Hot Water Bypass

[djkrs2]

We're getting ready for our first trip in the new trailer so I thought I'd test the one thing that I hadn't tested yet, the hot water. I decided to test it in electrical mode since the camp ground we're going to has electricity at all of the sites and I'd just assume save the propane for cooking and heating with. I waited probably 10-15 minutes but I still didn't get hot, or even warm water. The trailer was "un" winterized when we bought it, so it would be ready to go camping. I didn't do it but I know one of the things that you need to do is set the bypass to NOT bypass the water heater. I'm pretty sure they did because the first time I hooked up the water to the trailer it took a bit before anything came out of the hot side of the tap. But just to be sure I checked the valve and it appears to be in the correct position. I've tried to attache a picture but it appears that the lever is in line with the water lines going into the cold inlet at the bottom of the tank. I believe that if it was in the bypass mode the lever would be pointing up, parallel to the line running from the cold straight up to the hot line that run away from the tank. Am I correct in my thinking. The trailer is a Cougar 27RL.

Thanks

[byrdr1]

bypass Switch looks right to me. Give it few more minutes to warm up. I am thinking 15 is not enough to get it warm.
rb

[JRTJH]

I'd recommend that you open the pressure relief valve outside to see if the HWH is full. BE CAREFUL as you may well get sprayed with hot water if you stand in the way. If you have water there, then the HWH is full and the bypass valve is correct. In my experience, using electric to heat the water, it takes upwards of 30 - 45 minutes to get water that's sufficiently warm to confirm that the electric element is working. You may, if the trailer is new, have an issue where someone turned on the electric element without water in the HWH. If that happened, it only takes a few seconds (not minutes) to burn out the element and once it's gone, it's gone.....

Make sure the HWH is full, turn on the electric element and go do something else for about an hour.

If it's not hot after an hour, turn on the propane, wait about 15 minutes and you should have hot water. If you do, it's the element or wiring going to it. If that happens, it's probably dealer time unless you're willing to spend the money for a new element and are familiar enough to do your own troubleshooting.

[SAD]

Does yours have a switch at the control panel (with pump, tank gauge, gas HWH heater) AND one behind the HWH access panel on the outside of the RV? If so, did you turn both on?

Check the breaker?

[hankpage]

If when you started you got water on the cold side right away and it took considerable time for water on the hot side your water heater is full. (As you suspected) Your water heater is designed to operate with an air pocket to allow for expansion of water as it heats. Opening the T/P valve releases that air pocket, so it is not advised to test for water that way. As mentioned above, it will take ½ to ¾ hour for warm water on electric. Pull the safety pin from the switch on the tank and turn it to ON. Turn the circuit breaker marked WTR HTR on and on some models there are interior switches to select gas or electric. On most only one switch for gas. Good luck and let us know how you make out, Hank

[djkrs2]

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't try the gas yet since I thought that it might make the situation worse if there WASN'T water in the tank. It sounds like I just didn't wait long enough It also sounds like if there wasn't water and I turned on the electric, by removing the pin and flipping the switch, it's probably fired already if, as someone mentioned, it only takes seconds to do so. My trailer has just one switch on the control panel and I was told it was for the gas portion of the water heater. I'll just wait a little longer and see what happens. Since the dealer did the de-winterization, if the valve was wrong I'd consider it their mistake and ask them to pay for anything. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Again, thanks to everyone.