Hot Water

[scooter83]

I have a brand new Thor Quantum WS31. We used it for the first time this week and we are not getting hot water to the kitchen sink. When you turn on the shower or bathroom sink the hot water heater turns on automatically and we get hot water but not to the kitchen sink. Any ideas?
Scot

 

[John From Detroit]

You said when you turn on the shower the water heater comes on automitically

Is it a "Demand" type (Also called "Tankless") These have a flow sensor that turns it on when water flows.. The water to the kitchen is not flowing fast enough. Two options one of which I recommend.

Have the sensor adjusted (if that's possible) or replaced with one more senistive

Option two (NOT recommended) open another faucet to increase flow (This is a temp soluton till you can go with #1) This is a common complaint about the Tankless types.

 

[DonTom]

When you turn on the shower or bathroom sink the hot water heater turns on automatically and we get hot water but not to the kitchen sink.

Try this:

Turn on the shower hot water (waste a little water for a while).

Then as the shower is running, check for hot water at the kitchen sink.

If you then get hot water at the kitchen sink, then welcome to the extremely stupid idea of using tankless water heaters in new RVs.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I have a brand new Thor Quantum WS31. We used it for the first time this week and we are not getting hot water to the kitchen sink. When you turn on the shower or bathroom sink the hot water heater turns on automatically and we get hot water but not to the kitchen sink. Any ideas?
Scot

This RV does indeed have a tankless heater, so it relies on water flow thru the heater line to trigger the burner. It may be what John said (inadequate flow), but that would have to be barely a trickle. It seems more likely that there is a plumbing issue at the kitchen faucet, e.g. a bad valve if it's a single lever type) or even no connection at all to the water heater. It's a brand new rig, so quite possible nobody actually tested to see if heated water reaches the kitchen. RV makers aren't renowned for high quality workmanship or for thorough testing either. And dealer prep is often cursory as well.

DonTom's suggestion to try the kitchen faucet when the bathroom hot is running is a worthy shot in the dark. If you get hot water in the kitchen that way, you've narrowed the search considerably. If not, you've only lost a few minutes of effort.

 

[Wasillaguy]

Check for a flow restrictor in the faucet head.

 

[8Muddypaws]

It could be a piece of crushed or improperly bent Pex too.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

First thing I think of is if the hot and cold on the faucet is reversed.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[DonTom]

First thing I think of is if the hot and cold on the faucet is reversed.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

My Y2K RV was like that when I first got it. I since then changed it. That must be more common than I expected.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I had a shower valve like this once, one of those single knob pull to turn on and turn for temp. Turn it all the way towards 'red' and after about 5 minutes of no hot water you figure out you need to turn it to 'blue'. Credit to the faucet company, to reverse that you just pluck the valve guts out and rotate 180 degrees to swap the inputs. So whoever put it in had a 50/50 chance but it was easily remedied. My RV sink has a single handle valve thing you lift then rotate for temp and even with the colors it still seems counter to me which direction I should turn for hot. I think it's full CCW but then the handle ends up on the right, which is convention for cold.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[John From Detroit]

I have seen many showers with hot on the right and cold on the left.. European standard from what I understand.

 

[Ray-IN]

First thing I think of is if the hot and cold on the faucet is reversed.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Over 70 years ago I remember my dad telling me "cold water is right". That was when he was installing indoor plumbing in our house.

 

[DonTom]

I have seen many showers with hot on the right and cold on the left.. European standard from what I understand.

Come to think about it, it was probably my first motorhome that had it reversed. A 1979 Class C, made in Canada. I wonder if that is also a Canadian standard. But I think it was only one sink that was reversed, I cannot really remember--was many years ago.

-Don- Reno, NV