was blocked or restricted it would be a constant not something that comes and goes.

I stand by what I stated. The Mixing valve is BAD. I have fixed MORE EXT water heaters than anyone on this forum for the SAME complaint. I did NOT state he had a demand water heater. I stated what the principle is and the Mixing valve can cause similar problems when it is BAD and clogged up. Doug

[Ernest]

dougrainer wrote:

Bill.Satellite wrote:
It it were the mixing valve, wouldn't he get the same effect whether connected to city water or using water pumps?

IF you have a On Demand RV water heater, you will get wide variations of Hot and Cold when on water pump versus City water. IF the pump cycles at all when you have a On Demand, the Water heater will turn on and off due to that pressure/volume fluctuation. Same principle with the EXT mixing valve. Especially when the mixing valve is clogged and bad. Doug

This isn't an on demand water heater. It has a 10 gallon tank that operates at a higher temperature than a normal 10 gal only unit. The mixing valve lowers the temperature and adds volume. When you done and exhausted all 16 gallons you have no more hot water. An on demand unit will supply unlimited hot water as long as you have fuel and water. In a true boiler system they call this a tempering valve.
If this fellows mixer was bad as in block or restricted he would just have to add a lot of cold water at the faucet. Also if it was blocked or restricted it would be a constant not something that comes and goes.

[dougrainer]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
It it were the mixing valve, wouldn't he get the same effect whether connected to city water or using water pumps?

IF you have a On Demand RV water heater, you will get wide variations of Hot and Cold when on water pump versus City water. IF the pump cycles at all when you have a On Demand, the Water heater will turn on and off due to that pressure/volume fluctuation. Same principle with the EXT mixing valve. Especially when the mixing valve is clogged and bad. Doug

[thankdog]

dougrainer wrote:
OK, you have the EXT which is what I thought. Your MIXING valve on the back of the water heater is clogged with mineral deposits. It is best to replace the mixing valve. You can remove it and soak it in dissolving spirits, but it is best to replace. Doug

Thanks Doug - this makes sense

Thank you to all for so much helpful information. I will update .....

Lynn

[dougrainer]

OK, you have the EXT which is what I thought. Your MIXING valve on the back of the water heater is clogged with mineral deposits. It is best to replace the mixing valve. You can remove it and soak it in dissolving spirits, but it is best to replace. Doug

[Ernest]

ScottG wrote:
It's not the pump, though it will aggravate the symptom. It's the mixing valve in the WH and it's common with that WH.
Your particular WH heats water much hotter than a standard unit. Then it uses a mixing valve (which depends on consistent flow) to blend cold water into the hot water outlet in order to keep those temps in check and give more usable hot water overall. That's why your is referred to as a "16" - it gives you the equivalent of 16 gallons of hot water.
It's that fancy mixing valve that's causing the fluctuations. It probably has hard water deposits/calcium built up in it.
You need to replace the mixing valve.

That is why it's the PUMP. When you have city water you're getting the constant pressure.
Depending on your water pump it sense both flow and or pressure. If it sense flow then it turns on and depending on far open you open the faucet it run till no flow and max pressure. During a shower it should be cycling between it's flow setting but never shutting off while maintaining a constant pressure. The water pump feeds both the cold water supply to all devices. This includes all faucets, toilet and hot water heater. The Hot water heater outlet whether from a mixing valve or a hot water tank feed only the hot water side of each appropriate faucet. You still need to use the cold water faucet with the hot water faucet to set the temperature of you're shower water that you're comfortable with. That mixing valve only lets you hold 10 gallons of water at a higher temperature so that you can get 16 gallons of hot water out of a 10 gallon tank. Regardless the hot water without cold water at the faucet will scold you.

[doxiemom11]

When you use the pump are you using it with the outside set for city water connections in your water bay? If we don't flip the handle the pump does not provide good flow and pulsates. Just a thought. Works properly after the setting is changed.

[ScottG]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
It it were the mixing valve, wouldn't he get the same effect whether connected to city water or using water pumps?

No, like I wrote in my post, the water supply needs to be very consistent or it aggravates the problem. You can picture the mixing valve making lots of tiny adjustments when the water source isn't smooth. They just aren't very good at that.
Getting the pump to supply a smoother flow of water will help or mask the problem but it will continue to get worse.