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.

[jpmyers]

Does anyone know of an On-Demand water heater for use in a RV?

[deltabravo]

jpmyers wrote:
...and the 2' proximity with a very thin wall for seperation makes it difficult to sleep until it completes it's cycle.

Don't leave it on all night. I never run mine when I'm not needing hot water.

[jpmyers]

So after flushing out the water heater tank through the drain, it has become much quieter. We are now mostly using gas instead of electric to heat the water and we do turn it off when retiring for the night. This rig does seem to sip propane as the first 30# tank took over 4 months to get to a level where I believe it needs to be refilled.

Thanks for all the pointers.

[jpmyers]

Just popping and cracking, like you'd hear from a large pot of water just beginning to get hot before it starts to boil.

[aftermath]

Did you ever describe the "noise"? If it is popping and crackling then I agree you need to flush it out. If is roaring like a jet taking off, follow Old-Biscuit's recommendation. Make sure it has cooled before you get your hand on that sleeve. Ask me how I know.

[Coolerman]

The Suburban heater in my old Star Craft popup would keep water piping hot overnight with just the pilot light going.

That water heater was located right under the bed. We learned quickly to turn off the main burner at night!

[jpmyers]

The gas to the water heater in this rig stays shut off. The dual hear mode was a one time deal. Cleaning out the heater tank did the trick. She's running quietly on electric only.

Some great info tossed around here. Thanks for all the pointers folks.

[mr_andyj]

Turn it off.

Turn it on when you will need hot water.

Then turn it off.

It will stay warm in the tank all afternoon. If you use hot water that is in a tank that is turned off, then just turn it back on to warm the cold water that just got dumped into the tank.

Then turn if back off.

I have camped many years. Never needed piping hot water overnight, but everyone is different.

To each his own as Betty Butterfield would say...

[Old-Biscuit]

MFL wrote:
Yes, those are open at least 2/3s, but I think Old-Biscuit is just using the picture to show what slots, rather than suggesting the pictured setting is 1/4. He is a good source of reliable information!

Jerry

Absolutely.........
Pic was example of the air shutter (which was being adjusted in photo)

[MFL]

Yes, those are open at least 2/3s, but I think Old-Biscuit is just using the picture to show what slots, rather than suggesting the pictured setting is 1/4. He is a good source of reliable information!

Jerry

[Paul1944]

This appears to be open a lot more than 1/4, am I missing something?

[Paul1944]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
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

This appears to be open a lot more than 1/4, am I missing somethind?


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]

I flushed the WH tank out yesterday and it did reduce the noise considerably.

Our WH is a Dometic which, as I understand it, is Atwood as Dometic bought out Atwood. That is the only name I can find anywhere on the unit or the paperwork. This water heater does not have an annode to be replaced.

There are a few reasons why this WH needed cleaning as far as I can discern. 1) We have been Full-Time in this rig since the last week of May. 2) The park we've been in since the end of June has some very hard water. Many of the Long Timers here have installed water softeners for that reason. I was amazed at all of the calcium that washed out of my water heater.

I used Gas and Electric together only the one time so the water would heat faster, which it did. At all other times I have only had the WH on Electric heat. I would have expected to hear the thing more had I been heating my water with gas. The electric option has worked great as saved me a lot of money on propane.

[theoldwizard1]

BobsYourUncle wrote:
Speaking for myself, I turn it off at night so I don't have to listen to it run.

Chatting with my daughter yesterday (her family has camped close to 50 nights this year), she said the same thing and added how LOUD other campers water heaters are !