more problems with hot water heater - Montana Owners Club

BillyRay · 07-27-2004, 04:00 AM

we're still having problems with our hot water heater, so I'll throw it out here for discussion. previously it was leaking from the pressure relief valve and from the caulking (strange place) from underneath the exterior pannel (the one you remove to get to the unit)...also the unit would get so hot you couldn't place your hand on the wall above it.you could also hear a "sizzling" sound like water slowly dripping in the burning chamber(could never see it though).water would accumulate inside the exterior pannel(if you opened up the cover the inside bottom aluminum where your door sits on)

since the initial problem it has been worked on by the dealer 3 times...still not right.they replaced thermostats, and the pressure relief valve to this date. the dealer states that this a common complaint...water leaking and is normal, well this is my 5th unit...2 5th wheels...2 motor homes..and 1 travel trailor and it's a first for me.I guess I'm lucky!!

problem of water leaking is still on going...over a period of time.nothing visably noticeable.no change on lp gas vrs. electric...leaks with both...doesn't leak when not in use...so it's not an obvious anoid rod. per the dealers request, we did remove the rod, drain the system and refill(dealer thought it was "air bound"), but no luck there as well.

no obvious water inside camper under kitchen sink (location of heater) dealer asked me to check the cardboard surrounding the heater! shows how much he knows!there is no cardboard...it's incased in foam insulation...he didn't believe me at first.he must be "old school" because I haven't seen cardboard surrounding them in my last two campers anyway.

I'm stumped though...and it's a mystery where the leak is comming from. could be worse atleast I haven't found it inside! I could subscribe to the idea that it's comming from the pressure relief valve if I saw it leaking....but can't see anything. just to clarify, previous to them changing the pressure relief valve I could actually see water comming out of the valve.

well repairman comes again on Friday...just thought I'd ask for ideas.thanks in advance.

Montana_1550 · 07-27-2004, 10:13 AM

It sounds like this problem has been approached from all of the most common angles.T-stats, etc. are first line for an over heating problem. Too much heat will set off the pressure relief valve and so will not having sufficient air in the tank.

Some people are in the habit of opening the pressure relief valve to check if the hw tank is full. This is not a good idea as this eliminates air cusion at the top of the tank. Cold water to hot water causes expansion and it has to go somewhere.

You might check the area where the burner tube enters the heat chamber to see if water is appearing there. It is very rare, but there is a possibility there is a small crack in the heat chamber itself allowing water to escape into the heat chamber when the hw heater is hot. Usually if this happens, water will appear below the burner tube and sometimes the flame will be sporatic instead of burning in a nice consistent
flame.

BillyRay · 07-27-2004, 11:52 AM

no obvious water in the burner chamber, but rusty looking with small pieces of debres. thought the back of it looked damp (maybe from condensation) prior to igniting....but not when running. flame looks normal.infact this unit seemed to run smoother than my past unit (of course it's newer)

at first i thought the unit was getting too hot, but that should have been taken care of by replaceing the T-Stat. and relief valve.

thanks for the input.

BillyRay · 08-02-2004, 06:00 AM

well friday they replaced the pressure relief valve again and by today we found a leak! they will be comming back to fix it again this friday.going to call keystone ank ask if they will replace the entire hot water heater...see what happens.

Northstar · 08-02-2004, 01:30 PM

Sounds interesting. Keep us posted. Happy rving...

BillyRay · 08-07-2004, 12:32 AM

well they came again and worked on it yesterday...they now tell me they always leak like this...yeah right!

Montana_593 · 08-08-2004, 09:50 AM

Billy Ray

Where did you find the leak?

lightningjack11 · 08-08-2004, 12:32 PM

My suburban has never leaked but the safety valve opened once due to air in the tank.

I assumed you checked your winterizing bypass valve fully closed allowing a full stream of water to enter the tank and verified it is not leaking(allowing water to bypass the tank. Dumb I know but I had to say it. For example if the valve were in mid position it may not allow the tank to fill leaving a lot of air. The tank would become a boiler. You would hear lots of sizzling.

HamRad · 08-08-2004, 02:23 PM

BillyRay,
Glad to see you're not buying their "leaking" story! That's just bull. Ours has NEVER leaked. Yes. They do have a safety valve on them. But Hot Water Heaters are NOT designed to leak! RV Service Manager indicated it might be leaking in the heat chamber itself. If so it might be really hard to see it. I can't understand why they don't just change out the unit. There is obviously something wrong with the one you have and they can't fix it. Good luck and let us know the outcome. HamRad

BillyRay · 08-18-2004, 01:11 PM

I think I may have talked them into replacing the whole thing...I'll keep ya posted.

sreigle · 08-18-2004, 02:27 PM

BillyRay, I agree with you and the others it should not leaked. As Dennis said, that's a load of bull. We're on our fourth rig and not one of them has leaked. And if yours is that hot, that almost sounds dangerous. Let us know what happens.

BillyRay · 08-28-2004, 04:59 AM

well a new update, they put in a new heater this week...we will see what happens.so far, it is leaking from the pressure relief valve already...so maybe this problem is normal and I haven't ever seen it before...or I got another bad one...and I went to use the electric , and don't think it worked.I didn't have time to play with it...had to go to work so I'll check on it tomorrow.

BillyRay · 08-28-2004, 02:39 PM

the wife says electric is fine...leak however will always remain!

HamRad · 08-29-2004, 01:29 AM

BillyRay,
Well if leaking is normal then there must be something wrong with my unit! It has not leaked in the nearly 3 years we've had it! Either you got another defective unit or something else is wrong somewhere. There should be NO leak. Does your water heater at home leak? Perhaps they have it wired incorrectly and too much heat is getting to the unit causing the valve to open. All I can say is that something is wrong somewhere. Leaking is NOT normal. As usual good luck. HamRad

Gene Chaltry · 08-29-2004, 06:39 AM

I agree with Hamrad. I have been camping for 36 years and have never had the Hot Water Heater leak. Something very wrong there.

lightningjack11 · 08-29-2004, 07:42 AM

Mine leaked one time when I had air in the tank.

Don't forget to check that bypass valve. Make sure it is letting the maximum water in that tank.

azstar · 08-29-2004, 08:42 AM

I agree with the others, I've had 5 TT's over the past 30 yrs. Had to replace one which lasted 12 yrs. and that is the only problem we have ever had. Never had one leak as your describing.
Are you sure you have the air cushion in the tank? The water as it is heated will expand. If it doesn't have a little room in the tank this expansion will over pressurize the tank and should leak from the pressure relief valve.
I'm probably saying things you already know about, but just in case someone else out there isn't aware.
We can loose this Air Cushion over time as a natural part of the use process. To recharge the cushion, an easy way is to, leave your fresh water hose full of air when hooking up to the water at your site. Then turn on the hot water to a trickle in the bath or kitchen and wait for the air to stop coming through. This will let the air that is in your hose run through your hot water tank. Some of the air will collect at the top of the tank and restore the cushion that is needed.
Most of the time I flow the water through my hose so my faucets don't sputter, but occasionally I use the above mentioned process to recharge the tank with air.
I sure hope your problem is as simple as this.

larryngail · 08-30-2004, 04:09 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by BillyRay

I think I may have talked them into replacing the whole thing...I'll keep ya posted.

Do keep us posted...please! Ours leaks too -- just as you describe. We feel the unit needs to be replaced.

BillyRay · 09-01-2004, 06:02 AM

well, I have replaced the air...and it's not the bipass valve. the dealership states the same as the owner's manual...it's designed to leak.you can find it in the owner's manual and right on the outdoor cover, but in all the years of camping this is a first! it's not an immediate problem as everything still operates fine...and it's not a constant problem...just anoying!

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