How To Use Your RV Water Heater
In this article, we will discuss tips on how to use your RV water heater.
Let’s start by talking about the larger version, a household water heater. Most people don’t pay much attention to the water heater in their home. It just sits there without many issues. But, when you step into your RV, you usually have questions about the proper operation, care, and keeping of the smaller RV water heater.
RVs have basically two types of hot water heating systems. The most common is a water tank that is heated by propane, electric element or engine heat. Systems found in newer, high-end RVs are tankless. Tankless systems provide continuous hot water and their capacity is limited only by the amount of water available to the RV.
RV water heaters with tanks usually run on propane but some have the option to run on 120-volt AC current. In most cases the propane option is less expensive to use than electricity. Let’s discuss those . . .
How To Turn It On
Let’s start with a basic thought, how do I turn it on . . .
Warning
Never turn on the hot water heater with an empty tank. The tank will heat up quickly and cause permanent damage to the unit.
Below are the basic steps to producing hot water with your water heater:
- Connect the RV to a city or campsite water supply and verify the water heater is turned off. Turn on water to your RV then turn on a hot water faucet and let the water run until there is no sputtering. Once all sputtering has stopped, close the hot water faucet.
- Turn on the propane tanks and make sure that the water heater is connected to the LP system.
- Plug the RV into a shore electrical system (a house outlet or campground hookup).
- To turn on the RV water heater electric element, open the water heater access panel and click the switch to the on position. (it is usually on the bottom left hand side as you look at the water heater) If you want a faster recovery time, go inside your RV and turn on the water heater propane switch. With both heating modes on, your shower time will be a little more enjoyable. We leave the electric mode on all the time and also turn on propane mode when we shower. Higher-end motor-homes may not have a water heater outside. Instead they have an on-demand hot water system that does not require a hot water tank. This type of unit turns on with a switch located in the RV main control panel.
- Wait for the water heater to bring the water up to the proper temperature before using it. RV water heaters are smaller than those for household use. The average RV water heater does not exceed 10 gallons, therefore the water heats up quickly.
Give it Time
Many RV newbies find themselves panicking when their water heaters have been on for 15 or 20 minutes and hot water still isn’t running through the tap. However, this is no reason to panic. The water heater can take quite some time to heat a full tank of water, especially if it’s colder outside. Try to give your heater a full 30–60 minutes to heat up before using the hot water.
Limit Hot Water Usage
RV water heaters typically hold around 6 or 10 gallons of water. This means that once you use those gallons of hot water, you’ll have to wait for more water to heat up. 6 gallons doesn’t go far, so be sure to limit hot water usage by taking “navy showers” and shutting the water off between rinses when washing dishes. If your water heater is equipped with propane and electric modes, turn both on when your demand is higher.
Related Read: RV Changes Every Fulltimer Needs
Switch it Off
If you are camping and need to conserve propane, you will probably want to shut off your water heater after using it.