2012 Thor ACE 29.1 Water Heater Bypass Value

[Dseabee]

Hello. I have a 2012 ACE 29.1 and I cannot find any information related to the Water Heater Bypass Value. I have drained everything, even hooked up the AntiFreeze bottle, which is immediately sucked into the Hot Water Heater. Unlike some others, 29.2 for example, there are no water pipes under the bed. Dseabee

[schad]

[Mod Edit]

I don't know about your unit specifically. However, you should be able to locate your water heater from the outside. It'll probably be a metal panel (though it may be painted) with an exhaust vent on it. Once you've located it, look in the same spot on the inside of the MH. You'll probably be able to find a removable false wall or panel. Once you unscrew and remove that wall, you should have access to the back of the water heater, and the bypass valves should be right there.

Note that you probably also need to drain your water heater. Filling it with antifreeze likely isn't good enough; it'll be too diluted. On the exterior access to the water heater should be a drain plug (probably plastic/nylon) that you can unscrew.

[triplewide]

Your water heater appears to be located under the bath sink cabinet. Probably against the exterior wall. The outside access is to the rear of the rear wheel on driver's side.








On my 2015 29.3 Id close the in valve and the out valve to the water heater. Open the valve that connects the hot an cold lines together. On mine the three valves were located behind a removable panel on the inside of the coach.



Drain the water heater, on mine done from outside, removing plug to water heater.

[schad]

Originally Posted by triplewide

On my 2015 29.3 Id close the in valve and the out valve to the water heater. Open the valve that connects the hot an cold lines together. On mine the three valves were located behind a removable panel on the inside of the coach.

For the benefit of the novice, a little more detail: There will be a cold water line (should be blue) going into the water heater, a hot water line (should be red) coming out of the water heater, and a short section (probably blue), called the bypass, connecting the two. There will be a valve on each. The valve is probably an oval and can be rotated 90 degrees. When the oval is parallel to the tubing, the valve is open; when it's perpendicular, the valve is closed. Normal operation will have the cold and hot water valves open, and the bypass valve closed. This allows cold water to flow into the heater, where it is heated and then exits as hot water. To bypass the water heater, you close the cold and hot valves, and open the bypass valve. This prevents water from getting into or coming out from the water heater. And because the bypass valve is open, "hot" water comes directly from the cold line.

I know that this is all immediately obvious and really simple to a lot of people, but that's not how it was for me when I started.

[seb1899]

Unless the dealer ordered the unit with a bypass valve you may not have one. (my unit was new and did not have one but I jawbone/strongarmed the dealer into installing one).

My bypass is at the back of the water heater and is a small brass valve and you just about be an acrobat to reach through under the sink to get to it. You have to give it a quarter turn to bypass the water heater.

I would not recommend puting antifreeze in the water heater as you will end up with smelly hot water.

To winterize my unit I drain the water heater, (take out the nylon plug and leave it behind the water heater door), drain the fresh water tank and open the low point valves. After draining close the fresh water drain tap, close the low point drain taps (mine are hidden under a bottom drawer that I have to remove) turn the bypass valve. pour 4 gallons (maybe you can use less) of the edible anti freeze that I buy at Walmart ($3.00 ea) in the fresh water tank. Turn on the pump and open each tap in the camper including shower, toilet and o/s shower (hot and cold) and run until "pink" comes out.

I usually put a part bottle of winshield antifreeze in the toilet that I flush to the blacwater tank.

When you de winterize you can rinse your fresh water tank using baking soda to eliminate anfreeze smell/taste.