Water Heater Valves

[vblarry]

Went to winterize for the first time today and ran into an issue where the directions in the handbook didn't fit my rig. The book shows valves A, B & C. All I could find was one valve with a yellow handle on the line coming out of the top of the tank. What am I missing here? My rig is a 33" RSO.

[vblarry]

Went to winterize for the first time today and ran into an issue where the directions in the handbook didn't fit my rig. The book shows valves A, B & C. All I could find was one valve with a yellow handle on the line coming out of the top of the tank. What am I missing here? My rig is a 33" RSO.

[brassringer]

YOU PROBABLY HAVE ONE OF THOSE VALVES THAT I HAD IN MY 33RSO 2007.IT IS A NEW STYLE OF VALVE THAT HAS ONLY ONE VALVE TO CLOSE FOR WINTERIZING. MINE DID NOT WORK DUE TO ALKALIE THAT HAD BUILD UP IN THE VALVE AND THEN LET RV ANTIFREEZ ENTER THE WATER HEATER. I TOOK IT APART TO CLEAN IT. THEN THE NEXT TIME I TRIED TO WINTERIZE IT AGAIN THE SAME THING HAPPENED. NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT GOT REPLACED WITH A GOOD OLD BYPASS VALVE ASSEMBLY. THE NEW VALVE IS SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU THE CAPACITY OF A 16 GALLON WATER HEATER. ALL I GOT WAS TROUBLE. BY REPLACING THE VALVE I WAS ALSO ABLE TO REPLACE THREE SPLICES THAT WE INSTALLED BY THE FACTORY IN JUST 18 INCHES OF PIPE FEEDING THE WATER HEATER. INSTALLER MUST GET PAID BY AMOUNT OF SPLICES INSTALLED. GOOD LUCK

[Workshop]

Larry, when I was doing one of the drawing for the Excel water system, a discussion on winterizing the water heater came up. There are two water heaters in use, one with the three valve system, one with the single valve like yours. As brassringer stated it is surpose to increase the amount of hot water by metering/mixing. I have the three valve system, it is my understanding that you close the single valve and that puts your heater in the winterize mode, Be sure to drain the tank also.
Home something helped.

[Bruce and Jenna]

Yeah. Last week I followed the manual instructions on closing one of those three valves as part of cleaning my fresh water system. Only one valve!

Called Jack, who said some of them have just one.

A few days ago I noticed some water under my HW heater. (How you ask? I placed a water leak detector there. Started beeping during travel. What the ...? Oh yeah!)

Now this discussion gets me thinking about the reason for the leak. Uh oh.

[brassringer]

There is a check valve in that single valve and if it gets a little crude in it it will let liquid in the water heater. You can take it apart and clean it and then you are experinced for the next time as with all the different water supplies around trust me you will get another chance again. They are not easy to replace but I took care of my problem by removing it. It is called a mixing valve. Good luck. I just hope my new HHDA 333RL does not have one.

[Bruce and Jenna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce and Jenna Yeah. Last week I followed the manual instructions on closing one of those three valves as part of cleaning my fresh water system. Only one valve! Called Jack, who said some of them have just one. A few days ago I noticed some water under my HW heater. (How you ask? I placed a water leak detector there. Started beeping during travel. What the ...? Oh yeah!) Now this discussion gets me thinking about the reason for the leak. Uh oh.

Leakin' again. This time I was washing my trailer with hot water. Beep beep beep.

Felt around and found this part wet. (See arrow.) Plus some water stains on the fitting. Whazzis? Should I start by tightening it, which itself will not be easy? What next if NG?

[rockintom]

Bruce,
Did you dry this area up and see EXACTLY if that's where the leak is and not trailing down from the threaded coupling? Hard to see exactly where the arrow is pointing in the pic. If it is....I think you're in for PEX line clamp replacement (special tools needed). Also what is your water pressure? If 70+PSI going into the unit my PEX connections weep or seep at various areas. That's why I set my water pressure regulator at 56 PSI. Just FYI

[Bruce and Jenna]

I'm pointing to the joint at the top of the red tubing on the back end of that funny looking brass valve with the plastic gray end on it.

As for water pressure, I usta use a standard water pressure restrictor. I recently upgraded to a Watts and took your advice about max 56PSI. (Shoot, I even wrote the number on the label, like you said. )

So, whazz mean with PEX stuff? Does it have a special dispenser tool? No wait, that's PEZ. I see crimping tools in the $150 range. A lot of money just to bang up my knuckles.

[rockintom]

Bruce, If you have definitely confirmed it it "L" shaped fitting....where your arrow points to. After looking at this connection again....I remember that you have a later model unit with the colored lines. These have factory crimped ends. The easiest solution for repair would be a "sharbite" 90* connection. http://www.pexsupply.com/CategoryPre...595&brandid=79 If it we're mine, I would look closely with a magnified mirror and a good light and see if I could find a crack in the fitting....if appropriate, I might even consider JB Welding if it was just a small hairline crack. That would be a judgement call.

These are readily available at HD, Lowes or the like. That surprises me that would have a leak right there. BTW, the brass valve you're looking at is the mixing valve. Blends the superheated tank water 185*F with tap (cold) to give you 16 gals of 120* @ the faucet. HTHs rockin'

Back on the road today headed to northern CA.

[Tom SKP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce and Jenna So, whazz mean with PEX stuff? ... I see crimping tools in the $150 range. A lot of money just to bang up my knuckles.

Bruce, I had a problem on my SOB some years back and was able to rent a crimper from a hardware store for a few bucks, as well as get the replacement crimp fittings.

Tom

[Bruce and Jenna]

Thanks all. Now I can decide on whether one to fix it or not. Goin' past the Sacramento dealer in a month one last time b4 the warranty runs out. I wouldn't stop for this alone, but I'd add it to a list. But don't have much of a list right now.

$100 bucks from anyone to take my place at the dealer tho.

Ooop, does Bryan read all this stuff?

[John-D]

There are two water heater bypass systems that I know of and a 3rd I'm told that I do not know

one is the 3 valve, Normal is two open and one (the bypass valve) closed
Winter is Two closed and bypass open

The other (That I know) uses a single valve, this valve will nearly always be near the heater COLD WATER inlet, it is a 2 position valve, the handle will NORMALLY parallel the cold water line into the heater (either point towards, or away from, the heater) a pipe from this valve runs up to the heater HOT WATER outlet where it "T"s into the hot water line,, Turn the handle 90 degrees so it points along the line of this pipe and... You have bypassed, A check valve in the hot water outlet keeps water from flowing backwards into the heater.

I like the 3-valve better.. Though a bit more work for me it is simpler plumbing wise