2014 cougar 333mks 5th wheel water heater bypass

[glc]

I have a 2014 cougar 333mks 5th wheel when I bought it it was winterized by the dealer. Now that it is getting close to time to use it I started to wonder if it had a hot water heater bypass so I crawled into the basement and removed a panel so I could see the hwh and it appears I do there is a valve with a line between the hot and cold side. What I don't understand is how it works it appears it would block the cold water inlet but it would just divert it to the hot water side is there a check valve in the hot water side that prevents back filling the tank. Also should the dealer have told me about this in case I turned the heater on with no water in it?

[JRTJH]

To answer your question about the one way valve, yes there is a plastic one way valve in the hot water discharge port (top of the hot water heater). Turning the bottom valve to "operate" will direct water into the HWH where it is heated and supplied to the RV plumbing. Turning that same valve to "winterize" will direct the water away from the HWH and will bypass the HWH making winterizing easier and will use much less antifreeze.

There are some dealers who do a great job of explaining the RV details during the PDI, some dealers who do a lousy job and there are some customers who are so "overwhelmed" that they simply don't remember everything that is was covered.

Fortunately, the owner's manual supplied by Keystone covers much of the information you'll need. The hot water heater bypass valve is covered on page 55 of the current edition. Right after the "big red DANGER" symbol you'll find the comment about making sure the bypass valve is in the ON position and the water heater is full before turning on the gas or electric supply to avoid damage to the heater.

There's a load of good information in that manual. If you don't have a copy, you can download one or read it online at this link: http://www.keystonerv.com/customer-s.../owners-manual

[Javi]

There is also a much easier way to get to the valve through the access door located in the cabinet under the cloak closet just inside the entry door..

[GaryWT]

Keystone went to this one valve bypass a few years ago I believe. Whether your trailer is winterized or not, it is good practice to check that there is water in the water heater before turning it on. One easy way to check is to open the pressure release valve to see if water comes out.

[glc]

Thanks to everyone I appreciate the advice