Newbie question

[Hankintu]

Okay, have been looking for the bypass valve for the water heater and can't find it.
This is the 217EXP hybrid with the 3 drop down tented bunks. The water heater drain and access door is located on the passenger side toward the front, there is a fold down couch on the inside of that area.
If one pulls up on the front of the couch, and it only pulls up about 7 inches, you can see a round access hole in the plywood base that the couch mounts to but there doesn't appear to be any accessible valves there. I would need to unscrew the couch mount in order to get a better look.
Is it possible there isn't a bypass valve?

[SchafferFamily]

You are on the right track. I sent you a photo of mine. You can get the couch at just the right angle as you would to open it into a bed, and prop it there and get enough room to get down there. I was thinking of making an access panel from the doorway side of the couch, but I can reach it. Here is a photo I have looking down that hole under the couch.

(Also responded to your PM)

[chuckster57]

I haven't seen an RV yet that didn't have a bypass valve on the water heater.

It will be on the backside of the heater, and may be a single valve on the cold side or 3 valves, one each on the cold, hot, and bypass. You may need good lighting to see or some dexterity to feel around. Some outback models have the water heater under the couch as you describe with a round hole to reach in.

[Hankintu]

Thanks guys. I was holding up the couch seat while a friend was looking in the hole for it, I know he didn't have his readers on so he probably just didn't see it.

Robert, very good tutorial on winterizing this model on your website. Thanks for that!