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Old 02-06-2005, 01:45 PM   #1
RC and Samantha
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HELP! for Sue

Hello everyone,

My sister Sue just called from Florida, and she asked me to find out fuse in her 2004 3400RL is for the hot water heater. She's had no hot water for 3 days and she's freaking. Since I have a 2003 it's a completely different set of fuses and breakers so I can't help her.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Patty
 
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Old 02-06-2005, 01:52 PM   #2
Montana_657
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Not good.... you don't give us enough information. The "fuse" if she's on electric is a circuit breaker in the panel that must be switched off and reset. There is a "fuse" in the 12 volt panel if she's on gas.

The check valve in the tank may have failed. I had this the other day. Is the hot water cold or just not flowing?? If there is no water flow from the hot valve see my post under improvements on serviceing the check valve.
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Old 02-06-2005, 02:06 PM   #3
RC and Samantha
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I just called her back and she said that neither the gas or the electric would work. I guess her hubby got out the book and there was a reset on the actual hot water heater. I'm sure it probably was a breaker. I just couldn't help her in anyway since we have traditional breakers. I will have to tell her about the fuse in the 12 volt panel though. I forgot about that. We've not blown any yet but bought extras just in case.

I will have to check your post there under improvements as our check valve doesn't work properly at all. I am forever getting backed up pressure from the hot water tank under the kitchen sink no matter what we do. This past summer I tried a couple of time to let water out via the pressure valve and allow for that air bubble I hear about all the time, but it only helped for maybe a day.

So thank you Gruffy for brining it up and posting to Sue's dilema too.

Patty
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Old 02-06-2005, 03:02 PM   #4
Montana_657
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Ok.. there is a black rubbery sort of panel on the water heater... you get at it from outside.... with two reset buttons in it. Ask her about flow... she may be chaseing her tail here... does the water flow from the hot tap ????

Have her find the heater outlet and grab the brass fitting on the outlet... if its hot the heater is working.

I'm down here in WinterGarden Fl. If she's anywhere nearby have her e-mail me and I can drop by.
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Old 02-06-2005, 03:10 PM   #5
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Backed up pressure under the sink is NOT the check valve. Your not very clear but it sounds as if you may have lost your air bubble in the hot water tank.

To restore your air bubble remove the hose from the park fitting and the trailer and drain all the water out of it. Reconnect it tightly. Turn the park water back on. Open the hot tap and let it run. If a bit of air spits out you're OK. If not repeat the proceedure untill you get a few spits of air in your hot water.

The air bubble in the tank is very important. It allows the water in the tank to expand when heated. If the air bubble dissolves, the heated water spikes the pressure in your system hopefully just leaking out of a fitting. Worst case it will blow a line, the tank relief or the tank itself...whatever is the weakest link. Adding an air cell to the system prevents this from happening.
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Old 02-06-2005, 03:53 PM   #6
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Make sure her winterizing valve is not in the bypass positon. Just a thought.
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Old 02-06-2005, 04:14 PM   #7
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Patty -

I remember Sue talking about their trip to Florida. If they had winterized before going down, RVBuddy could be right on. If the water is hot at the tank (feel up at the pressure relief area), it could be as simple as flipping the valve where they winterized. Hope she gets hot water soon.
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Old 02-06-2005, 04:35 PM   #8
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I was thinking check valve until you'all mentioned the bypass switch. I'd bet on that, too.

So, if she gets nothing but cold water from the hot water tap then I'd bet on the bypass valve being set to bypass the water heater. If she gets no flow at all from the hot water tap then I'd bet on the $5 checkvalve (just had this fail about a month ago, while Vicki was showering ). Since she just left Michigan recently I'd bet on the bypass.

Patty, the bypass will be near the back of the water heater. It's a single valve on the water line. Have her move it to its other position and see if she then gets hot water.
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Old 02-06-2005, 06:35 PM   #9
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Actually the first call Sue made to me yesterday prior to her second call of today was to find out where the hot water by-pass was and how to access it. I told her since I had dug around and found it last year when she first got her 3400RL. I have to say they couldn't have made it harder to access if they tried. For the life of me I can't figure out why it doesn't have a cupboard door on it for easier access instead of unscrewing a panel or the furnace vents.

She called me about an hour after the first post I did here and said that her husband had read the manual and there was a reset button actually on the hot water heater. Once they did that, the problem went away.

I don't believe we have a reset button on ours and if we do I've never seen it and am not sure I could reach it either.

Gruffy I will have to get back to you on the check valve, pressure valve. Last summer I read in the manual for the heater that I needed to simply relieve some of the water by means of the valve outside, the pressure valve and that should eliminate enough water to replenish the bubble. It also said that the valve should do this itself when the pressure builds up and if it doesn't the pressure will find the path of least resistance, which in my case is where the hot water line goes into the faucet.

It's late here right now, so I will go out in the camper tomorrow and find the manual and check to see if I am not mistaken.

The best news of all of course is that my sister Sue and her family made it safely to Florida and they'll settle in tomorrow.

Thank you for everyone who replied. I greatly appreciate it.

Patty
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Old 02-07-2005, 04:22 PM   #10
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Patty,
I am so glad to hear that Sue made it (I think she is so brave to do this trip by herself) and now has hot water. I'll pray this is the last of her problems and they have a good show.
Sue (Rowe that is)
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