Water Heater Adjust?

MN-Clark · 09-04-2019, 06:07 AM

Carbon 357 - is it possible to adjust the temperature on the water heater? When operating on AC our water is very hot. LP seems better but we don't/haven't used the heater that way much.

And, if it is possible to adjust, where is the heater and how is it adjusted?

Seems most questions are about not getting any hot water and we've got too hot water.

Thx.

**chuckster57** · 09-04-2019, 06:20 AM

RV water heaters are preset at the factory. I usually turn the hot on and adjust the temp with the cold. Depending on brand, there may be a different thermostat available I think.

CynEd · 09-22-2022, 11:30 PM

I live in my Keystone Bunkhouse RV, I have a four year old foster child, if I cannot adjust the hot water heater down, there is a chance they will take her away, I have had her for 4 years and do not want to loose her, So help me to adjust down the hot water temperature, Please.

wiredgeorge · 09-23-2022, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CynEd

I live in my Keystone Bunkhouse RV, I have a four year old foster child, if I cannot adjust the hot water heater down, there is a chance they will take her away, I have had her for 4 years and do not want to loose her, So help me to adjust down the hot water temperature, Please.

There are several types of water heaters used in Keystone campers. Open the outside panel on your water heater and get the make and model. Keystone "bunkhouse" could refer to many different years/models of camper. Welcome to the forum.

**chuckster57** · 09-23-2022, 04:35 AM

Found this if it’s an Atwood, I have no personal experience with it so I can’t comment:

https://www.rvtravel.com/video-how-t...er-thermostat/

dutchmensport · 09-23-2022, 05:40 AM

Unless yours is an older water heater and most likely propane only, you will not be able to adjust the temperature. As stated above, they are pre-fixed at the factory and set in stone.

You can, however, do some creative plumbing and you could install a mixer. The mixer would be installed after the water heater out-put.

One line going into the mixer would be from your cold water line. The other line going into the mixer would be out-flow from the water heater. The mixer will "mix" both hot and cold. The out-flowing water is now cooled down.

If you don't mind spending the time, effort, and money, find a mixer that is adjustable. And most likely, you'll have to be constantly adjusting it. Why? Well, first, your camper water heater is probably either 6 gallon or 10 gallon. Either way, the water coming from the water heater is always hot at the beginning of that 10 gallons and cools down quickly as it's replaced with cold water.

Second, the cold water coming into the water heater can be REALLY cold in winter months, (like just above freezing), and can be 50 or 60 degrees in the summer months. Of course, once the water heater reaches temperature, it's always the same.

Your best option is to consider added a mixer. The water heater can't be adjusted. They are set purposely hot knowing that most folks are going to "mix" the hot and cold at the faucet.

bobbecky · 09-23-2022, 06:06 PM

The water heater doesn't have an adjustment but there are two thermostats if the unit has gas and electric modes, and these thermostats are fixed temperatures. On the Suburban water heater, the thermostats are under a black plastic cover. The 120 volt thermostat is mounted on the left and the 12 volt thermostat for the gas operation is mounted on the right.

wiredgeorge · 09-23-2022, 07:17 PM

On my Suburban water heater I put in elements to make the water hotter; I think you will be able to take longer showers with hotter water mixed with the right amount of cold to make it tolerable temps. Not sure if they make elements to allow cooler temps that is why I asked what type of water heater was being discussed.

NH_Bulldog · 09-24-2022, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CynEd

I live in my Keystone Bunkhouse RV, I have a four year old foster child, if I cannot adjust the hot water heater down, there is a chance they will take her away, I have had her for 4 years and do not want to loose her, So help me to adjust down the hot water temperature, Please.

First off, we fostered and then adopted our now 9 year old daughter, so if no one has told you lately, thank you!

What is the full-open hot water temperature out of the tap? The allowable maximum is 120° F. Are you above that with your water heater?

Our primary home has a boiler heating system that has a mixing valve (also called a tempering valve). I simply adjusted the knob until I had a water temp that they said was “acceptable”. We also changed all of our faucets in the house and in the RV to a single lever type which makes it much more difficult to accidentally get pure hot water.

Your easiest solution might be to install a mixing valve on the water heater outlet instead of trying to deal with the thermostat(s).

Mr. Rusty · 09-24-2022, 06:17 AM

In our Outback we have a Girard demand tankless water heater and you set the hot water temperature 95*-124*from a keypad, we have ours set at 115*. It doesn't use as much propane as I was expecting it to and we never run out of hot water.

travelin texans · 09-24-2022, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbecky

The water heater doesn't have an adjustment but there are two thermostats if the unit has gas and electric modes, and these thermostats are fixed temperatures. On the Suburban water heater, the thermostats are under a black plastic cover. The 120 volt thermostat is mounted on the left and the 12 volt thermostat for the gas operation is mounted on the right.

The cover on my thermostats shorted the wires to the HW tank also ruining the tstats & if I recall there were 2 options for temp, 120 or 140, the 120 was what was originally in place & plenty hot water.

CynEd · 09-25-2022, 08:05 AM

thank you, I am now going out to check it out

CynEd · 09-25-2022, 10:28 AM

thank you, i have a little keypad, it shows slides, leveling,lights, but i dont see a water heater screen, is this the right keyboard?

notanlines · 09-25-2022, 10:59 AM

At risk of being repetitious, we still don’t know the model or make of your water heater. As was stated, the Suburban has two and maybe three different temperature thermostats.

**sourdough** · 09-25-2022, 01:05 PM

CynEd please read the following. Your questions will be much easier to answer, and the time to fix your problem less, when you comply with the signature request. Thanks.

There has been a recent change in the community rules. This is the new "signature standard". Please notice that a signature is now "required to be completed" by all members and displayed in each post.

Also, while we're at it, please take note of how you display your trailer brand/model (both helps others identify your trailer). While Keystone doesn't duplicate model numbers in current years, there have been/are a number of model numbers that were in one brand and later that same model number has been used in another brand. So, please take a look at your profile to make sure you have the RV year, brand and model number displayed. It'll help other members know what you are asking questions about.

Here's the new standard as posted in the community rules:

Signature Standards

Signatures must be setup in your profile rather than manually added to your messages. They will appear at the bottom of every post you make.
Signatures may not include email addresses, links to competing websites, prompts to contact or a sales pitch.
Signatures must follow our forums posting standards and only one line may be bolded.

To create a signature go to the User CP tab in the upper left corner of the page. Click it then find the tab on the left that says "edit signature". Click that then fill in the box with the pertinent information requested then save.

Daily many questions are asked that are specific to a member's RV/TV etc. but they don't provide adequate information to give an informed response which leads to repeated efforts to acquire the needed info. The information benefits everyone.
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Mr. Rusty · 09-25-2022, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CynEd

thank you, i have a little keypad, it shows slides, leveling,lights, but i dont see a water heater screen, is this the right keyboard?

You will have a separate keypad for the water heater only if you have a tankless heater system. It sounds like you have a tank type heater since you have both electric and propane, tankless heaters run only on propane.

LHaven · 09-26-2022, 12:35 AM

If it shows slides, leveling and lights, it sounds like an inCommand. You can't adjust temperature with that, only turn it on-gas, on-electric, on-both, or off.

CynEd · 10-01-2022, 07:07 PM

sorry it took so long to reply. my hot water heater is a surburban sw6del I have watched numerous videos and have come to the conclusion I can't adjust it but need to put in a tempering valve. I am just not sure where to put it
i am 74 and do most of my repair as i live in a rural area and help is hard to come by.

LHaven · 10-01-2022, 08:49 PM

Your tempering valve should have a hot input, a cold input, and a (tempered) output.
Your water heater has a cold input on the bottom and and hot output on the top.
The water heater output line needs to be "cut" and the tempering valve installed into the break -- water heater hot output to valve hot input, valve output to outgoing hot water line.
Then you need to tee off the cold water input and add a new line between that tee and the valve's cold input.

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