 |
|
09-26-2022, 10:03 AM
|
#1
|
|
Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 71
|
Electric water heater, leave it running?
For those of you with electric or dual source water heaters, do you leave the electric running all the time like a regular residential unit, or do you turn it on/off daily?
Just bought our first RV and discovered last night that ours is dual source. Thinking I'll leave it on electric throughout the day, then turn the LP on for showers to help with recovery time
|
|
|
 |
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
|
09-26-2022, 10:11 AM
|
#2
|
|
Senior Member/RVM #90
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Columbus, MS
Posts: 54,771
|
We leave the AC water heater on all the time we are connected to shore power. We turn of the propane side about 30 minutes before taking showers to have hot water for longer periods, the turn it off after we are finished.  
__________________
Joe & Annette
Sometimes I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits.....
2002 Monaco Windsor 40PBT, 2013 Honda CRV AWD
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 10:15 AM
|
#3
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 259
|
Electric If I have shore power on The Carriage
__________________
2008 Carriage Carri-Lite 36 DFQ SOLD
2015 Chevy 3500HD High Country DRW
2015 Host Aspen 9.5 LB
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 10:16 AM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,383
|
On electric, ours gets turned on when we set up camp and doesn't get turned off until we leave. If I had to use propane, it would get turned on as needed, we don't leave it running.
I cannot remember the last time we used propane. The Hott Rod I installed in our Atwood 6 gallon water heater about 18 years ago keeps up just fine with the three of us taking staggered showers every night.
__________________
03 Itasca Sunova, Workhorse P32 with the 8.1 and 4L85-E
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 11:16 AM
|
#5
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 618
|
30 amp
Depends on weather and how many A/C we need. On gas if we need the A/C.
50 Amp
Constant electric.
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 11:37 AM
|
#6
|
|
"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 24,076
|
When we had that setup, we left the electric element on all the time. You may want to try and leave both on and see what happens. Your electric element may keep the water hot enough, that the propane doesn't turn on until there is hot water usage. If so, you can leave the propane on too.
__________________
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 12:06 PM
|
#7
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 26,820
|
Electric ON when connected to AC Power
Propane ON for back to back showers
Electric is slowest recovery rate....roughly 6 gal/hr
Propane is faster recovery rate......roughly 10 gal/hr
BOTH is fastest recovery rate........roughly 16 gal/hr
Thermostats for electric & propane are 'same' set point so they come on/go off at same time
We turn water heater ON when we set up and it stays ON until we depart
When I want to use hot water I don't have to plan for it
Just like A/C, Fridge, Furnace.......
__________________
I took my Medication today. HAVE YOU?
Dodge 3500 w/Tractor Motor
US NAVY---USS Decatur DDG-31
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 12:19 PM
|
#8
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 367
|
We have a 10 gallon water heater in our fifth wheel, and when on shore power we use electric only. We've taken back to back showers and have never run out of hot water. BUT, we use an Oxygenics showerhead.
JK
__________________
2016 Open Range RF316RLS
2018 Ram 3500 Cummins
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 04:18 PM
|
#9
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 3,441
|
Expansion and contraction does damage to the tank, The electric element lasts as long as your house water heater and are almost free by contrast.
__________________
2004 Dynasty 4
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 04:37 PM
|
#10
|
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Thornville, Ohio
Posts: 3,687
|
We turn it off at home and when traveling and turn it on when we get a site with shore power, unless there is an electric meter. If there is a meter we turn it on when preparing meals or about an hour before shower time.
__________________
Art & Joyce
Thornville, OH
Kia Soul pushing a 36' DP Endeavor
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 06:03 PM
|
#11
|
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Georgia
Posts: 447
|
The first reply from Joe, is the standard for most. I do the same, if I'm powered up, I leave my electric hot water heat on constant. If I'm using the propane gas heater for hot water, I shut it off when I'm done using hot water.
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 06:45 PM
|
#12
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 519
|
I turn my electric hot water heater on about 15 minutes before a shower. Then turn it off when I'm done.
It gets very hot in only 15 minutes. It's a 6 gallon.
__________________
"A Man's Gotta Do What a man's Gotta Do"
2000 Fleetwood Southwind Storm 30H- Workhorse
2016 Prime Time Tracer 3150BHD
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 09:19 PM
|
#13
|
|
Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,796
|
You are paying for power in a campground so why not use their electric? You pay the same rate if you use it or not. The only time we turn off our electric is when we will not be using the coach
__________________
Don
2002 Country Coach Intrigue
|
|
|
|
|
09-26-2022, 09:31 PM
|
#14
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 561
|
Had a problem a few times if I left the electric side on and disconnected power. Next time I connected the electric side would not work until I reset the breaker. Does not always happen, but now I try to remember to turn off when I unplug.
Also if BOTH ACs are running and the Electric water heater is running on my Onan 5500 I will hear a buzzing from the front AC. It’s because the voltage on that line is 109. When I shut off water heater it jumps to 115. Generator has 435hrs on it and runs good. I have noticed the highest voltage I see is 118 even with little to no load. Possible I need to adjust the governor a little. Plan to check hertz output.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
