28RKS Water Heater

[Tennessee Troy]

Good morning folks. My 2017 Cougar RKS was delivered to me yesterday. I was hooking everything up but could not find the access to the water heater. it is in bypass mode and I need to take it out of bypass so I can fill it and use it. Can someone direct me please? Thanks guys! :)

[Northofu1]

Hey Troy, Google is your friend :lol:
It's easier to google your question it will most times lead you back to the forum with the correct link or one that might give you a better idea where to look.
Good luck :)

[flybouy]

Easiest way I know to find it is to go outside. Look for the exhaust vent located in an acess panel. Note where it is, i.e. 10' back from front door, or 2' in front of kitchen window for example. Then go inside and look at where that aligns up to. You may have to remove a panel inside a cabinet to get to the valve.

[rklus16]

You can access the water heater by removing the wall between the pass through storage and water heater location. I believe it was two screws. The water pump is also behind that wall as well just FYI.

[ChuckS]

This link might help. Has some pics as well

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32371

[Tennessee Troy]

Hey Troy, Google is your friend :lol:
It's easier to google your question it will most times lead you back to the forum with the correct link or one that might give you a better idea where to look.
Good luck :)

Thanks for the Google advice friend. I did go to Google, and also searched this forum from front to back and still, I can't get hot water that is in the water heater to come out of the faucets anywhere!! I have tried everything I have read, from making sure outside shower was tuned off at the knobs instead of the off-on valve, to checking the check valve, which I took out and made sure it wasn't clogged! I have hot water in my heater but not in the camper. I have a single bypass valve, which was, but is not now in bypass, with a check valve on the hot side of the heater. When I turn on hot water, I have great flow, but it's cold. What else could it possibly be? If I had a clog, would I not have slow flow from the hot side of my faucets? After 3 hours out in pouring rain, I'm over this! Anyone got an idea? Thanks :banghead:

[hankpage]

What you describe is what you get when valve is "IN" bypass position. Turn it back again and see what you get. JM2¢, Hank

[Tennessee Troy]

Thanks for the reply Hank. I have tried it in both positions, nothing changes. Just cold water....

[Northofu1]

Try closing bypass valve halfway. Sounds odd,.my uncles trailer bad to run that way. Let it run for a few minutes.

[chuckster57]

At this point can you post a pic of YOUR water heater back side with the bypass valve?

[Tennessee Troy]

Hey Chuckster, I am in for the evening. So I won't be going back out in this weather today. My bypass valve lever is in line with the cold water line, and perpendicular to the bypass line between the hot and cold. As valves go, it is pointing in the same direction as the flow of cold water. And I have tried it in both directions, and the result is the same. It's almost as if there is a crossed water line somewhere in the unit. I hesitate to say this, but my world is electricity, valves, and nuclear construction! So with that said, watch it be something stupidly easy! I just haven't found it yet! This is a used rig, and who knows what has been done prior to my ownership. I know the water is hot in the heater, I have drained it twice and it's scalding when it comes out. I have removed any shower head thumb valves form the equation, so both shower heads, inside and outside are straight plumbed! only the knobs turn them off. And I have great pressure, and the air has been bled! I have ordered a tankless Girard water heater and it will be here Thursday. This will be my second tankless I've installed in a camper. The first in my smaller camper is awesome. So is the one in my home! I just don't have time for all of this at the moment!

[flybouy]

Like Chuck suggested a picture would help. How do you know that you have hot water in the tank? Is the pipe coming out of the tank hot?

[chuckster57]

If you can cancel the Girard, I would and order a Truma. From an RV techs point of view way less failures.

[Tennessee Troy]

So, I finally figured out that my bypass valve, not check valve, was bad. It didn't matter which direction you turned it, nothing changed. I had to take my water heater out to get to it. $17 later, new valve installed. Just the same, my new tankless water heater will be here tomorrow, so I am ready to install! Thanks again guys for all of the input! ;-)