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Old 07-14-2017, 06:15 PM   #1
syoun10
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Hot water flow down to a dribble.

This seems like an easy question, but for the life of me, I don't know where to start!

Our campground turned the water off for a few hours a few days ago. Ever since, the hot water flow through the faucets or shower is VERY low (i.e. just a dribble). Cold water flow seems normal. Same situation whether on city water, or working off the pump out of our tank. Hot water temperature (of the dribble) seems to be normal.

Ant suggestions as to what to look for would be VERY welcome (I'm already fed up with showers talking 15 mins to rinse myself off!!).

Is there a hot water tank filter or something like that that may have clogged? If so - where?

Any help gratefully received.
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Old 07-14-2017, 06:19 PM   #2
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Just one water source serves both your hot and cold, so the restriction is in your camper. The water heater is suspect in my eyes.


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Old 07-14-2017, 06:29 PM   #3
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You can open the access hatch on the outside of the TT where you would drain the HW tank. The pressure relief valve is there. Carefully release the valve to let some air/water escape. Careful, it will be HOT. Could just be an air bubble. Opening the relief valve should "burp" the system and relieve the air bubble. Easy to do and worth a try.
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Old 07-14-2017, 06:30 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Outback 325BH View Post
Just one water source serves both your hot and cold, so the restriction is in your camper. The water heater is suspect in my eyes.


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That's my thought. I would look at the back flow valve on the hot out line located at the back of the tank.
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Old 07-14-2017, 06:34 PM   #5
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My guess is that when the campground water supply was being worked on, some "crud" was dislodged and found its way into your trailer.

First, if the problem is only the shower water faucet, have you cleaned the off/on valves at the shower faucet? You might have some "crud" caught in the antisiphon valve that comes out of the faucet and connects to the shower hose. Remove the hose, turn the water on, hold your hand or a cup over the water discharge and turn the hot water valve on/off several times. It may work some of the crud loose. If not, then I'd check the water heater itself.

On the back of your water heater you'll find the winterization system. The bottom connection has a 1/4 turn valve and the top has a "one way valve". My guess is that either the one way valve is plugged or the 1/4 turn valve is plugged. To check and see if it's the top "one way valve, turn the lower valve to bypass the water heater (ALL THE WATER AT THE FAUCETS WILL BE COLD) and then turn on the hot water faucet. If there is pressure, it's in the water heater and probably the one way valve. If there's no change in pressure, I'd suspect it's the lower 1/4 turn valve.

You can try turning the 1/4 turn valve back and forth a few times to dislodge any "crud" that might have got caught in the valve. If that doesn't work, then try tapping the "plastic and brass" backflow valve that comes out of the top water heater connection. Remember that it's plastic, so don't use a big hammer, just tap it with a screwdriver handle to see if you can get it "unstuck"....

You can bypass your one way valve by simply removing it and reconnecting the water line to the tank. That will render your winterization setup inoperable, but it'll get you showering with hot water temporarily until you can buy a replacement one way valve.

Good Luck and if this works (or not) let us know what you find.
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Old 07-15-2017, 11:09 AM   #6
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Thanks - more detail please

Thanks for your very helpful comments, especially John's detail.

The quarter turn valve lets water flow when I turn it a quarter turn. So it's probably the back flow valve at fault.

Out of my tank at the top, there is a small brass fixture into which a plastic connector is screwed, then the plastic pipe. The brass fixture is about 1 inch long, and only a similar diameter the the pipe. It looks like it is just an adapter from the tank's female thread to the plastic connector's female thread. But is it actually also the one-way valve that you think may be suspect? If I take it out, I'll need to replace it with something else that allows connection to the two female threads. so I'll have to find a camping supplier either way - might as well just put in a new one-way valve.

Am I on the right track here? - or, John, did you think I could just reconnect the plastic pipe to the heater without additional parts? Or is the 1 inch brass part not the back flow valve?
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Old 07-15-2017, 11:13 AM   #7
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Hot water flow down to a dribble.

The brass part isn't the back flow valve, The plastic piece between is.
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Old 07-15-2017, 11:35 AM   #8
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back flow valve

thanks for this real-time help!

I've unscrewed the plastic connector from the 1 in brass fitting and it is just a 90 degree connector. at the other end is a 3in plastic pipe going into a T connector, one end of which goes down to the quarter turn valve at the bottom. So - do I not have a one way valve? (the 5'er is in California and has probably never been winterized). Any further suggestions?
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Old 07-15-2017, 11:37 AM   #9
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Also Chuckster57, what did you mean when you said "The plastic piece between is"? Between what and what?
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Old 07-15-2017, 11:52 AM   #10
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Usually the plastic fitting attached to the brass fitting at the tank is the check valve. If the brass fitting is threaded into the tank then it's possible that it is the check valve.
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Old 07-15-2017, 11:54 AM   #11
syoun10
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one way valve

took out the brass fitting. When unscrewed, its about 2 in long, and I think it's the valve (got plastic parts in it and spring loaded) I'll see if I can get a new one (or matching brass empty fitting).
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Old 07-15-2017, 11:56 AM   #12
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That's it. I was editing my post as you posted. You may be able to get a replacement at your local big box HW store, probably cheaper too.
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Old 07-15-2017, 03:48 PM   #13
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The one way valve on my Outback was actually inside what looked like a pipe nipple. I took out the inerds and installed a 1/4 turn valve to have an old type winterizing system. I don't know why since I live in Texas and have never winterized my rig. it was just a project and I didn't have anything else going on.
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Old 07-15-2017, 05:23 PM   #14
syoun10
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check valve

OK - just installed a new check valve and I think the problem is cured. The confusion is that the check valve can be either brass or plastic. The only one the store had was plastic, so that's what I installed.

Looking closely at the old check valve, it looks broken - the part that the spring keeps tension on was detached. I now suspect that the problem may have had nothing to do with the fact that the campground switched off the water for a few hours - just co-incidence.

So thank you all SO MUCH for your help. Mission accomplished!

steve
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Old 07-15-2017, 05:34 PM   #15
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So now time to test it with a nice shower!! Good to hear your all fixed.
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