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Old 03-25-2018, 12:04 PM   #1
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Atwood water heater temp

Is there any way to adjust the water temperature, its warm at best and takes forever to get hot enough to wash dishes or shower?
Roy
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Old 03-25-2018, 12:14 PM   #2
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Does it eventually get hot? When I saw the title of your thread, I thought it was the more common complaint that the water is too hot. Because of the small tank capacity, the water is heated and then tempered by mixing in cold.

Your issue could be a long run from WH to the faucet, or perhaps you have some mixing of hot and cold somewhere in the system. Common places for mixing might be a partially opened bypass valve used for winterizing or an outside shower where hot and cold valves could be open but the showerhead is turned off.

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Old 03-25-2018, 12:50 PM   #3
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If it is only warm you may want to check your plumbing to make sure the winterizing bypass valve was not left open, allowing cold water to blend with the hot.
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Old 03-25-2018, 01:29 PM   #4
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Warm vs hot

Water heater tank 'bypass' valve leaking thru....connecting cold inlet line with hit outlet line resulting in luke warm water thru out hot side system
Same thing can happen if either shower is just turned off via button on shower head handle vs closing cold/hot knobs---water mixes inside shower faucet causing luke warm water thru out hot side system

IF you have a XT Model then 'mixing valve' on backside of water heater tank hot inlet is clogging up with scale/crud so more cold gets mixed in vs hot and you end up with luke warm water thru out hot side system

Normal t-stat Opens at 140*F
XT Model normal t-stat Opens at 160*F

If normal t-stat is not held tight against water heater tank wall then temps go even higher before t-stat opens.......so issue is not with t-stat (they work or don't)

On electric only.....roughly 6 gal/hr recovery time from initial fill temp (70*F)
On propane only...roughly 10 gal/hr recovery time
On electric & propane...roughly 16 gal/hr recovery time

The warmer the water temp...the less recovery time

Using propane.......let it run until propane shuts off.
Measure water temp via T&P Relief Valve
CAUTION: Water should be HOT!!!!!!!

If water temp is NOT at least 130*F+ then issue is with heating cycle....but doubt it is problem

Cold mixing with Hot ......that is the problem


And Atwood DOES make an adjustable normal t-stat......for the standard models (Not XT models)
Using a bracket it replaces the normal temp t-stat
Adjustable form 110*F to 150*F
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Old 03-27-2018, 01:18 PM   #5
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Guess OP got HOT water?
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Old 03-28-2018, 06:23 AM   #6
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Guess old bisquit knows his stuff. ☺️

I was going to suggest that he might want to flush the tank well and look inside with a flashlight to see if there is a calcium stone build up. Depending on the age of the tank, usage and water condition (hard water), the propane heater can cause them to develop and sink to the bottom blocking the heat to the water. It happens in home tank that run natural gas as well. And with harder water they form a lot easier. However, that problem has a knocking sound like something is bouncing around in the tank. But, it could be a little muffled in an RV with a small tank. Just a thought.
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Old 03-28-2018, 08:43 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rd2callahan View Post
I was going to suggest that he might want to flush the tank well and look inside with a flashlight to see if there is a calcium stone build up. Depending on the age of the tank, usage and water condition (hard water), the propane heater can cause them to develop and sink to the bottom blocking the heat to the water. It happens in home tank that run natural gas as well. And with harder water they form a lot easier. However, that problem has a knocking sound like something is bouncing around in the tank. But, it could be a little muffled in an RV with a small tank. Just a thought.
While always a good idea to flush the tank annually, or even more frequently if you often use hard water, I don't think that's the first place I'd go on this issue. Using an infrared remote thermometer you could 'shoot' the tank and see the tank temperature and compare it to the temperature of the faucet. I think it's an issue of crossflow or an improperly behaving mixing valve. Temperature readings should tell the tale.
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Old 03-28-2018, 09:41 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BFlinn181 View Post
While always a good idea to flush the tank annually, or even more frequently if you often use hard water, I don't think that's the first place I'd go on this issue. Using an infrared remote thermometer you could 'shoot' the tank and see the tank temperature and compare it to the temperature of the faucet. I think it's an issue of crossflow or an improperly behaving mixing valve. Temperature readings should tell the tale.
I tend to agree with you, on my last 5er the bypass valve was actually broke on the inside, the knob turned but the valve on the inside was partially open, allowing the water to be mixed, it was brand new, delivered from the factory that way, easy fix right on the lot of dealership, but it's easy to figure out as others have stated, if the water is hot at the HW heater than it's probably getting mixed somewhere.
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