PROPANE water heater on all night?

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PROPANE water heater on all night?

August 14, 2011, 10:49:07 pm

Does anyone turn off their propane water heater at night, mostly to not inconvenience their neighbor due to the closeness in the CG? We have gotten in the habit of turning the heater on first thing in the AM, then turning it off once it shuts off. We repeat this just before supper and shut it off when we go to bed.

When we stayed at Gateway to the Gulf CG in Victoria the pads were close together in pairs but each coach faced the other way (front to back). Unfortunately this placed our water heater by our neighbor's bedroom window. They gracefully mentioned it and we now have the routine I mentioned above. It also seems to reduce our propane use.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #1 – August 15, 2011, 12:28:18 am

I NEVER run that thing unless I am using it

It scares me

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #2 – August 15, 2011, 12:32:02 am

We turn ours on in the morning for a half hour or so and again in the evening for a short time. Usually enough warm water to do dishes, etc the rest of the time. The switch makes it so easy to on/off and in 15 minutes, it's warm enough for a shower. The water heater IS a noisy devil. Good for you shutting it down at night. Wish others would do that with their boom boxes.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #3 – August 15, 2011, 09:28:45 am

I have no direct experience as yet, and I've wondered how others are using their water heaters. Going in, I see it as turning it on only when needed and switching off when done - but what do I know?

I don't see using mine all that much. A couple of solar bags hanging in the sun will provide free hot water to shower or clean with in short order. I also see heating a pot of water on the stove or in the microwave if I need a small amount. Going to look into a portable privacy curtain so I can shower outdoors with the water from the solar bags, weather permitting.

Steve

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #4 – August 15, 2011, 10:14:58 am

Wow,

I switch ours on an hour or so before our first stop, and usually don't shut it off except for fuel fill. I don't recall ever hearing it come on other than the first heat, when I am listening for it. Maybe the noise of the Walmart parking lot drowns it out...

oldMattB

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #5 – August 15, 2011, 12:14:10 pm

Upon arrival at our evening stop, either campground or boondock, we have plenty of hot water for showers or dishes supplied by the heat exchange with the motor. We keep the water heater off overnight and hit the switch in the morning while brewing our coffee. Once we have sufficient hot water, we turn it off.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #6 – August 15, 2011, 12:17:16 pm

We only turn it on when we need it on. Otherwise it is off. But I do know it is suppose to turn off once proper temperature is reached. I just don't trust it. Same with water pump. It is on only when needed.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #7 – August 15, 2011, 12:31:19 pm

We only turn on our water heater when we are going to use it.

Matt, if you have the valve turned on your water heater should be fully heated while driving and for several hours after you stop.

If your water heater sounds like a jet engine, an adjustment of the air mixture can cut down the noise considerably. I have offered to help a few neighbors adjust their air mixture if their water heater was particularly noisy. Regrettably, they have not taken me up on my offer and probably are still disturbing their neighbors parked close by.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #8 – August 15, 2011, 02:05:22 pm

Kent,

Good point about the internal heat exchanger. It works well. The internal electric water heater element also works well if everyone knows where the switch is (and are plugged in to shore power). Mine is hidden inside the angled door above the head down on the left side. Looks aftermarket so may be in a different location on others.

For PatC: Yes, we keep the water pump off unless we are using water. Green light is easy to spot when leaving the coach if we forget. We popped a fitting under the sink and flooded the compartment so we make sure it is off when not using it. Glad we were inside when it happened. Took 2 days with a fan to really get it dry.

Glad you guys are enjoying cooler weather now. New Mexico is sure a pretty state.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #9 – August 15, 2011, 02:40:48 pm

I keep it off will driving as the heat exchanger works well. At the campground, I usually keep it on but now all of you have me scared to continue. I keep my rig on a lot near work that my father-in-law owns and there is power, water and sewer there but it is not zoned to live-in so I can't keep water & sewer hooked up (but it stays plugged in). Whenever I have a special event (dinner, ceremony) that is business related, I often take my suit and use the MH to shower and change. I've accidentally left the water heater on for days at a time with no problem. Water pump only goes on when needed as I think the pressurized plastic pipes (especially unattended) are a bigger worry than a sealed propane water heater. When this one fails I intend to convert to a dual propane / electric model. Has anyone done this? I will need 110 obviously and I suppose the switch will have to be replaced. Would really like to hear from someone who has made this conversion.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #10 – August 15, 2011, 02:48:30 pm

Quote from: Dwayne – August 15, 2011, 02:40:48 pm

I keep it off will driving as the heat exchanger works well. At the campground, I usually keep it on but now all of you have me scared to continue. I keep my rig on a lot near work that my father-in-law owns and there is power, water and sewer there but it is not zoned to live-in so I can't keep water & sewer hooked up (but it stays plugged in). Whenever I have a special event (dinner, ceremony) that is business related, I often take my suit and use the MH to shower and change. I've accidentally left the water heater on for days at a time with no problem. Water pump only goes on when needed as I think the pressurized plastic pipes (especially unattended) are a bigger worry than a sealed propane water heater. When this one fails I intend to convert to a dual propane / electric model. Has anyone done this? I will need 110 obviously and I suppose the switch will have to be replaced. Would really like to hear from someone who has made this conversion.

Dwayne,

Are you sure you don't already have a gas/electric/exchanger heater? My 1993 does. Check by removing the cover and looking for the wires and electric heating element. It should be right there if it has it.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #11 – August 15, 2011, 02:56:06 pm

Dwayne,

No, I don't worry so much about fire but the plastic pipes as you said. If we had been away and a hot water connection had come off, the heater could have been pumped dry and possibly ruined, especially if on 110V.

Think I will see if I can adjust the flame to keep the noise down like Kent said. Have to be careful as any visible yellow in the flame indicates carbon monoxide being generated.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #12 – August 15, 2011, 03:01:35 pm

I boondock for weeks at a time and only run the propane part of the hot water tank when I want convenient hot water.
Enough hot water for a shower requires running the propane part of the water heater for:
6 minutes on a hot day in California.
10 minutes on a warm day in Canada.
15 minutes on a cool day.
20 minutes on a frosty day.

I never leave the propane part of the hot water heater on continuously because of the noise.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #13 – August 15, 2011, 04:02:42 pm

I leave the water heater off just to save a few pennies and as an aside insure that it will not run dry and burn up.

Pierce, I am not aware that my U300 has an electric element in the water heater. And it sounds like you bathroom setup is different than mine. Can you see wires running into the drain plug? That would indicate an aftermarket heating element. These drain plug elements used to be available but I have not been able to find one in the last year.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #14 – August 15, 2011, 04:36:30 pm

Kent, check the left front of the bed for a electric switch for the water heater

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #15 – August 15, 2011, 04:41:10 pm

Kent,

Never ending surprises when you go to the forum. I just figured it came OEM with the U300 but was wondering after the last owner showed me the hidden switch inside the door. Seemed a strange place to put a switch.

OK, have found some online. Looks like $70 to $82 list plus shipping will start heading one or the other anyones way. Two different brands, both can be seen at: hott rod

Attached is a photo of mine.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #16 – August 15, 2011, 06:05:06 pm

Yep - someone did a hot rod. The OEM does it in the back. Stupid as heck...

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #17 – August 15, 2011, 07:35:13 pm

Quote from: Jimmy Freytag – August 15, 2011, 04:36:30 pm

Kent, check the left front of the bed for a electric switch for the water heater

I have a switch there, but I think it controls the outlet in the engine bay for the block heater.

oldMattB

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #18 – August 15, 2011, 08:31:56 pm

Quote from: oldmattb – August 15, 2011, 07:35:13 pm

Quote from: Jimmy Freytag – August 15, 2011, 04:36:30 pm
Kent, check the left front of the bed for a electric switch for the water heater

I have a switch there, but I think it controls the outlet in the engine bay for the block heater.

oldMattB

On our 1997 U295, there are two switches on the pedestal for the bed. The switches illuminate when turned on. The switch nearest the street side is for the block heater. The switch nearest the curb side is for the electric element in the water heater. The street side switch is between the 12VDC fuse panel and the edge of the pedestal for the bed. The curb side switch is between the 120VAC subpanel and the other edge of the pedestal.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #19 – August 15, 2011, 10:18:54 pm

Thanks for the leads but I have checked the bed pedestal and have only the engine heater switch. I see no sign of an electric element for the water heater.

I figured if I gave Pierce a challenge he would find an aftermarket element for me and as usual, he did. I think he is the master of internet searches or he just has too much time on his hands but I'm betting on the first guess. Thanks Pierce, now that I know the brand names I can order one when we get back to Oklahoma.

Matt, my U225 also had the engine heater switch on the curb side like yours.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #20 – August 16, 2011, 02:23:21 am

As soon as we arrive at the day's destination, we turn the water heater (propane) on, and leave it on until we head out, either the next day or the next week. Our Atwood water heater isn't any noisier than most roof A/C's, and doesn't stay on more than a few minutes at a time, except for the first time with a cold tank. Of course, we don't park close to adjacent RV's very often. This has been our routine for more than eight years. In that time we have replaced the circuit board, the T-Stat, and the ignitor probe once.

For us, it wouldn't work too well to turn the heater on first thing in the morning, as the first thing I do is to jump into the shower.

Although our Atwood heater is OEM propane-only, an easy addition was the "Hot-Rod", that is inserted into the tank via the main plug, needs a 110V source and the remote switch is on the left side of the kitchen sink, at the same level as the water pump switch and propane hot water switch. The Hot Rod comes with its own thermostat and turns off once water gets hot. We use it mostly to augment the propane when we have forgotten to turn the propane on and want hot water quickly. Otherwise, we use the propane almost exclusively.
I have gotten into the habit of turning off the shore water spigot whenever we leave the coach, just to avoid a potential water mess in the coach.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #21 – August 16, 2011, 08:43:54 am

when I had a 99 U 270 I turned on the water heater on electric when I got to the park and I would hit the propane when I was going to shower. It was hot when I got there and the electric element kept it hot and the propane worked for recovery and thenI shut it off. I have aquahot now and turn it on when I get there and it keeps water hot.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #22 – August 16, 2011, 03:17:52 pm

I have one switch at the foot/base of the bed. Red and does illuminate if turned on. Wondered what it was. In my case i'm assuming it is a block heater. Never have needed a block heater on the 3208. In answer to the OP I never leave my propane heater on at night. Never have seen a need. Water only takes a short time to heat and stays hot all night.

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #23 – August 20, 2011, 01:17:08 am

Have hot water when we arrive. We only turn on pump and heater when need. Barry and Cindy told us newbies to operate that way and that has proven just fine, and safe. Have not yet found the electric switch though...I know where the breaker is for the element in the hot water heater, but throwing that is to no avail. So either that element is burned out or there is another switch somewhere. In any case, propane does a great job turning on only when need. Mike

Re: PROPANE water heater on all night?

Reply #24 – August 20, 2011, 09:01:40 am

In the past Foretravel put a electric hot water switch on the front of the bed, often on lower left as you are looking at the bed., under the bed skirt. Using a meter you may determine if there is power to the switch. Some earlier hot water tanks did not have electric heat option.

If your electric heating element is burned out, Camping World sells a heating element that fits into hot water tank drain plug opening. It must be wired to power and thermostat.
Electric heating elements will burn out if tank is drained with electric heating element powered on.

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